Linda Hussa is a writer and a rancher of cattle and sheep in California’s far northeast corner, on the edge of the Black Rock Desert. She is the author of seven books of poetry and non-fiction, all of which artfully explore the lives and work of residents of the rural West—their struggles as well as their joys. Hussa has won numerous awards, including the “Willa,” given in the name of Willa Cather by the organization Women Writing the West. She has recently been nominated to the Cowgirl Hall of Fame for her work as a poet, writer, rancher, historian, and activist.

Hussa will read her poetry, and be joined in conversation by guest curator Lisa M. Hamilton, whose own work explores agriculture and rural communities. Hamilton features Hussa in the current photographic exhibition, "I See Beauty in This Life," which explores rural life in California. Indeed, it was Hussa’s own words that gave the exhibition its title.

Linda Hussa at Hussa Ranch. Cedarville, Modoc County. 2011 Lisa M. Hamilton Chromogenic print