It's amazing what you'll find in the countryside. If you dropped off the interstate a few miles west of Benton, Arkansas, and toured the back roads (practically a redundant term in Arkansas), you might pass Warren and Janet Criswell's house and, noting the chain link fence, logically suppose the presence of one or more dogs. Good guess, but any other assumptions would almost certainly be far off the mark and would not survive your first step over the threshold.
     Directly ahead, where most folks install living room furniture, the Criswells have an imposing array of computer equipment and about 1000 board feet of neatly arranged work surface. (I particularly liked that big, eat-your-heart-out, color laser printer.) This is where Janet manages and operates Criswell Embroidery and Design.
     Tucked to one side is Warren's workstation. Stacked beside it is an intimidating pile of reading matter, including a volume by Nietzsche, what appeared to be a book on the philosophy of science, and Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf. As you can tell from his web site, Warren is a serious artist and a writer. His studio is housed in a long room adjacent to Janet's technology farm. It's neat, well-lighted and stuffed with equipment only marginally comprehensible to the uninitiated. I could appreciate what he does with it, though.
     Oh, yes, the dog census: They are, going from largest to smallest, Greg (reminds me of another Greg, although the dog has shorter hair), Skipper (the absurdly pleased blob in Janet's lap), Abby and Buffy.  I was told that Buffy, a tiny, animated ball of fluff, is a Chihuahua. I always thought they resembled the one in the Taco Bell ad -- a large, nearly naked rat with glandular problems. The Criswell's informed me that it is one of the "big ones." If you look carefully at the painting propped up in Warren's studio (it is titled "Rachel Stealing the Gods"), you'll see Buffy peering over the open book.

Altogether another pleasant visit with genial, creative and accommodating people. I'm leading a charmed life so far.

The detail of "Rachel Stealing the Gods"
is copyright © 2000 by Warren Criswell.
All text and remaining photos are
copyright © 2000
by William K. Walker.

Last update: 06 July 2000