Karla K. Morton's photographs are as sharp-edged as some of the tree branches and animal bones they depict. They are carefully composed and at the same time luminous. Her country buildings convey a touching nostalgia. And many of her landscapes capture the elegance and nobility of the natural world. Each of Alan Birkelbach's poems takes its cue from a Morton picture, stays true to the subject, then quickly-magically-moves into its own terrain, a region where image turns into memory and meditation. This combination of photograph-and-poem is highly satisfying. The two art forms are a perfect...

Karla K. Morton's "Hometown, Texas" is a collection of beautiful poems and artwork, created by high school and middle school students of small towns all over Texas and by Morton herself, making the collection very unique and intriguing. Each poem brings to life another piece of Texas that can easily be overlooked by those who do not quite understand why Texans are so passionate about their state. The 2010 Texas Poet Laureate hit the road in September 2009, traveling to middle and high schools across the state, showing students the importance of writing and asking them to create something...