Synopses & Reviews
Fans of the Alaskan classic
One Man's Wilderness will enjoy reading this memoir, of how its author, Sam Keith, and its subject, Dick Proenneke, first met.
After serving as a US Marine during World War II and attending college on the GI Bill, Sam Keith decided to seek adventure and acceptance in Alaska. He arrived on Kodiak Island in July, 1952, where he secured a job as a laborer on the Adak Navy base.
He befriended a group of like-minded men there, including Dick Proenneke, who shared a love of the outdoors, hard work and self-reliance. Keith explored the wilds of South Central Alaska while working on the Navy base, and later as a Stream Guard and Enforcement Patrolman. In his hunting and fishing trips with Dick and his friends, Keith found almost everything he sought.
But at the end of three years, Keith decided to go Outside to pursue other dreams. Dick Proenneke tells him, "Sam, you know right well you don't want to leave this country. Don't give up on it. Me and you got to figure something out."
In 1973, Keith went on to write One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey, based on his dear friend's journals and photography. It was reissued in 1999 and won a National Outdoor Book Award (NOBA). In 2003, portions of text from the book and some of Proenneke's 16mm movies were used in Alone in the Wilderness, which began appearing on US public television stations. The documentary follows Proenneke as he builds a log cabin with only hand tools, and includes reflections on wildlife, weather, and the natural scenery he sees around him.
Sam Keith passed away in 2003. But in 2013, his son-in-law, children's book author/illustrator Brian Lies, discovered a book manuscript in an archive box in their garage, originally written in 1974 after the publication of One Man's Wilderness.
First Wilderness is the story of Keith's own experiences, at times harrowing, funny and fascinating. Along with the original manuscript are photos and excerpts from his journals, letters, and notebooks, woven in to create a compelling and poignant memoir of search and discovery.
Review
"The synchronicity of Sam Keith and Dick Proenneke's friendship and bond through a love of the wilderness and an ability to record their adventures left us with the gift of ONE MAN'S WILDERNESS. Now, once again Sam's words dance across the pages, bringing the reader on their own journey into the wilderness. What a treasure for his son-in-law and daughter to find." --Bob Swerer, producer of ALONE IN THE WILDERNESS documentary
Synopsis
Sam Keith followed his dream to Alaska where he met Dick Proenneke. He was searching for adventure and acceptance, and found it hunting and fishing with Dick and other colorful characters who shared a love of outdoors, hard work, and self-reliance. His experiences — harrowing, funny, fascinating — are detailed in this memoir. From the author of One Man's Wilderness. PBS-TV and Swerer Productions documentary, One Man's Wilderness, is based on this best-selling, award-winning book.
About the Author
Sam Keith's (1921-March 28, 2003) most notable work was the best-seller
One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey in which he edited the journals and photographs of his friend Richard Proenneke's (May 4, 1916 - April 20, 2003) solo experiences in Alaska. The book was reissued in 1999 and won a National Outdoor Book Award. Text from the book was used in the documentary seen on PBS,
Alone in the Wilderness www.dickproenneke.com. After the release of the video and its frequent appearance on PBS membership drives, it became a runaway best seller. The close friends passed away within thirty days of each other. More information available at www.samkeith.net and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Wilderness-by-Sam-Keith/625127200891030
Foreword writer Nick Jans is one of Alaska's most recognized and prolific writers. A contributing editor to Alaska Magazine and a member of USA Today's board of editorial contributors, he's written nine books and hundreds of magazine articles, and contributed to many anthologies. In addition, Jans is a professional nature photographer, specializing in wildlife and landscapes in remote locations. He currently lives in Juneau with his wife, Sherrie, and travels widely in Alaska. www.nickjans.com
Laurel Keith Lies is the only child of Sam Keith, author of the National Book Award winner One Man's Wilderness. Her favorite childhood memories revolve around her father and the countless nature walks they shared while exploring the conservation land behind their family home. According to Laurel, her father schooled her in two distinctively different classrooms. "Outdoors, Dad showed me how to appreciate and respect the wild by leaving only footprints. In his den library, he fostered in me a love for literature and language. Dad told me that good writers could paint with words and showed me how again and again." Laurel graduated with honors from Skidmore College with a degree in English literature. In the mid-eighties, she pursued corporate communications and worked as promotions coordinator for a top Boston radio station before beginning a twenty-five year career in marketing and public relations. As a former vice president and firm partner at Schneider and Associates in Boston, Laurel created award-winning new product launches for a variety of popular consumer brands, including Pepperidge Farm, Edy's Ice Cream and the New England Confectionery Company (NECCO). Laurel is married to bestselling children's book author/illustrator Brian Lies and left her corporate career to focus on their greatest joint achievement, daughter, Madeline. Today, Laurel splits her time between book promotion and teaching third grade in her hometown of Duxbury, Massachusetts.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments Foreword by Nick Jans Map of Alaska with inset of Kodiak/Lake Clark/Kenai region Introduction/Buried Treasure by Brian Lies Preface Longings Chapter 1 Out of the Nest Chapter 2 The Jumping-Off Place Chapter 3 The Transplanting Chapter 4 Taking Hold Chapter 5 Local Color Chapter 6 Winter Smorgasbord Chapter 7 Days of the Bear Chapter 8 Summer Sojourns Chapter 9 Kenai Moose Hunt Chapter 10 Comings and Goings Chapter 11 The Kittiwake Chapter 12 The Bay of the Winds Chapter 13 Enforcement Patrolman Chapter 14 Driving Out Epilogue A Nest of my Own Afterword On His Shoulders by Laurel Keith Lies