Fresh off receiving her Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from New York’s prestigious Columbia University, Darby Minow Smith is back in her hometown of Boulder, where she looks forward to sharing some of her stories with the community she loves.
She’ll be doing this Sunday, July 24 at the Basin Artist Refuge Gallery, with special guest Melissa Kwasny.
“I’ve been a huge fan of the artists refuge since I was a kid,” Smith told The Monitor. “I’m honored to do my first public reading here.”
It’s an even greater honor, Smith said, to share the bill with Kwasny, a former poet laureate of Montana, who will read a few poems and share some slides from her projects in Montana museums.
“One of the things I’m curious about and care about is how to be a writer in Montana and how to write about how much of a beautiful place it is without over-romanticizing,” Smith said. “[Kwasny] is such a great example of how to do that right. She’s incredibly talented.”
Smith’s admiration for Kwasny has only grown, as Kwasny’s writing was also revered at Columbia.
“I took a poetry class from CAConrad, and [Kwasny] was on the syllabus,” Smith said. “They are a big fan of her work.”
Like Kwasny, Smith is a “big believer in the power of stories,” and this has propelled her forward to pursue a writing career, and to teach others how to craft their own stories.
“Stories can really shape how we see the world,” Smith said. “They are how we communicate with the community. I see stories everywhere, and I want to help people tell stories. It’s no secret Montana is a rapidly changing state from how many people are moving here to climate change. There are massive changes. I think storytelling can be a really great way of preserving what we love best about Montana, reminding what it is that makes the state so unique and lovable.”
Smith said she is tremendously grateful for her Boulder upbringing and the support she’s received from her parents Paul “Brud” Smith and Terry Minow, former Jefferson High School journalism teacher Mark Kelly, former Monitor editor/publisher Jan Anderson and others.
“I really lucked out with the teachers I had all throughout my time in Boulder,” Smith said. “I received what I consider a world-class education. Columbia felt like a continuance.”
Smith said she also lucked out with story material, as there has never been a shortage of colorful characters to profile. This includes the late John Bonan, a man she considers a larger-than-life Montanan.
“He was sort of the PR person for Elkhorn,” Smith said. “He lived across from the old dance hall, and, whenever anyone drove up there, he gave instructions, told jokes and shared his love of the mountains. He was a really interesting character.”
“At the reading, Smith plans on sharing an essay on the romantic draw of Montana and the desire to preserve the rapidly changing Last Best Place. The event begins at 4:30 p.m. The gallery is located in downtown Basin, across from the post office. Light appetizers will be served.
“I’m really grateful to Boulder and Basin for being supportive,” Smith said. “Boulder is a place where you’re given a little space to be the weirdo coming back from New York and people still treat you with love. I’m really excited to continue to do this with the artists refuge in a place I care really deeply about…hopefully I won’t get heckled too much.”
An excerpt of Darby’s reading:
The Only Montanan at the Dinner Party
We arrived at the brand-new Bozeman apartment building. Instead of giving her name, the hostess stated the menu: trout. My ears perked up, despite the fact that my family caught and ate so much of the fish in the summer that it was our version of other people’s tired turkey sandwiches. A fellow fisherwoman! I asked our hosts where they caught the trout. The farmers market, they replied. They hadn’t gotten around to learning how to fish. They likely wouldn’t, given they were unsure how long they’d live in the area. Montana was high on their list, but they didn’t want to yoke themselves to one place. The host offered up a bucket of chilled drink options. Orange wine, the hostess noted, was all the rage in Brooklyn. I shot my boyfriend a look, yet helped myself to a glass.
We ate on trays and cushions on the floor. The hostess was a potter, so the group talked art schools. As an outsider to even outsider art, I entertained myself by staring at the thoughtfully arranged bookshelves. I considered pulling out a book, flipping through it, and putting it back at a slightly different angle. I wondered how long we’d be out of the apartment before the hostess fixed it.
We ate on trays and cushions on the floor. The hostess was a potter, so the group talked art schools. As an outsider to even outsider art, I entertained myself by staring at the thoughtfully arranged bookshelves. I considered pulling out a book, flipping through it, and putting it back at a slightly different angle. I wondered how long we’d be out of the apartment before the hostess fixed it.
