“Feeling Sequimish”
Mark Couhig
Contact Mark at mcouhig@sequimgazette.com
Mark Couhig has been a writer for more than 50 years.
His first experience with the written word arrived at a very early age when he was required to painstakingly hand-trace dotted lines in a notebook, a process that led first to a mastery of the straight, purely angular letters of the English alphabet. He soon turned his attention to the curved letters, exhibiting a full proficiency in that skill by the end of his seventh year.
Before another year had passed, Couhig had begun to cluster letters into meaningful compositions, an accomplishment for which he was awarded a coveted gold star, the first-ever public acknowledgement of his extraordinary aptitude with words.
In time he would take these words and strategically create further clusters, which he called “sentences.”
Paragraphs soon followed.
In the third grade Couhig learned the skill of cursive writing, allowing him to greatly expand and accelerate his output.
Over the ensuing months and years Couhig’s now-renown facility for dramatic narrative developed. He was able to work the delicate filigree of fiction — dramatic, purposeful action that engages the reader — to a degree that astonished Ms. Sweeney, his teacher and mentor. Of one of Couhig’s early works, “Run, Tom, Run,” she wrote, “I’m so proud of you.”
As his facility with words grew, so too did his worldview, aided in part by his assiduous readings of “The Weekly Reader,” which he continues to regard as a formative influence in his later, more mature works.
In the fifth grade, Couhig’s repertoire and love of the written word translated to a sterling turn on the stage as Shepherd No. 3 in a new and dynamic dramatic reading of the Gospel According to Luke, a popular work of the time.
Approximately 50 years later Couhig moved to Sequim where he writes a blog.
The Sequim Gazette Newsroom’s Annual Seasonal Gift Guide for 2011
Published on Tue, Dec 13, 2011Read More Couhig
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
It’s the December season of giving, filled with wonderful seasonal parties, sweets and gifts, all leading up to that magical moment when the kids awaken early on Dec. 25 to discover what Seasonal Cartoonish Mythical Figure has left under the Seasonal Arboreal Display.
O, Come Let Us Adore an Unspecified Him or Her!
Of course, with all the seasonal merrymaking, the seasonal family arguments and the seasonal strain on the pocketbook, this can also be a stressful time. (Not to mention the traditional “Taking of Offense at the Religious Displays of Others” and the “Taking of Offense at the Taking of Offense at the Religious Displays of Others,” which together can really take a toll on your seasonal spirit.)
To help make this special time a little easier on you, dear reader, I’m providing our 2011 edition of the Sequim Gazette Newsroom’s Annual Seasonal Gift Guide.
Now you don’t have to worry about buying just the right gift for those special people in the Sequim Gazette newsroom. Choose one of more of these gift ideas and rest easy in the knowledge that your gift won’t end up back at the store for credit, re-gifted or exchanged for something good.
This is my seasonal gift to you, our loyal readers! (Click on the blue links.)
Here’s the perfect gift for me! (Tip: Best when purchased in six-packs.)
Matt Nash and his wife have a baby on the way. Here’s the perfect item:
For Matt
Crime scenes can be cold, particularly during one of our long, dark winters. Keep our favorite Winters warm this year.
Copy Editor Joan Worley has her hands all over our work, so we like to keep her happy. Here’s a good way to do just that.
Pat Coate provides the final word on style. Here’s a gift she can use and reuse:
Pat’s Profundity
Save money. Here’s the perfect item for all three of our Donnas: Sales Donna, Production Donna and Newsroom Donna:
Three Donnas in One
It’s the gift that keeps on giving. Pony up for a Polo for Mike Dashiell, our stylish and fearless leader (particularly in this get-up).
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