John Muir Biographer Coming to Aunties

This just in from Auntie's Bookstore:

You are cordially invited to a free author presentation, Q&A and book signing by James B. Hunt, professor emeritus at Whitworth University on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2:00 pm at Auntie's Bookstore 402 W. Main, Spokane WA. Before he achieved fame as an environmentalist, John Muir lost his sight in one eye, left his job as a machinist and walked across the South after the Civil War. Join us to learn more as Hunt presents his book, Restless Fires: John Muir's Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf in 1867-68.

Muir's 1867 walk to Florida was an turning point in the life of America's great naturalist, and the subject of Muir's book A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf. It is also an interesting episdoe in Muir's life in that it took place jsut two years after the end of the Civil War, and Muir trod across a South that was in many ways barely recovered from the conflict. (Muir himself had fled to Canada to avoid service during the war.)

Muir's walk can also be explored as a digital project. Here is a Google Earth file that includes a map of his route. And here is a short video of an exhibit in Oakland that overlays some of Muir's California drawings with Google Earth. And of course the Sierra Club has an extensive set of resources about Muir.

Come out and support our independent bookstore on the 12th!

Auntie's to be Flooded

On Saturday, November 17 at 2 p.m. geologist Bruce Bjornstad will be giving a talk, Powerpoint and Q&A session at Auntie's Books. The topic is his latest book, On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods: Northern Reaches. This guidebook details sites near Cheney, Spokane, north Idaho, and the channeled scab lands that are accessible to visit and study the effects of the calamitous flooding of prehistoric Lake Missoula.

The floods are of course responsible for much of the unique topography of the inland Northwest, as well as our bath tub ring of mammoth skeletons. You can learn more at the Ice Age Floods Institute.

This is a fascinating topic, as well as an opportunity to support our local independent bookstore! See you there.

Nez Perce History presentation at Aunties

Spokane readers, have you bought a book from Auntie's lately? We are lucky to have a first-class independent bookstore in our community. In addition to selling books, Aunties regularly sponsors readings and literary gatherings. An upcoming author event may be of interest to readers of Northwest History:

William Craig

 Lin Tull Cannell, Author presentation

 Fri. Aug. 10, 7:00 pm
Auntie's Bookstore, 402 W. Main, Spokane WA 


Local author Lin Tull Cannell is a historian with expertise on William Craig, a native of Virginia who came out west in the mid-1800’s, became a mountain man, married into the Nez Perces tribe, and tried to mediate peace between the tribe and settlers from the east. Cannell visits Auntie’s to talk about her book. The Intermediary: William Craig among the Nez Perces. Please join us for this presentation, which is free and open to the public.

William Craig is fascinating figure in the very early white history of the region. A brief biography of him is here [PDF]. In 1918 an acquaintance of Craig gave a brief reminiscence to the Lewiston Morning Tribune. Cannell is the first person to write a full-length biography of this fascinating figure. Support your local bookstore and turn out for this presentation!

Historian Buddy Levy at Aunties this Saturday

Buddy Levy will be speaking this weekend at Spokane's favorite bookstore, Aunties, Saturday March 26, at 2:00 pm. Levy is a professor at WSU as well as co-host of the History Channel show Decoded. Levy presents his latest book, River of Darkness: Francisco Orellana's Legendary Voyage of Death and Discovery Down the Amazon.

If you live in the Spokane region, you need to support Aunties. We are lucky to have such an vibrant independent bookstore. Aunties is not just a place to buy books, it is a cultural venue where local, regional and national authors come to talk about their latest works. It is of huge benefit to our community. So buy a book already. Buy an eBook from their website, for that matter.