On Mount Hood — on sale at Powell’s!
OK, so “On Mount Hood” didn’t get one of the coveted facing-out slots on this nice display rack of Sasquatch Books titles at Powell’s, but it’s part of it. (Second row from top, second book in.) And I’m not complaining. A great display, a great sale and price, and my favorite bookstore ever. Couldn’t ask for much more.
On Mount Hood — in Eugene
Since the book published almost a year ago, I’ve taken On Mount Hood and my slideshow all over the Portland metro region. I’ve also been out to Hood River and Welches near the mountain, McMinnville, and even Seaside out on the coast.
In just a few weeks, it’ll be down in Eugene at the Eugene Public Library. The free event kicks off at 6 p.m., Thursday, June 21, at the downtown library. Looking very forward to it. Here’s their poster for the event. Hope to see you there.
The USS Mount Hood
For a few months now, my daughter has been on a huge shipwreck kick: the Titanic, the Lusitania, the Bismarck, and most recently, the Edmund Fitzgerald. We’ve been reading about them, watching movies about them, talking about them, and just about everything else, bordering on obsessing about them. It’s been interesting, because while I’ve long known the basic details of most of these famous shipwrecks, there’s so much more behind their surface stories that makes them even more fascinating.
I got her a book out of the library today all about shipwrecks — her eyes lit up with fireworks when I handed it over — and it gave me a topic idea for today’s post. (I’m participating in Michelle Rafter’s 2012 WordCount Blogathon, so I’ve been challenged to post every day for the entire month of May. And let me tell you, it can be a challenge some days.)
That topic: The USS Mount Hood (AE-11).
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The USS Mount Hood (AE-11) in 1944. Public domain Image accessed from Wikimedia Commons.
It’s not a ship I really knew much about, but I did come across its name when I was writing On Mount Hood. And yes, it was named after that Mount Hood.
When the shipwrecks book gave me the idea to write a post on the USS Mount Hood, I also didn’t expect the ship to have any kind of shipwreck link or story. But it does.
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Image accessed from Wikimedia Commons.
I won’t retell the story here. but here’s the introduction to the Wikipedia entry on it:
USS Mount Hood (AE-11) was the lead ship of her class of ammunition ships for the United States Navy in World War II. She was the first ship named after Mount Hood, a volcano in the Cascade Range in Oregon. Soon after 18 men who had left the ship for shore had reached the dock, the USS Mount Hood exploded in Seeadler Harbor at Manus Island on 10 November 1944 killing all men aboard, obliterating the ship itself, and sinking or severely damaging 22 smaller craft nearby.
I haven’t told Madeline about the USS Mount Hood yet, but I’m sure I will. And when I do, I’m sure she’ll want to learn every single thing she can about it — and so we will.
They grow up so fast
It’s so cliche, but it’s so true. One day, they join you in the world not able to do much more but depend on you; the next, you’re packing them off on a school bus for their first day of kindergarten.
I’ve watched my daughter grow up so fast over the past nearly six years. Because I’m a freelance writer and get to work from home, I’ve been lucky to spend so much time with her that I would miss out on if I had a regular 9 to 5 gig.
How much she has grown up over the past few years really hit home with me a few weeks ago, though, when we headed up to Mount Hood to hit the Tamanawas Falls trail. Madeline had been on some hikes before, but something about this one, when she had her own trekking poles, her first real backpack, and a real desire to lead the way, seemed like a milestone. When she loaded up and had herself ready to go, she just seemed so grown up.
At the same time, it reminded me of the very first time we brought her hiking with us up on Mount Hood, a trip I detail in On Mount Hood. She was a touch younger then — just a year and a half — but even way back then, it seemed like she was already growing up so fast.
On Mount Hood — in paperback
Earlier this year, my publisher let me know that they’re going to be adding a paperback version of On Mount Hood to their spring 2013 catalog. A few weeks later, they sent me a mock up of what the cover of the book might look like. It’s not much different than the original hardback, but they did make some tweaks, mainly with the color of the text, one of the fonts and a quote from Seattle author Bruce Barcott.
I’m still kind of taking it all in, whether the changes are even necessary or not.
The original hard cover is on the top, the proposed paperback is down below. Thoughts?
On Mount Hood at a book fair — and bake sale
A few weeks ago, fellow Sasquatch Books author Patricia Lichen — author of a great book I referenced in On Mount Hood called River-Walking Songbirds & Singing Coyotes: An Uncommon Field Guide to Northwest Mountains — invited me to be a part of the Atkinson Book and Author Fair. I gladly signed on, and now the fair is just about here. It runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday, May 5, 2012, at the Atkinson Memorial Church in Oregon City. (710 Sixth Street)
There will, of course, be much more there than On Mount Hood. In fact, more than 30 area authors will be on hand, including Kim Cooper Findling, David Michael Slater, and Kristina McMorris. There will also be two free workshops open to anyone: “Editing Tips with a Professional Editor” at 11 a.m. and “How to Start a Book Blog” at 1 p.m.
And just for a little icing on top: there will be a bake sale, too.
On MOUNT HOOD 