PAGE – Nicholas C. A. Sparkman visited Page last week. He grew up here, went to school here from grades four through 12, graduated, and then joined the U.S. Navy. He’s currently stationed in Washington state. 

Sparkman’s grandmother, Bettie Powell was the director at Page Library in the ‘90s. He took photos of the plaques with her name on it. He’s proud of her. While visiting the library, he gave them a copy of his first published work, Fractures in a Glass Mind, a book of poetry, which is a collection documenting 10 years of his life, much of it written in Page, and some reflecting on his time in the Arabian Gulf. 

In an age of Facebook and Twitter personalities, Sparkman says writing poetry is therapy and release. He said, “I get to be the most honest with myself.” He says it’s a way of coping with depression, and he hopes others who suffer will gain from his work. 

He and his wife are both artists too, exploring acrylics. He likes to express his emotions freely with abstracts. He admits his wife is the more focused and organized in painting and in life. She is his anchor. His approach to poetry is much different than the muse driven abstracts; it’s more focused, more purposed, as he navigates the seeds of emotions, the ups and downs, and reflects on what they mean and where they lead.

Sparkman has been in the Navy five years now, and plans on serving another three. He’s not certain what he will do after that but would like to try acting. He was in the theater group at Page High, performing in plays like “Our Town,” “The Wedding Singer,” and many more He’s also considering teaching.

His book is available at major online retailers, and at the Page Public Library.