Dream cabin Christian Knoeller had this white pine cabin built last February. It has no electricity. It was built (off-site) by local workers, with hand tools. As Knoeller walks the trails on his property, he is usually accompanied by his three dogs, Yuki, Chelsea, and Coyote. Comet photo by Jennifer Archibald Christian Knoeller is a newcomer to Carroll County. He's only lived here since 1999. But he already appreciates its landscape, its history, and its people. Knoeller is an associate professor of English education at Purdue University. He and his wife, Julie, chose to make their home in rural Carroll County. They live in a Victorian home near Camden.

Their 15-acre property includes extensive woodland, meadow, and trails. Deer Creek runs for a third of a mile along their land.

Away from the house and nearer the creek, Knoeller had a cabin built last February. In this cabin, surrounded by wilderness, he writes poetry.

Thoreau had his Walden Pond, and Knoeller has his Deer Creek. When Knoeller writes about Deer Creek, he calls it the river. It's all about perspective and perception. Knoeller says Deer Creek is inspiring with its raw and natural power and its gift of sustenance to wildlife and waterfowl. He said from his perspective, it's a river, and as a writer, it's part of his life.

Cabin above the creek Christian Knoeller is pictured inside his secluded cabin, one-third of a mile from his house. The cabin overlooks Deer Creek. Knoeller, an associate professor and poet, has two desks one for scholarship and one for poetry. During the creating process, he hand-writes his poems. Comet photo by Jennifer Archibald Knoeller has been writing poems for 30 years, and they have been widely published. Since he moved to Indiana, he has written 200 poems.

"Of these, 66 are place-based pieces, connected directly to Carroll County," he said. He writes about nature, history, real places and real people. His poems are narrative, descriptive, and lyrical. He said he has a special interest in Native American history, and that comes out in some of his poetry.

"Nature moves me," Knoeller said. "The hand of the Almighty is everywhere."

His Carroll County poems talk about such things as the "song of the river rising," "stubble of corn rattling in fields after harvest," "timeless grape vine," and "a blue heron...icon of tranquility lumbering skyward.

Knoeller's sense of history comes into play in many of his poems. He said as he walks on the deer path or along the creek, or picks up artifacts at the edge of the fields, he can't help but think of earlier times and earlier people who inhabited the area. "A poem is a time travel device," he said. "You can see both ways at once."

He talks about this in his most recent poem, "Hoosier Histories:" "Here at the edge/ of our fields that yield biodiesel fuel/ these days, the stone age sleeps/ just beneath the surface, tools/ that would still skin a deer - in the right hands."

Some of the real places in Knoeller's poems are Adams Mill, Rockfield, Paint Creek Cemetery, and the green bridge.

Knoeller writes about neighbors, multi-generation farmers, hunters, and woodcutters. He relates little slices of life, such as the poem about a neighbor whose combine caught fire and he sought Knoeller's help late at night.

Knoeller keeps a journal of things he observes. It might be something that piqued his curiosity, sparked his interest, or touched his emotions. He then further explores his discovery through poetry.

"Poetry comes naturally for me," Knoeller said. "It seems like a good vessel for the types of topics that interest me."

He says he writes the poems for a personal record of those serendipity moments and because he enjoys the creative process. Secondarily, he said he writes poetry as a way of sharing his experiences with others. "Readers can trace the same trail of discovery as the writer," he said.

Knoeller said he had his wanderlust years, pursuing a career in Alaska, California, Oregon, and Wisconsin, and then he had a yearning for roots. He said here is where he plans to stay.

Knoeller said he lives in Carroll County and writes about Carroll County because of the "peacefulness here" and because of the "kindness of folks here."

"There is trust, good will, and caring here," he said. "It isn't like this everywhere."

"You can live in the country and visit the city or you can live in the city and visit the country. I'd rather live in the country."