Stories & Books
Diz Swift
Montana, geology, Peace Corps, climate change, coma and recovery – all come together in stories of love, failure and success, courage, and fun.
Selected Stories
Antarctica by Sea
The horizon was a mystery of grays, as I squinted into the south. The wind pulled at my jacket and the deck pitched and rolled beneath my spread stance, but I continued to look intently toward the south over the bow. Sea spray flashed as the ship hit a wave, and...
Grandma and Grandpa
My Grandmother, my father’s mother, was from Tennessee, and had all the earthiness of a hillbilly with a kindness and twinkle built in. I didn’t see her often, since we lived in Montana and the trip to Tennessee took four days of hard driving, but we made the most of...
Wildlife Field Work
We were up before dawn and, still sleepy, went down to the mess hall for breakfast with the Forest Service logging crew. Everything you’ve heard about loggers’ breakfasts is true. We had platters of eggs with pools of butter, bacon, sausages, and pancakes in stacks...
Author
Diz Swift
I’m a Montana kid. My Montana roots go back to the late 1800s with pioneers, farmers, ranchers, miners, engineers and businesspeople. I grew up with independence and self-reliance; I was taught to figure things out for myself.
Right out of college I was in the Peace Corps in southern Chile for two tours, then went on to get my PhD in geology. I worked for a major oil and gas company for my career. That’s where I met my husband. During work at the oil and gas company I was nearly always the only woman in the room, but worked my way from geologist to senior management level. Climate change became my passion after I retired, and I studied, advocated and lectured on that for several years.
Twenty months after marriage to my wonderful husband, he was hit by a bus, suffering a traumatic brain injury (TBI) throwing him into a coma. As one of the physicians said about TBI recovery, “It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.” I continued working in a high stress job for 11 years while taking care of my husband and advocating for him in the maelstrom of medical care, rehab and home care. It took years, but we made it to a happy life together – family, friends, traveling, concerts, dinners, and so much more. In the process I had to grieve for the man I lost and come to love the man he became. While stumbling along, I learned how to bring joy into our lives, and then fulfilment, and at last, contentment.
I have finally figured out how to live life and am enjoying the best part of it now. There is so much life to live, and beauty all around. I’m lucky, and very, very grateful.
Oh yeah. And I love pussycats.
Coming Soon!
Available Fall 2026
Between the Winds
Non-Fiction
Between the Winds is a story of rapid growth during a time of turmoil. It’s a story of joy found in odd places, of outdoor treks, adventures with wildlife, and adapting to a new culture – all in the constant winds at the southern tip of the continent.
With a scientist’s eye for astute observation, an astonishing memory for detail, and a vocabulary to match, Diz Swift’s prose draws us into her odysseys with all the sensory stimulation as if we were there, participating in the various adventures of her life journey.