I was warmed today to learn that David James’s review of The Queen of Fairbanks appeared in both the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and the Anchorage Daily News. You can download the below clipping and enlarge for reading. Thank you, David!
Folks have been reaching out and asking where to get a copy. I’ve included retail outlets in previous blogs (scroll down), and now Barnes & Noble in both Fairbanks and Anchorage are carrying the title, too. If you’re reading this from outside of Alaska, please encourage your local library or bookstore to purchase copies through IngramContentGroup.com. They probably have an Ingram account already.
In 1970, Irene determined to clear all the debris along her street during spring clean-up. (Courtesy Fairbanks Daily News-Miner Archives)
My talk titled “The Story Behind The Queen of Fairbanks” appears in the Spring catalog for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at University of Alaska Fairbanks. If you’re 50-plus years old and want to join some creative classes that are available in person or via distance learning, you must register online between Jan. 13 to Jan. 21. Mine is an in-person class about the terrible, wonderful, winding road to publishing and is scheduled for April 9, from 2-3:15 p.m. at Raven Landing, 1222 Cowles St., Fairbanks. For an extra $5 at Raven Landing, audience members can enjoy a cup of soup and bread during the presentation. If you want a spot, register before January 21! View the catalog and registration steps at www.uaf.edu/olli.
Still ahead in May, I’m leaving Alaska for Wolcott, Indiana, which is highlighted in the story of Bobbie the Wonder Dog as the place where poor Bobbie was run off by a pack of local dogs in August 1923, separating him from his family during a vacation. It was from Wolcott that Bobbie began his nearly 3,000-mile-long solo walk across the country to reach home in Silverton, Oregon, landing him a spot in history and in Ripley’s “Believe It or Not!” I’ve been invited to come and share his story, and my other children’s books, with the district’s students.
Finally, I’m a member of the Irene Sherman Project, a committee dedicated to raising funds for a statue of Irene by sculptor Gary Lee Price of Utah. We have our eyes on a high-traffic site in downtown Fairbanks, and Gary has created a rough draft of Irene in clay. But we need your financial support! If you are willing to join the many people and businesses who are backing the statue of the Queen, please visit the website by clicking HERE, and scroll down to the “Donate Now” button. View the list of dozens who have joined this campaign. Every donation matters. And thank you!