A U alumna, Russell has been writing and teaching high school creative writing classes since her graduation in 1974 with a bachelor's in English. This year's River of Words project was her third, but the first to involve the talents of visiting writers. Coles and Russell met through their mutual affiliation with Writers at Work, a non-profit literary arts organization in Utah committed to providing an opportunity for aspiring writers to meet and learn from established professionals. Both educators are members of the organization's board. Of course, testimonies as to why literature matters are as numerous as the reasons people write.
Literature is more than the profound expression of profound ideas.
It has a definite social function. Writing continues to teach and extend the borders of human knowledge. Among other things, environmental literature reminds individuals of their membership in the larger human and non-human community. To paraphrase the poet Gary Snyder, such membership creates, in the process, larger networks which break down territorialities and divisions, just as do rivers of water or words, says English Department Chair Steve Tatum. Likewise, Coles, a poet herself, is no stranger to the differences literature can make, nor to programs intended to take renowned writers into under-served areas.