Desolation Ghosts is a 65,000-word adult literary fiction novel in the vein of The Human Stain. It is set in North Cascades National Park and is about a missing traumatized female veteran with alcohol and relationship addictions who changes her mind about killing herself, but then falls off a mountain and must survive in the wilderness while park rangers battle over how much effort should be spent to locate her. The story takes place during the Covid-19 pandemic and the beginning of law enforcement reforms following the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. This book will appeal to readers who are interested in national parks, outdoor recreation, the Pacific Northwest, and the controversial issue of how emergency services treat people with mental health challenges. It includes exciting stories, based on real-life events, about using rock climbing and short-haul helicopter techniques to rescue a pack string mule who fell off a trail and a mountain climber who fell off a crag, a shoot-out and its impact on park rangers, a couple drownings, an aquatic body recovery and other sad outdoor tragedies, and funny and scary encounters with bears and other wildlife. If you like Jack Kerouac, Nevada Barr, Bree Loewen, Jon Krakauer, Michael Connelly, James Dickey's Deliverance, Matthew Quick's The Silver Linings Playbook or Scott Heim's Mysterious Skin, you may enjoy Desolation Ghosts.

Thursday, November 4, 2021

Old Hippie

Yesterday was great because it was a 2-dog day (not counting my own) and I met an old friend of Diane di Prima and Brion Gysin, who introduced him to William Burroughs in the 60s. He also helped paint the Merry Prankster's bus. Now he is retired and selling books in Mount Vernon.

Today is already a 2-dog day since I met two corgis running in the street in front of SWHS. I was on my way to work, so a teacher who stopped to help catch them took over getting them home. I have a few techniques for catching loose, stranger dogs (while keeping them safe and out of the street), but she taught me a new one. She just told the dog to sit. I've had luck getting them to take me to their homes by telling them in a certain tone of voice that it's time to go home, but I will definitely add "sit" to my toolbox for when I need to catch them for some reason.
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