The Rawness of Time

Ben Nuttall-Smith taught Music, Theatre, Art, and Language until he retired in 1991.He is a member of The Writers' Union of Canada and a Past President of the Federation of British Columbia Writers.Publications include a memoir, Discovered in a Scream (Rutherford Press 2017); an historical novel, Mad God of the Toltecs (Rutherford Press 2017); an illustrated biography of Fraser Valley homesteader and pioneer bush-pilot, Pat Carey, Flying With White Eagle, (Rutherford Press 2016); several books of poetry including, Crescent Beach Reflections, (Rutherford Press 2017); illustrated children's books: Henry Hamster Esquire (Rutherford Press 2018); Grandpa's Homestead - haiku; and Rhyming Fun With Billy and Trish (Rutherford Press 2021). A recent publication is dedicated to the memory of his wife, Margot: Love in the Golden Years (Rutherford Press 2019).Ben has also published several chapbooks and a new venture titled Ten Pun Crossword Puzzles for Young Geniuses.Ben's poems and short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies and online publications including All That Uneasy Spring ed. Patrick Lane; Quills Canadian Poetry Magazine; Poemata Canadian Poetry Association; Royal City Poets, Silver Bow Publishing, Between Earth and Sky, Silver Bow Publishing, Lucidity Journal of Verse, Bear House Publishing, Houston, Texas; Cyclamens and Swords online poetry magazine. Ben was the winner of The Surrey Board of Trade Special Achievement Award 2011 for work as a writer and for service to the writing community. He was also awarded an Honorary Life Membership by the Federation of British Columbia Writers, May 2013, "In recognition of extraordinary service and dedication to the ideal of Writers Helping Writers".

Poems and stories.A person of advanced years will have developed a certain perspective on the events that have brought him or her to that point.
One tends to shred away unimportant things and to dwell on what it was that has moulded one's character. As such, a senior's thoughts become the most personal of spaces. It takes, perhaps, reckless courage to expose those distilled memories for others to examine. Only a small number of survivors into elderhood will bother with, or be brave enough to, open up one's soul in as much of a raw fashion as does Ben in these poems and recollections.