Artist

California weaver Joseph Marks is a native of Los Angeles County but spent many of his formative years in the Pacific Northwest. His early interests in humor, music, literature and photography have transferred to weaving colorful tales, rugs and fabrics since overcoming a head injury at age 12. He'd be quick to tell you, "If you try to tangle with a farm tractor, the tractor'll probably win!"

After a year of intensive rehabilitation, he continued his schooling including an incredible year at Pacific Oaks Mini-High School in Pasadena. Joe later graduated from Coeur d' Alene High School to a standing ovation and then traveled by Eurorail through western Europe. He lived in San Francisco, Idaho, Seattle and Long Beach, CA, before settling Antelope Valley, the high desert above Los Angeles.

Joe's keen awareness of people coupled with an expanded sense of family connection enables him to remember names and places from the shortest contact. This, combined with an inordinate sense of space and time, compensate for his total blindness. His great wit and vivid imagination are like fine threads woven into every piece of his being. Weaving with firm hand he pulls each weft through, back and forth, till each work is finished. Tirelessly he winds his yarns.

Weavings

The luxurious woolen rugs are made of new blanket salvage from Pendleton Woolen Mills. Fine worsted stock produces the silky pile of his salt-and-pepper wraps and throws. The wool warp is from George Christopher Sheep Farm in Maine. Dimensions vary and are subject to availability of salvage stock.

To care for these rugs, dry clean, or machine wash in cold water on gentle cycle with ordinary detergent. Tumble with air only (no heat) for 10 minutes to restore nap, then air dry out of direct sunlight. Properly cared for, they will last for generations.

Glances, number eight

photo by Mark Robertson

Coeur d' Alene High Shcool

Spring Semester

1983

"All copy rights to poems and stories in GLANCES are reserved to the writers and their teacher, Kay Gran Powers."

Joe Marks

CREATIVE WRITING

Creative writing is such fun.

It's like when your pencil turns into a gun.

Whatever your pencil writes,

the paper has no choice but to say it.

Fold towels: ten times ten

Fold 10, ten, 9 more

times.

Ok, fine, ten more

time.

Lay the ten aside again.

Tie them, tie them. Ten times

ten.

Heck with this all, let's

hit the streets,

Boss lady gave me the dough.

Love

is

a

swamp.

SOUND

Is the light of life to a blind man.

It's his cheat sheet to sight.

The plop, plop or clip, clip of a

footstep tells the type of shoe

or floor and the distance of a

person nearing.

The low hum of a refrigerator is a

homing device for the hungry.

A clitter, clitter on the window or

roof is a giveaway to rainy

weather.

The plunk of closing notebooks

reassures that class is ending.

Out and About

Mom and me in Old Town


Hiking with my dad in the mountains









Deep sea fishing with a friend


Celebrating my grandfather's birthday at the park

Favorites

Movies:
Bugsy Malone
Whip-cream shooting machine guns, dancing girls and Peddle Cars.
ET
The Leading Lady and the boy hero.
Star Wars
The original
Star Trek IV
The Voyage Home
Books:
Harry Potter
The Struggle between right and wrong, good and evil, gray and gray and all that stuff.
Boxcar Children
The hero dog.
Music:
John Prine
It’s a big ol’ goofy world.
Debbie Davis
She’s my sweetie.
Arlo Guthrie
Radio:
Garrison Keillor - NPR
Prairie Home Companion
KPFK
John Davis
Food:
Pizza
Flan
Chocolate
Fried Liver
Kitchen Sink Burrito
Games:
Mancala
Chess
Othello
Checkers (To play checkers go here.)
Computer Games:

Grizzly Gulch, Western Exravaganza
Bouncing Babies
Taipan
Accessibility:
Simplified Sign Language
Descriptive Video Service