Sure Ain't Like It Used to Be: The Vanishing West

T.K. Galarneau brings us a new batch of poems about the changing west and a coming-of-age story in her latest volume of memories of growing up in Idaho.

Galarneau's concern for the natural world and the increase of natural disasters caused by climate change are the foundation of her poems. "The Sky is Falling," "No Respect," and "Big Sky Country" are cautionary tales of what might happen if we don't take care of Mother Earth. The title poem, "Sure Ain't Like it Used to Be" laments the loss of tradition as technology takes over our lives. Change is the thread that ties all the poems together. Change for good or ill—the only constant in this world.

The short story "The Quest" is a coming of age story about a teenager whose life revolves around her love for horses and how they become her refuge as she struggles to find a place in the white world while maintaining respect for Arapahoe traditions.