Poetry: When Summer Came

Jun 1

Written By Tricia Gates Brown

{Originally published in the Fall 2021 issue of Mason Street Review}

When summer came

my daughter and I carried the spare table out

back, began to live under green and blue.

Spent our days nourished and noticing things.

Like the flamboyance of a single tiger

lily against the foxgloves’ purple foil,

or the way just-fledged finches played like

kids in a fountain as the soaker-hose

drenched their twitching wings.

As men in faraway places carried their

deaths onto buses in bombs strapped to thighs,

we sought the golden lilt of the monarch.

As soldiers bulldozed refugee homes,

ate food stockpiled by the occupied,

we absorbed the tickling scent of blooms,

chased a flashing red to find a box-

elder bug. While men in high places called

assassinations and hookers, we learned the song

of the chickadee, the maple leaves’

hushing. As boys fought to protect our way

of life, we lived like we knew

we were going to die.

Tricia Gates Brown

Tricia Gates Brown has worked as a professional editor and co-writer since the mid-2000s. Though the bulk of her current work is for the National Park Service and Native tribes, her expertise is broad. She has experience in academic and creative writing and strives to honor an author’s tone while improving a written piece. She holds a PhD from University of St. Andrews and edits everything from academic works to poetry, while her own essays, creative nonfiction, and poetry have appeared widely in journals. A 2022 Independent Publishers Award (IPPY) Bronze Medal was awarded to her novel Wren.

Poetry: To Morning

Poetry: Map of Mortality

To my work as editor, I bring a writer’s heart.

I understand the vulnerability of putting your treasured creations into someone else’s hands; I understand the value of revision and refinement; I stand by the power of words. If you contribute to the world through writing, I want to midwife your most instructive, clear, inspiring, beautiful work, and to empower you in your calling. 

After 20 years as editor, I’ve edited hundreds of written pieces and dozens of poems. And as a seasoned, published writer, my experience with and mastery of many genres allow me not only to edit different types of writing, but to transcend categories and reach places unique and magical. I want to make your prose more poetic, and your poetry more potent and concise. 

Whether you have reached the last stage of your life and want to share your story and insights, whether you are an academic with ideas to convey, whether you have intuitions that call people to richer lives, whether you’re wrestling with faith and doubt, whether you’ve struggled to find belonging, I will approach your project with empathy and capacity born of decades of experience. My ear is well tuned to clarity and honesty in writing, and appreciative of improv. I care about your story. I care about the wisdom and knowledge you communicate. I am skilled at listening and valuing of integrity. Whatever writing struggles you want to overcome, whatever transformations you desire, I can help.

Favorite categories: Memoir, History, Native Studies, Poetry, Social Justice.

My brief bio: I have edited professionally since 2008, working extensively on projects for the National Park Service and Native tribes. Additionally, I’ve edited everything from dissertations to poetry. My own essays, creative nonfiction, and poetry have appeared widely in journals, and my debut novel, Wren, was awarded a 2022 Independent Publishers Award (IPPY) Bronze Medal. See my long list of publications. I hold a PhD from University of St. Andrews. Feel free to CONTACT me.

Client Endorsements

Douglas Deur, PhD, Department of Anthropology, Portland State University:

“Tricia Gates Brown is an editor of rare talents. She has worked with me for a dozen years or more, editing works in Anthropology, History, Ethnobotany, and related fields. Most of these writings I have delivered into her care, knowing that each one presents its own challenges: they arrive full of urgent little intricacies, and with cultural sensitivities both weighty and diverse. Some are densely technical and specialized reports; others are essays, pitched toward both the heads and the hearts of general audiences unfamiliar with the topics and terrain.  Tricia understands the many nuances of such material—tracking all the important details, navigating the sensitivities, waging patient campaigns against the customary technical shortfalls, and thoughtfully factoring each work’s intended audiences and venues into her editorial decisions large and small. Yet, her skills extend well beyond those of a conventional editor. Holding a doctorate from University of St. Andrews, she brings a wealth of personal experience in publishing – as an editor, but also as an award-winning author of her own works of short fiction, non-fiction, novels, memoir, children’s books, poetry, columns, newsletters, and more. Seldom does a writer have the opportunity to work with an editor like Tricia, with such a wealth of knowledge and experience, and an all-encompassing view of the craft of writing. She comprehends every stage of the writing process, from the imaginative beginnings to the published conclusions. For writers seeking to navigate this landscape, Tricia can be an excellent coach and copilot, while providing efficient assistance on customary editorial matters too.”