Pam Houston: the novelist talks about Colorado rivers, ranches, mountains, and baseball

On coming to Colorado When my first book, Cowboys Are My Weakness, was published, that was the first time in my life I had any money. I came to Colorado and fell in love with it.

On Creede, Colorado It was a silver-mining town, founded by Nicholas Creede. At one time it was quite the boomtown, very briefly. We were 10,000 people, now we're 850. Every July Fourth we have the hard-rock mining championships here.

Her ranch When I got here, Creede still wasn't sure about a single woman wanting a place on her own--my realtor kept showing me places in subdivisions. The ranch is ringed by the Continental Divide. All the mountains that rise up from the valley are covered in aspen. It's incredible.

On relaxing I love to walk with my dogs. There are five wilderness areas right around here. You could do a different trail every day in the summer and not repeat yourself.

River rafting The Yampa is wonderful; it's mostly inside Dinosaur National Monument. There's one tough rapid called Warm Springs--a big challenge.

Colorado Rockies baseball. I haven't given up on them. But the thing about the Rockies and Coors Field is it almost doesn't matter. Even if the other team scores more runs, it's a wonderful afternoon.

Her favorite Colorado writer I really like Patricia Limerick, especially her book Legacy of Conquest. She always says she's a historian, not a creative writer. But she's done so much for the West and for women writers.

Visit www.pamhouston.net for information on Pam Houston and her books, including Cowboys Are My Weakness, Sight Hound, and Waltzing the Cat.

INTERVIEW BY PETER FISH

COPYRIGHT 2007 Sunset Publishing Corp.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning