Saturday, August 21, 1999

Vern Rutsala

Vern Rutsala was born in 1934 and is a native of Idaho. He received his BA from Reed College and an MFA from the University of Iowa. Nine books of his poetry have been published, four chapbooks, and over 700 poems which have appeared in literary reviews and anthologies. He has won numerous prizes including the Carolyn Kizer Poetry Prize (twice), a Pushcart Prize, and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Oregon Masters, and two from the National Endowment for the Arts. He received the Juniper Prize for his book, Little Known Sports, and won the Oregon Book Award in 1992 for Selected Poems.

Vern Rutsala is currently a professor of English at Lewis & Clark College.

Ronald Turco

Ronald Turco, M.D., is a widely recognized psychiatrist, author and wilderness enthusiast who lives in Portland, Oregon. He is the author of five books whose subjects range from explorations of psychiatric issues to artistic profiles and mystery novels. His book, Walk East on Burnside, is a mystery novel set in the Pacific Northwest. A well-known contributor who has been instrumental in clearing some high profile cases, Ron draws on a lifetime of experiences to weave a haunting tale of crime and criminals

Ron’s second book, The Architecture of Creativity–-Profiles Behind The Mask, uses the same methods of psychoanalysis to define the personalities of eight famous artists based on their artwork.

Closely Watched Shadows is a true crime murder mystery and a personal account of what it took to develop the psychological profile that helped convict Westley Dodd of the murders of three young boys from Washington state. This book penetrates the mind of a pedophile and reveals the harrowing revulsion that drives the hunter, a sensitive man, to examine the dark corners of his soul. It describes Ron’s personal struggle to re-establish his sense of goodness and innocence.

Ron Turco received a BA in Chemistry from Pennsylvania State University and his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College where he received an award for his thesis on dream interpretation. He did his psychiatric training at the University of North Carolina. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, President of the American Society of Psychoanalytic Physicians, and Associate Clinical Professor at the Oregon Health Sciences University. He received the Outstanding Physician Award from the American Medical Association in 1970 and the Milton Erickson Award of Scientific Excellence by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis in 1971.

Ron Turco is a consultant psychiatrist practicing in Portland, Oregon, with an emphasis on psychotherapy and the minimal use of medications. He is also Certified in Wilderness Life Support, and is an avid horseback rider. Find out more information about Ron and his books at http://www.ronaldturco.com/index.htm.