Staff Report

Allen Koehn, a member of the Santa Ynez Valley Arts Association, has published an innovative and inspiring book that combines fine-art photography with original haiku poems.

In addition to a professional career as a therapist and professor, Koehn has long been involved with photography as an art form and has shown work in local galleries, at many association events and as a featured artist in the association’s gallery.

“While I have been engaged in photography for most of my life, a few years ago,  in discovering haiku, I found a form of verse that called me to integrate images with the words and discovered that the interplay between the two forms resonated deeply and  seemed to introduce a third element or an opening to new visions,” Koehn said. “With the addition of the photos that accompany each poem, my hope for the reader is that a delightful mind dance will occur – and that one is invited to bring their own music to the movement.”

“Dancing At The Threshold” is available at The Book Loft in Solvang. The author also plans local readings and presentations.

For more information on local arts, go to www.santaynezvalleyarts.org.