You Were Always There - Paperback

Stephen Russell Payne is a fourth generation Vermonter from the beautiful Northeast Kingdom. He was inspired to write by a visit to his 7th grade English class in 1967 by Vermont poet, Galway Kinnell and has been writing ever since. He studied with X. J. Kennedy and Denise Levertov at Tufts University where he received his Masters in English before entering medical school at the University of Vermont. Since 1988 he has practiced general surgery in northern Vermont and taught at UVM's College of Medicine as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery. Payne's emotionally charged work celebrates the independence and dignity of many different people, all of whom struggle with both everyday and monumental life challenges. He has published many short stories, both fiction and non-fiction, in Vermont Life Magazine, the Tufts Review, the Vermont Literary Review, Route 7 Literary Journal, and others. Payne's debut novel, Cliff Walking was released in 2011 to excellent reviews and he continues to make appearances in support of that book raising money and awareness for causes working to end spousal and child abuse, particularly Prevent Child Abuse Vermont. Payne is dedicated to land, water, and wilderness preservation and strongly supports the Vermont Land Trust and the Lake Champlain Land Trust, to which he will donate a portion of proceeds from his new book, Riding My Guitar - The Rick Norcross Story. This book is the fascinating story of iconic Vermont musician Rick Norcross, who in 2013 celebrates his 50th anniversary as a performing musician. Rick is the legendary leader of Vermont's premier swing band, Rick and the All Star Ramblers Western Swing Band, which continues to delight audiences around New England.