JOURNAL OF THE ART AND LITERATURE OF THE OUTDOOR SPORTS FOR OUTDOOR COMMUNICATORS
The Pines Review Autumn, 2010
$13.50
Henry Herbert, aka Frank Forester, father of modern outdoor writing
Vol. III No. 3
Inside this issue: (pages are hyperlinked) Editorial ........................... 3 Letters .............................. 4 Opinion ........................... 5 WHO WE ARE Tom Watson ................. 6 FEATURES Izaak Walton ............. 8 & The Compleat Angler OWAA ........................ 21 After Six Years Truth About Numbers of Women Outdoors ....... 22 CRITICAL BOOK REVIEW BAREBOW! New Classic? ................ 26 PERSONALITY PROFILE Dennis Dunn .................. 31 COLUMNS High On The Wild ..... 14 Kathleen Clary Miller Video World ............... 16 Andy Lightbody Photography World .. 17 Jeff Davis Social Media .............. 18 Rachel Bunn ESSAY The Old Duck Hunter.. 33 SHORT FICTION Catfish Creek ............. 34 BOOK REVIEWS Classic O’Connor ........ 36 Newly Released Fly Tales ........................ 38 Ask Grizzly Guides ...... 38 Around The World ..... 39 Revisited Hunting Dog Reference Book ............................. 39 POETRY Angler’s Song ............ 40 Ventor’s Pledge ......... 41 Written on Blank Leaf Of Walton’s Book....... 41 New Products ............. 42 Calendar of Events ... 43
Dennis Dunn with his wife Karen and his Pope & Young World Record Grizzly , See page 26
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Autumn, 2010 Vol. III No. 3
The Pines Review
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The Pines Review
Autumn, 2010 Vol. III No. 3 Page 3
The Pines Review
Editorial
One of my greatest pleasures is thick cattails surrounding the slough. watching Cookie, my German WireI couldn‘t call Cookie off the rachair Retriever, working. Whether we coon, even when I hit her with the are hunting upland birds or waterfowl full force of the shock collar. Her I am sure she is doing what she enadrenalin was off the charts. A fulljoys because it is in her breeding For grown raccoon is capable of drownCookie, life‘s greatest moments are ing a dog or inflicting serious damthe simple pleasures of finding age to eyes, nose or even a mortal Galen L. Geer, birds, retrieving them to hand, and wound. I had to get her off the Publisher/Editor being praised and loved for doing raccoon so I reached in, grabbed Drawing by Ron Vossler what she does. She occupies a very her collar and pulled. special place in my day-to-day life and I do Trying to pull seventy-pounds of dog everything I can to keep her safe, whether in intent on mayhem off its target was adrenalin the field, or at home. But, even with all of the pumping on its own accord. I‘m not in the training, planning and care, the unexpected can shape I was twenty years ago, but I am not a happen. featherweight, yet it took every ounce of Recently, I took my brother-in-law, Ken, strength I had to get Cookie off the raccoon. and his son, Alex, and of course Cookie, duck And, although Cookie is up to date on her vachunting. I had planned to set some decoys to cinations, because rabies is an issue in this rebegin teaching Alex how to hunt ducks. Unfor- gion, finding a raccoon where we did was untunately, bluebird skies and a steady wind usual so once she was clear Ken killed the racforced us to try flushing ducks from sloughs coon. Better safe than sorry. rather than decoying birds into gun range. At After everyone was back in my Suburban the first slough Ken and Alex flushed a doe and Ken and I decided we‘d had enough excitement her twins, for one day and turned for home. Once in my almost office I called the vet‘s emergency number and from un- I was given instructions on how to care for the derfoot! only obvious wound, a small puncture below When her right eye. I was also relieved the vet said four mal- that the decision to kill the raccoon was the lards flew right one to make under the circumstances. into a That night I thought about the day‘s nearby events. It hadn‘t turned out as I‘d planned but slough we that is what the outdoors is truly about—the decided unexpected. But, are we pushing that element to try and out of the outdoor experience? It seems to me flush the that the demand for success, whether hunting or birds, so fishing, is leading us to be too willing to find while shortcuts to success and be less willing to face Ken and the unexpected. Not every unexpected event is Alex going to be a fight between your hunting dog waited on and a raccoon, or two deer exploding out of the one side I cattails five feet in front of you. It might be took Cookie (she was on her leash) and planned something as mundane as not seeing any birds to walk to the far side and try to flush the ducks where you have always found them, or a heartover Ken and Alex. stopping hook set on a five-pound largemouth I‘d covered about ten yards when Cookie while fishing for bluegills! The excitement in caught a scent and began lunging into the catthe outdoors is in not knowing what is going to tails. It wouldn‘t have been the first time she happen next, not in knowing what is going to had recovered a lost cripple. Cookie was strain- happen next. Think about the next story you ing, with her head down so I was sure it was a write or episode you put on the air. Is it about cripple headed for the water so I unclipped her. the excitement of not, or something else? The Then, all hell broke loose. It wasn‘t a cripple. difference is a lot more significant than you She‘d scented an adult raccoon that was in the might want to believe. glg
Publisher/Editor Galen L. Geer Copy Editor Pam Potter Webmaster Christopher L. Geer Associate Editors Danny White, Alan Bunn, Rachel Bunn Photography Jeff Davis Social Media Rachel Bunn Video Andy Lightbody High On The Wild Kathleen Clary Miller
The Pines Review is published three times per year: January (Winter), May (Spring/Summer), and September (Autumn). Free Subscriptions: Free online subscription to members of outdoor media, outdoor industry. Free PDF/email subscriptions to all high school/middle school libraries, and colleges, university libraries as well as English/Creative Writing Departments, instructors. Paid Subscriptions: PDF email: $3.00 per year. PDF by USPS: $9.00 Print: $36.00 per year. Single copy: $13.50+P&H: http://magcloud.com. Article/Story Reprints: For permission for reprint of articles, essays, short fiction or poetry, please contact the editor. Contributors: Contributions are welcome. Please Email a synopsis of proposed contribution to editor. Payment on publication. Submission guidelines available. editorpinesreview@mlgc.com Advertisers: Please email editor and request current rates for display and classified advertising. © Copyright 2010 by Pen and Page, Ink. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, printed, or distributed by any means, electronic or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. Published by Pen and Page, Ink, PO Box 31, Finley, ND 58230. Email: penandpage@mlgc.com. Phone: 701-789-0777
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Autumn, 2010 Vol. III No. 3
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The Pines Review
Man is intimately related to nature. At first the human spirit is immersed in nature and blends with it organically. Then the human spirit struggles against nature. Finally, man attempts to conquer nature, to make it an instrument to further his aspirations. Nikolai Berdyaev (18741948) Qtd. By R. A. Herrera, Reasons for Our Rhymes.. Pg. 171
Letters Editor – Is Dr. Randall Eaton the leader we‘ve been waiting for, the last hope of hunting? Not for me. I do agree wholeheartedly with the underlying sentiment of Dr. Eaton‘s message, that humanity has lost our deep connection to nature, at great expense to our health, as well as the planet‘s balance. Beyond that, though, I find the message detailed in his book, ―From Boys to Men of Heart,‖ to be rambling, riddled with errors and laced with what is at best a dismissive attitude toward women, our spiritual needs and our role in hunting. I have no problem with Dr. Eaton‘s thesis, which is that hunting can be a vitally important rite of passage for boys. And I would not expect such a book to address the role or needs of girls and women, because that is not its purpose. That‘s why it‘s disturbing that Dr. Eaton went out of his way to include some bizarre statements about women in his book. Here are some examples: He quotes two sources saying that menstruation makes us into women and connects us to nature, generally as an explanation to why boys need a special rite of passage: “(W)omen already bleed, and it’s men that need to realize the connection between bleeding and life and the life force.” - Four Arrows, aka Don. T. Jacobs, Ph.D., Ed.D “(M)ales have to be made into men and females become women. They don’t have to be made into women. … (F)emales have a natural process that initiates them into womanhood and they can’t escape becoming a woman. … Since they have an internal rite of passage … they’re constantly connected to nature and they’re constantly connected to their responsibilities as adults.” - Michael Gurian
All letters to the editor of The Pines Review must be submitted by email. editorpinesreview@mlgc.com
The Pines Review The Pines Review accepts letters to the editor on any subject relating to the art and literature of the outdoors and letters commenting on previously published letters, articles, essays, poems or art. All letters submitted become the property of The Pines Review and will not be returned. Letters
As a woman, I can testify that menstruation has never connected me to anything but the bathroom, and occasionally to office-mates when we have the misfortune to synchronize. I can also tell you I don‘t know of a single female who felt that bleeding once a month gave her a strong connection to nature. This left me perplexed as to why any man would claim to know such a thing. And of course, I was doubly perplexed when, later in the book, Dr. Eaton takes insult at author Mary Zeiss Stange writing about men‘s feelings: ―How do you think Stange and other feminists would feel if I wrote at length about the emotions associated with childbirth?‖ Well, Dr. Eaton, she‘d probably feel like I felt when I read those statements by men in your book about the deep earth-womanhood connection allegedly afforded by our menses. That‘s my guess. In his chapter attacking Stange‘s book, ―Woman the Hunter,‖ Dr. Eaton goes out of his way, inexplicably, to diminish not only the historical role of women in hunting, but even to diminish the importance of food that women gather. ―Stange‘s case is built upon her interpretation of mythology from ancient civilization, the fact that Pygmy women participate in group hunts, and the presence of a single hunting culture on earth in which women regularly hunt. The ‗hunting‘ that Pygmy women undertake is not really hunting at all, but cooperation in net hunting. The women and kids help string up long nets in the bush into which small game is driven and then clubbed to death or speared.‖ Not really hunting? You‘ve got to be kidding me. Are they netting tofu? In the same chapter, he goes on to address gender differences in hunter-gatherer societies – women gathering, men hunting. ―Early in his studies of the Kalahari Bushman, Richard Lee concluded that meat wasn‘t important because it made up only about 20% of their diet, and that since women gathered 80% of the food, (Continued on page 6)
Letters Policy must be submitted via email and the writer’s full name, city and state must be included. The publisher will withhold the name if requested. Letters exceeding 250 words in length may be subject to editing for length and clarity of content. Email: editorpinesreview@mlgc.com
The Pines Review
Opinion:
Autumn, 2010 Vol. III No. 3 Page 5
Outdoor Programming – Not Your Father’s
In our last issue outdoor columnist Jim Matthews spoke out about today’s outdoor broadcasting. The following is a response to that Opinion Column. Ed. By: Michelle Scheuermann In the late 1980‘s, Oldsmobile came out with the tagline, ―not your father‘s Oldsmobile‖ to point to the significant changes in style and design of the reliable sedan. I believe the same can be applied to outdoor programming of today – this isn‘t your father‘s show. Your father watched ―American Sportsman‖ on ABC – a national network that appealed to a variety of audiences and will probably never allow hunting on their airwaves again. And one major non-endemic sponsor stood out - Chevy. Your father was glued to Virgil Ward‘s ―The World of Virgil Ward‖ and probably knew the words to the theme song…‖From the lakes of Northern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico…‖ Virgil built a fishing empire with a single major sponsor too: Bass Pro Shops. Man, has a lot changed since those shows were on the air. New networks, like Sportsman Channel, have come to life, viewers have become more demanding and specific in their needs and media buyers have learned how to stretch a dollar even further. Not to mention how segmented the TV viewing audience has become with more viewing options than ever before! Sportsman Channel staff assists every producer who comes on board with us because we completely understand their situation. This ―situation‖ should be understood by you, as well, so you can better appreciate what makes up the unique outdoor programming of today. Unlike Ward or Gowdy, shows now have five, sometimes more, sponsors they need to cater to in their shows – sometimes all equally. The dwindling money in the hunting – and especially fishing – markets has led to less money for sponsorships. Hosts now find inexpensive ways to get their best shots, usually through bartering or relying on a friend with connections. There isn‘t a cushy travel budget for producers and hosts as most trips are five guys stuffed in a van cruising cross-country for a two-day hunt where they pray they ―get the shot.‖ Or they could film for five days and get absolutely nothing – see no animals because of the moon phase, no birds fly in because of the weather, no fish because of the water temperature. How can they sell sponsors and viewers
on footage of them sitting in a treestand for 12 hours? Today‘s host is usually also the producer, the salesman, the publicist, the accountant and maybe even the editor. That‘s a lot of talent, and time, rolled into one person. The viewer from 20 years ago wasn‘t jaded into demanding instant gratification. Today, if you aren‘t moving the show along with a different screen shot every three seconds, the viewer is bored and has changed the channel. I will watch ―Sunrise Earth‖ on HD Net some mornings and can only stand a few minutes of the static image of pretty scenery before my finger starts itching on the remote. Today‘s hosts need to be more creative to get the viewers to stay glued with things Ward or Gowdy didn‘t have to worry about, e.g. popular music selections, fast-action shots and keep up the excitement. Education is just as important today as it was in the 80‘s – maybe even more so in today‘s economy as sportsmen want to be ―do-it-yourselfers.‖ Hosts MUST be experts in their field. They must explain what they are using and why they are using it because if today‘s viewer wants that product, they can immediately go online to buy it while still watching the show. I wonder what Virgil would say to that? Sportsman Channel reviews hundreds of possible shows every year and only a small percentage make it to the screen. But, we always offer advice to those who didn‘t make the cut and try to help these entrepreneurs through the jungle that is outdoor television. Outdoor programming is evolving and appealing to a younger audience. That‘s great because that is our next viewer, hunter, angler and shooter. They‘ve changed, so we need to as well. Michelle is the Director of Communications for Sportsman Channel, a leader in outdoor TV for American Sportsmen. And her first car was an Oldsmobile Delta 88
Brooding about Something—Write! The Pines Review ―Opinion‖ page is open to any member of the outdoor media/industry to speak out on what is important to them. If you would like to submit an Op-Ed column for a future issue please email your column to the editor at: editorpinesreview@mlgc.com. Op-Ed column topic must be relevant to the outdoor media/industry. Please limit your column to 1250 words.
Michelle Scheuermann
The narrator of the 1975 anti-hunting broadcast by CBS, The Guns of Autumn, was Dan Rather who went on to disgrace himself during the 2004 election, losing his position as nightly news anchor and ultimately being forced to leave the network.
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Autumn, 2010 Vol. III No. 3
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from 8.4 percent of teen homicide offenders being female and 15 percent of teen homicides that plant foods were much more significant,‖ being committed with something besides a fireDr. Eaton wrote. He disputes this, saying, ―For arm to Dr. Eaton‘s contention that 25 percent of humans living a foraging life, plant foods do not teen homicides are committed by girls using have the same value as animal foods. Though knives. And because Dr. Eaton fails to footnote animal flesh comprises merely 30% or so of the this or any number of ―facts‖ in his book, we‘re Bushman‘s diet, it is by far the most important left with nothing more than guesses about where component. Plant foods may be relatively abun- he gets his information. dant, but the critical resource for Bushman surIs this a petty complaint? No. Errors such as vival and reproductive success is meat.‖ these cast doubt on the credibility of the book Now, I‘m a big fan of meat, which is one of and the author. Without credibility, there can be the reasons I hunt, but it is ridiculous to suggest no leadership. that either plant matter or meat is ―the‖ vital So if the hunting community is waiting for a resource when the importance of both foods is great leader, it appears we‘ll be waiting at least a well-documented. That Dr. Eaton later says, little longer. Hunting needs a voice that is not ―We are not diminishing gathering or the contri- only credible, but that also doesn‘t unnecessarily butions of women to human evolution and soci- alienate a core constituency. Given that the only ety,‖ does not change the impact of his earlier demographic experiencing meaningful growth in words. hunting is girls 15 and younger, I‘d say that‘s a The problem is it‘s just not clear why any of constituency that deserves more respect. these statements about girls and women was Sincerely, necessary to support Dr. Eaton‘s thesis. He Holly A. Heyser could have written a book that would have intrigued me and filled me with a greater underEditor standing about the needs of boys and men; inI have to add my kudos. The articles, letters, stead, he alienated me. and all else exhibits your long term dedication to Beyond the insults to women and girls, this preserving and fostering serious journalism in book is riddled with mistakes, ranging from the outdoors. The Op-Ed went for the jugular of mundane-yet-abundant errors of grammar, punc- one of the key problems of the sports‘ future. tuation and spelling, to bizarre statements of Highlighting successful ―media-ites‖ like Mike, ―fact.‖ Ken and Andy who shared their ―keys to success For example, Dr. Eaton claims that ―about one and professionalism‖ adds to the Review‘s qual-fourth of the teen homicides committed these ity, purpose, and integrity. I heartily encourage days is by girls using knives.‖ However, accord- all involved in the outdoors to read The Pines ing to the most recent data available from the Review; it is a serious piece of ―literature.‖ U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bu- Patrick E. McHugh reau of Investigation, 8.4 percent of teen homicide offenders are female. And according to the Editor Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The Pines Review is a MUST for anyone interfirearms were the instrument of death in 85 per- ested in the world of outdoor communications! cent of teen homicides. I‘m not sure how we get Lisa Snuggs Letters (Continued from page 4)
Every man is tasked to make his life, even in its details, worthy of the contemplation of his most elevated and critical hour. If we refused, or rather used up, such paltry information as we get, the oracles would distinctly inform us how this might be done. Henry David Thoreau Walden; Or, Life In The Woods.
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The Pines Review
Autumn, 2010 Vol. III No. 3 Page 7
Who We Are . . .
Tom Watson, Freelance Writer I was engaged in a casual conversation around our Boundary Waters campfire a few weeks ago when one of my fellow campers learned I was a freelance outdoor writer. He asked me a simple, but profound question; ―What do you have to do to be an outdoor writer?‖ My answer was equally profound: ―Just say you are one!‖ I quickly qualified my answer: ―You have to want to write for writing‘s sake and you need to find subjects to write about that others will want to read.‖ I went on to say that having skills and other experiential interest in a variety of outdoor subjects helps, too. I explained that ―outdoor writer‖ means much more today than it did, not that many years ago, when it was synonymous with ―hook and bullet‖ articles in hunting and fishing magazines and ―outdoor‖ sections of newspapers. My expertise is in sea kayaking so I listed my years of writing about that activity. I also explained that I had coupled ―outdoor‖ activities with travel writing and tourism, marketing articles in magazines that today are not considered part of the outdoor genre. Even though he was an avid angler and wanted to pursue that subject in his freelance writing, he saw the breadth of opportunities such interests could create. For over thirty years I have combined those three categories into a modest writing career. As I thought back on my initial, flippant answer, I realized that confidently stating that I was a writer had been the way I got into the freelance business. I was working as a marketing director for an independent downhill ski racing organization in Minneapolis, back in the late 70‘s, when I received a phone call asking for my predecessor. I told the caller that person no longer worked there. The caller thanked me for my time and was ready to hang up when I had a subtle but inspiring idea. ―I am in that position now, can I help you with something?‖ I asked, eager to keep this contact interested in our programs. ―No,‖ he said, ―I‘m calling about something else. I was looking to see if he was interested in doing some freelancing for me.‖ The caller was the Midwest regional contributing editor for SKI magazine. He was looking for someone to do critiques of regional ski areas in the upper Midwest. ―I do freelance, would you consider some-
one else for the assignment?‖ I asked, hiding my excitement. By the end of the conversation I had secured a chance to present him with samples of my work and his promise of serious consideration for assignments. On the way home that night I picked up a couple of issues of SKI and decided that I could easily provide such articles – even though I tended to tumble down slopes like a sack of spuds. I wrote reviews for the next four years, earning a modest but steady fee for each submission. As I gained confidence and experience, I tackled other markets. When I became a competent sea kayaker, I approached the appropriate publications and secured ―how-to‖ pieces, destination articles and eventually an on-going column for a paddling website that I still write for today. I‘ve expanded that type of freelancing into another scheduled column as the camping editor for an on-line sportsman‘s website. Kayaking and related outdoor subjects remain my mainstay freelance income sources to this day. A spin-off of column writing came when I decided I could write travel guidebooks. I made a proposal to a small but well-known publishing company and now have two regional guidebooks on the shelf, one going into its third reprint in 2012. My involvement in sea kayaking (I had a touring business on Kodiak Island, Alaska for nine years) and as a member of the Kodiak Island Search and Rescue unit, enabled me to expand my experience and skill levels to the point I could add survival and search and rescue to my subject matter credentials. I have since published a book on each topic. It‘s all been a matter of having the confidence to take a risk, and the effort to produce a professional product. Not only do I find markets to which I can offer articles on these subjects, I have been fortunate enough to build up a positive track record as a presenter at outdoor symposia and other expos across the Midwest and beyond. Each reinforces my confidence in writing and provides modest but steady exposure to my small audience. The bottom line remains the same—I still write for the love of writing. Because I just retired, and can devote more time to that pursuit, I find myself putting in ten-twelve hour days writing or thinking about writing. Some stuff is surprisingly original and inspiring, even (Continued on page 25)
Submit yourself! Submit five hundred to one thousand words and two or three photos about yourself. Who We Are is a regular feature in The Pines Review and is intended to give outdoor writers, photographers & artists an opportunity to tell the other members of the outdoor sports community about themselves. Veteran and newcomers are encouraged to submit articles. Send submission to: editorpinesreview@mlgc.com with ―Who We Are Submission‖ in the subject line. Length: 500-1000 words Include 2-4 photos. Include both ―office‖ and ―outdoor‖ shots. Payment is on publication.
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Autumn, 2010 Vol. III No. 3
More than a decade has passed since Michelle and I rented a room in the rustic, semi-B&B above ―The Cricketeer Pub and Restaurant‖ on Bridge Street in Winchester, England. We were only a stone‘s throw from Izaak Walton‘s Itchin River, but my plans to fish the river had evaporated over the prohibitive fees, so Michelle and I did the next best thing, we walked along its banks and savored its history, sometimes expecting to see Walton‘s ghost near a quiet pool. Izaak Walton‘s position at the pinnacle of fishing literature‘s canon does not carry over to the canon of academé. This disparity is indicative of the chasm between the academé and outdoor literary communities. Liberal scholars prefer to point to a list of sixteenth and seventeenth century writers to whom we owe our literary heritage, which includes: Shakespeare, whose work stands alone, Sir Philip Sidney and his The Defence of Poesy, one of the great exaltations of the moral value of poetry, Edmund Spenser‘s The Faerie Queene, Sir Walter Raleigh‘s The History of the World which he wrote while a prisoner in the Tower of London. This list dominates every collection of English literature but another group: John Donne, Sir Henry Wotten, Richard Hooker, George Herbert and Bishop Robert Sanderson, are known not only for their works, but also for the work of their mutual friend and biographer, Izaak Walton, who is generally recognized as history‘s first true biographer. Scholars, however, usually criticize Walton‘s biographies as being sometimes-fanciful notions of his subjects‘ lives. M. H. Abrams, editor of The Norton Anthology of English Literature, the text common in University English classrooms, wrote despairingly of Walton: The five men whose lives he wrote—including Hooker, Donne, and Herbert—were ideally suited to be saints and martyrs in a roster of Anglican worthies; or if they were not ideally suited for the role, Walton‘s happy imagination and faculty of forgetting inconvenient details did much to make them so. But if they are not models of scholarly objectivity—how could they be in that age?—the biographies by Walton are warm and moving compositions of literary art. Certainly he has not been the last biographer to feel that a good cause justified a little liberty with exact truth. (Abrams 1667) Abrams‘ biographical entry on Walton seems degrading, as if he is winking at Walton‘s work. Izaak Walton, who was ―in trade,‖ as people once used to say, is remembered these days as the author of ―The Complete Angler.‖ This is an early treatise on the art of angling, woven artfully into a quaintly humorous dialogue; it is consulted nowadays not so much by people who want to catch fish as by people who want to think about fishing from the placid perspective of a library (1667). This biographic sketch implies that Walton‘s contribution to literature is limited to some skewed biographies and one comical book about fishing. The convenient ―faculty of forgetting inconvenient details,‖ is not limited to Walton. Abrams overlooks facts, such as Walton‘s ―Angler‖ is the most reprinted book in the history of British letters, having had, ―more than 460 editions published since 1653‖ (Milne). The book has not gone out of print in the 357 years since first published. Reprints appear annually and there is no eviBy Galen L. Geer, Publisher/Editor of The Pines Review dence the book has lost any appeal. Also overlooked is the Photos on pages 10-14 By Galen L. Geer & Copyright 1999 by Galen L. Geer Page 10: Stained Glass window in Fisherman’s Chapel of Winchester Cathedral, fact that Walton inspired one of the most important conservaburial place of Izaak Walton. Page 11: Lower left panel of window showing tion groups in the United States—The Izaak Walton Izaak Walton and companion fishing. Page 12: Looking down on Fishermen’s League—and since its founding the Izaak Walton League has Chapel. Page 13: Wooden plaque identifying the chapel and inset is the maker grown to 50,000 members, 270 local chapters plus state diviand epitaph placed over Walton’s Grave in the chapel.
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sions. The League spearheaded adoption of government programs to protect public lands: the creation of the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness, the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming, the Everglades, and Isle Royale and Voyageurs national parks. Walton‘s impact has affected global issues and eclipses all but a handful of members of western literature‘s canon. Examining Angler Considering Walton‘s impact it is surprising many literary historians ignore him. They maintain he did not contribute anything of literary merit to history, yet Walton‘s Compleat Angler has been written about since its first publication, and both the Romantic and Victorian writers studied the book. Wordsworth, England‘s most famous (and powerful) poet, and a leader of the Romantics, who were among Walton‘s most zealous champions, called Walton, ―. . . a pastoral writer in this special sense of the word pastoral‖ (Cooper 4). William Hazlitt, the essayist, called Angler ‗the best pastoral in the [English] language, not excepting Pope‘s or Phillips‘s‘‖ (4). In a supreme compliment Wordsworth penned ―Written on a Blank Leaf of The Compleat Angler‖ in his personal copy of Walton‘s book (Sonnet on page 41). But to find the power and timelessness of Walton‘s book we must dig deep in the book‘s composition, structure, and Walton‘s mastery of language. The pastoral power of Angler is unmistakable. Through the strong use of metaphor and allegory, Walton brings his readers into nature‘s rustic path, to make them a part of nature, and provide readers a sense of the importance of fishing. Piscator. O sir, doubt not that angling is an art. Is it not an art to deceive a trout with an artificial fly? A trout! That is more sharp-sighted than any hawk you have named, and more watchful and timorous than your high-mettled merlin is bold; and yet I doubt not to catch a brace or two to-morrow for a friend‘s breakfast: doubt not, therefore, sir but that angling is an art, and an art worth learning. The question is rather, whether you be capable of learning it? For angling is somewhat like poetry, men are to be born so: I mean, with inclinations to it, though both may be heightened by discourse and practice: but he that hopes to be a good angler, must not only bring a large measure of hope and patience, and a love and propensity to the art itself; but having once got and practised it then doubt not but angling will prove to be so pleasant, that it will prove to be like virtue, a reward to itself (Walton 39). As pastoral prose Angler stands alone, although Walton draws heavily from other sources. His work is not plagiarism but inspirational ―borrowing,‖ common at the time; transforming previously written texts into lively and readable prose, not unlike Shakespeare‘s borrowing for inspiration and form. Throughout his work on Angler, from his first edition through the next four, Walton did draw heavily upon the work of others. Early critics believed he used Dame Juliana Berners‘ Treatyse of Fyshynge wyth an Angle as the basis for the work. The claim had some foundation. In 1760 Sir John Hawkins published an edition of The Compleat Angler with his essay, ―Life of Mr. Isaac [sic] Walton‖ (Medlar). In this essay Hawkins refers to Dame Berners as the author of Treatyse and that Walton ―unashamedly borrowed heavily‖ from her work. More recent scholars of outdoor literature dismiss the argument that he borrowed from Dame Berners and believe he based more of his efforts on a later work, A Booke of Fishing with Hooke and Line, generally attributed to Leonard Mascall. Throughout Angler, Walton makes repeated references to angling instructions that first appear in Mascall‘s work. John Cooper, in a critical study of Walton‘s second edition found: . . . Walton added almost verbatim Mascall‘s long description of the twelve kinds of artificial flies. Walton had already apparently made use of Mascall‘s directions for coloring a line in the first edition, and there are smaller items of information in each [edition] that are similar and possibly though by no means necessarily, indicate Walton‘s direct use of Mascall. (Cooper 139-40) (Continued on page 10)
Izaak Walton was born on August 9, 1593 and died on December 15, 1683 at the age of 90. Walton is known to have been an “ironmonger,” which is a person who deals in the trade of metal products for the consumer market. His first wife, Rachel Floud, a greatgreat-niece of Archbishop Crammer, died in 1640 and he soon married Anne Ken, who is the pastoral Kenna of The Angler’s Wish. After the Royalist were defeated in England’s Civil War Walton returned to Stafford but he soon returned to Clerkenwell where he completed the first edition of The Compleat Angler in 1653. Anne died in 1662 and he spent the last 40 years of his life in quiet contemplation and fishing with his friends and family, dying in his daughter’s home in Winchester and being buried in the great Cathedral.
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Izaak Walton (Continued from page 9)
Scholars who examine Walton‘s work are often confused, however, because he made changes in the text of each of the editions published before his death. These changes included the direct reference to another writer‘s work, to a reference where he alluded to different sources, sometimes changing a source from a published book to one that appeared to be from an acquaintance. While the constant changes of source references leaves many scholars confused about from exactly what sources Walton drew those portions of his material, it is important from a perspective of historical accuracy and literary understanding to try and put his ―borrowing‖ into some sort of perspective. Walton‘s literary gift goes beyond the mechanics of the text and into his philosophy of the book. This argument maintains that one of the most important aspects of The Compleat Angler is that Walton synthesized previously published texts into one work that would appeal to a larger percentage of the growing educated middle class and not become the exclusive domain of the sporting elite, a fate that befell sporting books prior to Walton. Cooper explains, in his study of The Angler what is known about other books on fishing: It has long been known that Walton went to earlier fishing manuals in English for much of the practical information. . . . There are five such works that were major sources, four that were known to the nineteenth century editors and The Arte of Angling. It is probable that there were other fishing books that Walton used and that have since been lost, but we can see Walton‘s method clearly enough from these sources that we now possess. (139) To bring these works together Walton had to make a critical choice about the method of presentation. The georgic form dominated tradition as an accepted method of presentation of any rural activity and would have been safe, though unimaginative. Also, scholars often refer to Dame Juliana Berner‘s ―Venerie,‖ in The Boke of Saint Albans as Walton‘s model for the character, Auceps the falconer. According to Cooper, ―Venerie,‖ should be attributed to William Twici (or Twety), the grand huntsman to
King Edward II, the only English work that can be effectively compared to the thirteenth and fourteenth-century French verse, ―. . . written on the aristocratic sports of hawking, hunting and fishing‖ (38). A direct example of a georgic influence is Walton‘s use of John Dennys‘ Secrets of Angling, published in 1613. Walton‘s successful incorporation of Denny‘s poem in the georgic form into the prose of The Compleat Angler illustrates that Walton was not committed to the georgic poetic because it could not provide textual room for the pastoral setting Walton needed within the text to draw the various sources from which he borrowed into one complete setting. Many angling literature scholars readily agree that Walton‘s use of the georgic theme allows him to convey the detailed instructions for successful angling without the burden of excessive didacticism. All the georgic conventions are similarly concerned with expressing the typical georgic themes, the dignity of the art and the moral values represented in it, values that are distinctly similar in Vergil‘s Georgics and Walton‘s Angler. Both works are concerned with celebrating a set of values best seen in the life of the simple husbandman or angler. Because Walton apparently first set up his work in the georgic theme, insomuch as giving the reader instructions on angling, he was then able to cast about for other forms that would allow him to fully develop his theme of the rewards and pleasures of angling. To do this Walton had to establish (with his reader) the superiority of the angler over other people— notably the harried city dweller whose life was dominated by the quest for money. He does this most effectively through his introduction of characters to create the dialectic, much the same as Chaucer used his characters in The Canterbury Tales, to carry his themes. Walton uses Piscator, the narrator of the story, as both instructor from whose voice the georgic themes of instruction flow, and as the expositor of the pastoral setting. Piscator is the angler and therefore has his symbolic feet in two worlds. The first character Piscator encounters is Venator, the hunter with hounds. The second major character is Auceps, the Falconer. Each character serves a distinct role by providing Walton the textual mechanism—the dialectic—with which he introduces and explains each aspect of angling. He first sets up his intention (Continued next page)
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by explaining the type of person who is an angler: I say, sir, if you take us Anglers to be such simple men as I have spoken of, then myself and those of my profession will be glad to be so understood: but if by simplicity you meant to express a general defect in those that profess and practise the excellent art of angling, I hope in time to disabuse you, and make the contrary appear so evidently, that, if you will but have patience to hear me, I shall remove all the anticipations that discourse, or time, or prejudice, have possessed you with against that laudable and ancient art; for I know it worthy the knowledge and practice of a wise man. (Walton 27) Before Piscator begins teaching the art of angling he gives each of the others the opportunity to explain their sports and their glories. These passages are of particular importance today because they expound upon the importance of the air, earth and water as gifts to be conserved. Walton plunges into the pastoral theme, letting ancient elements become the background for the georgic theme. Auceps, the Falconer, is first to talk about his sport and his explanation of the importance of air remains as meaningful today as when Walton wrote it: . . . this element of air which I profess to trade in, the worth of it is such, and it is of such necessity, that no creature whatsoever, not only those numerous creatures that feed on the face of the earth, but those various creatures that have their dwelling within the waters, every creature that hath life in its nostrils stand in need of my element. . . . Thus necessary is air to the existence both of fish and beasts, nay, even to man himself; the air or breath of life with which God at first inspired mankind, he, if he wants it, dies presently, becomes a sad object to all that loved and beheld him, and in an instant turns to putrefaction. (28-29) The next speaker is Venator, the Hunter, who makes his case for the earth and in a fashion somewhat similar to the Falconer
speaks up for the virtues of the earth. The earth is a solid, settled element: and element most universally beneficial both to man and beast: to men who have their several recreations upon it . . . How doth the earth bring forth herbs, flowers, and fruits, both for physic and the pleasure of mankind! and above all, to me at least, the fruitful vine, of which, when I drink moderately, it clears my brain, cheers my heart and sharpens my wit . . . how doth the earth afford us a doctrinal example in the little pismire, who in the summer provides and lays up her winter provision, and teaches man to do the like? The earth feeds and carries those horses that carry us. If I would be prodigal of my time and your patience, what might not I saw in commendations of the earth? (32-33) Piscator is the last to speak and he turns (naturally) to water: And now for the water, the element I trade in. The water is the eldest daughter of the creation, the element upon which the Spirit of God did first move, the element which God commanded to bring forth living creatures abundantly; and without which, those that inhabit the land, even all creatures that have breath in their nostrils, must suddenly return to putrefaction. Moses, the great lawgiver, and chief philosopher, skilled in all the learning of the Egyptians, who was called the friend of God, and knew the mind of the Almighty, names this element the first in the creation: this is the element upon which the Spirit of God did first move, and is the chief ingredient in the creation: many philosophers have made it to comprehend all the other elements, and most allow it the chiefest in the mixtion of all living creatures. (35) These three presentations establish the characters and theme of conservation within the abundance of nature, because all life is nurtured by nature. His precepts later became a part of the moral guidelines for the transcendentalists, and in our time, the environmentalists. For critical readers of The Compleat Angler, the more common examples of his utilizing a pastoral theme is his use of the English countryside as his setting. But, if the only pastoral connection a reader makes is the idyllic setting, how could the book have such a profound influence on the modern world? Today‘s Izaak Walton League must take many of its cues for the organization‘s stand on environmental issues from the Angler’s text. The motivation for the organization‘s dedication to the preservation of nature and its wildlife is the foundation of each (Continued on page 12)
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Walton‘s blending of the two major forms of literature is remarkable to scholars, but his skillful use of dialogue in the decharacter‘s defense of his sport. Walton skillfully made use of bates between the characters (as when each defends his sport) the pastoral landscape to present his characters and their viewcreates a tension in which the characters learn about angling and points, building the foundation for later chapters in which he from which the reader is learning to be an angler. moves freely from pastoral to georgic didactic. The following At the time Walton wrote The Angler rhetorical discussion examples are first of a pastoral description of a caterpillar, folwas a recognized form of learning. Walton incorporated that lowed by a georgic instruction on the making of a fly. learning environment throughout the text, from the first day‘s Nay, the very colours of caterpillars are, as one has chance meeting to the closing scenes. observed, very elegant and beautiful. . . . his lips and The complexities of Walton‘s writing do not end there. He mouth are someis also a master of the allewhat yellow; his gory, using allegorical eyes black as jet; frameworks throughout his his forehead purtext. At the end of the text, ple; his feet and as Piscator‘s student, Venahinder parts green; tor, takes leave of him, the his tail two-forked reader receives Walton‘s and black; the final instruction: whole body stained . . . so, having had the like with a kind of red advantage, both by your spot, which run conversation and the art along the neck and you have taught me, I ought shoulder-blade, not ever to do the like; for inunlike the form of deed your company and St. Andrew‘s cross, discourse have been so useor the letter X, ful and pleasant, that, I may made thus crosstruly say, I have only lived wise, and a white once since I enjoyed them line drawn down and turned angler, and not his back to his tail; before. . . . And, my good all of which add master, I will not forget the much beauty to his doctrine which you told me whole body. (101Socrates taught his schol2) ars, that they should not Then, in the georgic tradithink to be honoured so tion of instructions, he much for being philososwitches to that theme. phers, as to honour philosoYou are to phy by their virtuous lives. note, that there are You advised me to the like twelve kinds of concerning angling, and I artificially made will endeavour to do so; flies to angle with and to live like those many on the top of the worthy men of which you water. Note, by the made mention in the former way, that the fittest part of your discourse. . . . I season of using will walk the meadows by these is in a blustering windy day, when the waters are so some gliding stream, and there contemplate the lilies that troubled that the natural fly cannot be seen, or rest upon take no care, and those very many other various little livthem. The first is the dun-fly, in March: the body is made ing creatures, that are not only created but fed (man knows of dun wool; the wings, of the partridge'‘ feathers. The not how) by the goodness of the God of nature, and theresecond is another dun-fly: the body is made of black wool; fore trust in him. made yellow under the wings and under the tail, and so Piscator. And upon all that are lovers of virtue, and dare made with the wings of the drake. The fourth is the ruddytrust in his providence, and be quiet, and go a-angling. fly, in the beginning of May: the body made of red wool, (224) wrapt about with black silk; and the feathers are the wings Throughout The Compleat Angler, there are references to the of the drake, with the feathers of a red capon also, which beauty of an unspoiled nature, and that a person who takes it hang dangling on his sides next to the tail. (106) upon themselves to learn nature‘s way, and be a participant in Izaak Walton
(Continued from page 11)
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nature will have a superior view to the world. It‘s a theme that has not been lost. Norman Maclean kept it alive in A River Runs Through It, recognized as a modern masterpiece about fishing and nature. In the following passage Maclean‘s rhythm describing nature echoes Walton‘s; an uncanny parallelism bridging centuries. I didn‘t think much of the immediate prospects of building a fire and cooking breakfast, so first I climbed to the top of the peak. When I looked, I knew I might never again see so much of the earth so beautiful, the beautiful being something you know added to something you see, in a whole that is different from the sum of its parts. What I saw might have been just another winter scene, although an impressive one. But what I knew as that the earth underneath was alive and that by tomorrow, certainly by the day after, it would be all green again. So what I saw because of what I knew was a
words and knowledge of literary forms lift nature and outdoor writing to coveted literature. It is unfortunate that except for scholars who study outdoor literature, most of academia‘s literati, and many historians, ignore the impact of Walton‘s fishing book—his work is timeless. His genius was to pull all the then-known angling knowledge into one book that gives readers a moral lesson about the preservation of nature. Walton‘s work is the masterpiece of outdoor literature that directly or indirectly inspires people to restore streams and save animal species from extinction. Few books can claim that legacy. As for his ghost, surely he must sit on the banks of the River Itchen. Works Cited Abrams, M. H., ed. "Izaak Walton." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 6th ed. Vol. 1. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1993. 1667. 2 vols. - - - "Sir Phillip Sidney." The Norton anthology of English Literature. 6th ed. Vol. 1. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1993. 458-59. 2 vols. Cooper, John R. The Art of The Compleat Angler. Durham: Duke UP, 1968. "IWL" Izaak Walton League of America Online. Internet. Available http:// www.iwla.org/ (16 Aug. 2010) Levin, Harry. "General Introduction." The Riverkind of death with the side Shakespeare. Ed. G. Blakemore Evans and J. J. M. marvelous promise of Tobin. 2nd ed. Boston/New York: Houghton Mifflin less than a three-day Company, 1997. 1-25. resurrection. Maclean, Norman. A River Runs Through It. New York: Simon (Maclean 160) & Schuster Inc., 1992. Throughout Mac"Milne Angling Collection." University of New Hampshire Lilean‘s book there are brary (n.d.). Online. Internet. Available http:// passages of the paswww.library.unh.edu/special/index.php/milne-anglingtoral giving it a timecollection. (16 Aug. 2010). less quality. Then, as Walton, Izaak. The Compleat Angler. New York: Weathervane if he took a clue from Books, 1975.Williamson, Henry. Introduction. The Walton, Maclean Compleat Angler. By Izaak Walton. New York: drops into the tradiWeathervane Books, 1975. tion of giving instruc- Wordsworth, William. Bartleby Library. Great Books On Line tions. Writers with (n.d.). Online. Internet. Available http:// this expertise of www.bartleby.com. (16 Aug. 2010).
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Kathleen Clary Miller
Reflections On an Indian Summer Creek
Autumn, 2010 Vol. III No. 3
High On the Wild With Kathleen Clary Miller My financial portfolio vanished last year, the entire country is bickering with the president over the future of health care—if there is one, and everywhere I turn there seems to be more bad news. My oldest daughter is up for her first job review—the panicky preparation phone calls interrupt. My youngest has ushered in her first classroom of first-graders; it‘s not the children who are driving her mad—it‘s the parents. The country‘s climate is one of fear and that has trickled down so that I, too, feel anxious. I don‘t want to travel, pay for gasoline, or spend a penny. During our first drift boat excursion without a guide and on our own, peril is the only word I can use to describe what my husband and I en-
countered. Two weeks before, Stacy Jennings, our awardwinning guide, had brilliantly boated us down the Blackfoot through the most stunning scenery imaginable. Fish were jumping, the sun warmed, the day shone something right out of the last best kept Montana secret log I‘m thinking I should write. But then everyone would know and the very best part was that we saw no one on the river, not even while shamefully lingering in the sun to partake of the poached salmon and pasta salad picnic she‘d provided. This was the life, all right, even if it might have been the very last best thing we could ever afford. Undertaking the float ourselves with our visiting son from Texas, everything went haywire since we‘d neglected to check the water level and mysteriously, the same stretch of river had completely altered from Stacy‘s surefire guidelines. Unfamiliar and unfriendly rapids tossed us about like a bobbing buoy, not to mention we became stranded twice—beached on rocks so that the only escape was for one or two of us to abandon ship and wade through rough current to shore, then walk downriver to reunite with whomever had held honorably to the oars. We noted well that our experience with Stacy had been a better way to go as we flew past all the best fishing holes, absolutely unable to row back to them like she had. That evening, when we arrived home, the news reported that the infamous wolf was once again threatened. If hunting is not permitted, my favorite predator will destroy
everything ranchers work for. If it is, the packs will be murdered by the numbers. There is prediction of future wildfires running rampant across the West due to global warming. I helped judge the film festival CINE (Culture and Issues in Nature and the Environment) and the worthy film makers addressed such pressing issues in our world that I went home depressed, determined never to unnecessarily flip a light switch lest I contribute to mountain-top coal mining destruction in West Virginia. In the midst of such seemingly hopeless havoc, the following Tuesday I found myself stranded on a Fish Creek beach, since—the straw that broke the camel‘s back— my fly-fishing vest with all its accoutrements and license had gone missing. To add insult to injury, mine was the only operable fishing rod at the Miller household; all three of Brad‘s 5-weight rods had snapped within three days‘ time, so I told him to take mine, go with our son, and I would just observe their success and write about it, since I did, after all, call myself an outdoor author. My mind could not clear as I watched them cast into the sunlight. It took me an hour to stop fretting about this problem or that—global or personal. Then, at last, the Indian Summer sun eased my joints, I slid down and rested my head against the back of the beach chair, and drank it all in like someone crossing the desert. What summer leaves lingering and lends to autumn for a few precious days is, in my view, the best combination Mother Nature
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News You Might Have Missed
Cornerstone Award. POMA cited her exceptional and tireless volunteer “Gun Talk” By Blackberry service to the organization. POMA's Executive Director Laurie Lee MANDEVILLE, LA - Tom Gresham's Gun Talk® was selected Dovey presented Gardner with the by Research in Motion (RIM) to be included in the release of award during the annual membership their podcast application for the Blackberry® Smartphone. business meeting during the 5th AnRIM‘s first podcast release includes some 300 different podnual POMA Conference held last casts and the number is expected to reach 1000 in the not-soAugust in LaPorte, Indiana. distant future. The Emerald Cornerstone Award BlackBerry Podcasts are a popular way for users to keep Vicki Gardner holding her was created five years ago to honor abreast of their favorite podcasts programs. Podcast users can POMA members who go above and POMA Emerald Award subscribe to their favorites so they will receive an alert when a beyond volunteering to provide selfless service to the organizanew podcast is offered. tion and its members. The award‘s first recipient was Pat Tom Gresham's ―Gun Talk Radio‖ is in its 15th year of proMcHugh in 2006, and in 2008 the second recipient was Betty Lou gramming and airs live on Sundays from 2 p.m.-5 p.m. Eastern, Fegely. During that presentation the POMA Board of Directors and runs on 100 stations, plus SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio. All announced they were renaming the award the Betty Lou Fegely Gun Talk shows can be downloaded as podcasts through BlackBerry App World www.blackberry.com/appworld, Apple iTunes, Emerald Cornerstone Award in honor of Fegely's exceptional contributions to POMA. Betty Lou is a founding member, first http://www.itunes.com/ or at http://www.guntalk.libsyn.com/. chairman and first President of POMA, and continues to provide For a full list of radio stations running Gun Talk, or for more information, visit http://www.guntalk.com/. Original Publication: extraordinary commitment to the organization THE OUTDOOR WIRE DIGITAL © Copyright 2010 The Outdoor Wire. All Rights Reserved. Otis Technology Adds Two to Staff LYONS FALLS, NY— Denise Miller, Otis President of Sales and Marketing announced last August that the manufacturer of LAPORTE, IN - Alpen Optics Vice President of Marketing, advanced gun cleaning systems and accessories has named Len Vickie Gardner of Rancho Cucamonga, California, Nelson National Sales Director and Tom Scott Director of Marwww.alpenoutdoor.com, received the Professional Outdoor Me- keting. They join Otis Technology while they are celebrating its dia Association‘s (POMA) prestigious Betty Lou Fegely Emerald 25 year anniversary throughout 2010. www.otistec.com
Vicki Gardner Receives POMA Emerald Award
HIGH ON THE WILD has to offer. ―I‘m not having any luck,‖ I heard Ryan beckon to his father who begrudgingly agreed. They waded upstream, nearly out of view. At this rate, what would I put on paper? Leaves had turned, birches shimmered in the light afternoon breeze, colors tip-toed in reflection over the cool, clear water. After awhile, I stood and strolled. I examined rounded stones, crept to the edge of a bank of them to look down into a pool and watch the fish rise and twist around fluttering bugs as they lit on the surface.
I felt frustration—one more annoyance: Why didn‘t I have a rod so that I could cast into this bonanza, then chronicle my catch? Impatiently, I glanced upstream, over and over again in hopes of catching either son or husband—just let me make one or two stabs at these lovelies! Then after a time, I stopped looking for them and turned my attention to what could have been my prey but instead was my prayer. In the thick of confusion on a wearying planet, here before me was something surprising and simple, a glimmering grace granted freely in this quiet corner of peace, an Indian Summer afternoon on a river bank. I‘d write about that instead.
The London Review Bookshop Online ordering of books directly from our store. Visit our website for more information and to subscribe to The London Review of Books. Published 24 times per year with essays by leading writers. USA Subscription price: $42.00 annually. Web address is: http:www.lrb.co. Phone: 020 7269 9030 Dept. TPR Fax: 020 7269 9033 Write us: London Review Bookshop 14 Bury Place, London WC1A 2JL
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Video/Broadcasting With Andy Lightbody
Andy Lightbody
Every one of us who grew up in the electronic world of TV, movies, videos, web casts, Face Book, You Tube and all the other media access points has been a movie, TV, and Video reviewer. Each of
for movie/TV reviewers, or wannnabes. Instead, it really begins by evaluating the elements that go into a good video production. As I have written previously; does the production have a beginning, middle and a logical end? Or, are you wasting your time watching an Outdoor personality/celebrity doing nothing but catching big fish? Here are a few of the basics that will help guide you to becoming a better reviewer for TV, video, web casts, etc. PRODUCTION VALUE Productions that are backlit and blurry rarely have much value. It doesn‘t have to be shot in HD with Avatar’s graphic effects, but producers should not be taking shortcuts on the basics such as good audio quality, lighting, and steady camera. When working on a review of a TV or video production, it usually takes us less than 5 minutes of viewing to determine whether the attention to detail in basic video/film production is being followed. CONTENT What‘s the overall point of the video you are reviewing? If it‘s a ―How To‖ become a better ―something‖ then by the end it better make me, the viewer, one. Also, who is the expert telling me all of this? Does the production include notable anecdotes from noted experts in the field? Good productions may begin with the basics but they should not treat the viewer as being stupid. PRESENTATION Tight focus is essential in
So, you think you want to be a movie, TV and video critic. Better learn the difference between the good, the bad and the ugly! Is there a way to discern whether the video you are watching is a lot of self-aggrandizing and “payback” for an all expense-paid hunting, fishing, or other outdoor adventure trip or that it has something substantial to offer?
us, immediately when we see or hear something, decides what we like and what we don‘t; and we do a thumbsup, or thumbs-down review of what we‘ve seen or heard. Why do we do this? Because, as the world changes—we spend less and less time reading, and more and more time watching TV, videos and Internet offerings. According to the website Howcast.com, in 2008 less than 1 in 10 Americans reads a newspaper to get their news. So, how do you ingest, digest, look at, and review all of that media material that is proliferating throughout the video and TV marketplace? How do you tell a producer that he is grinding out crap? Or, is there a way to discern whether the video you are watching is a lot of self-aggrandizing and ―payback‖ for an all expensepaid hunting, fishing, or other outdoor adventure trip, or that it has something substantial to offer? In other words, how do you, as a viewer, come away with a ―jaw-dropping‖ experience where you‘ve been informed, educated, and entertained? Let‘s face it, there‘s no graduate degree being offered
teaching me new skills or improving those I have. It‘s the job of the presenter to keep themselves on track and lead me through this process. Is the host/presenter exciting and involved in the subject or is he or she as boring as the newscasters just reading a script on the 10 o‘clock news? If the host is not engaging, entertaining and showing me that they have ―fire in the belly‖ I‘m going to be bored. Something that is essential in a good production is a clear voice, without a heavy accent. I know we all have different backgrounds, cultures and geographic locations where we grew up, however, I don‘t speak Farsi any better than I speak redneck! A clear voice, a nice, steady pace, with words that are enunciated and not slurred is a plus! If you can get past those basics, here are a few other essentials to try and keep in mind as the reviewer: 1. Are you qualified to review someone else’s production? If you are an avid antique car buff, master mechanic and can tell me why boring and stroking my 427 ci engine is going to going to give me more zoom and foot/pounds of torque, then chances are I am going to believe you. If you can‘t tell a sandbass from a great white shark, chances are good that you probably shouldn‘t be reviewing my fishing videos and productions. 2. Review productions that interest you. No expertise in a given field, often translates into no interest in the production‘s subject. Again, a basic rule of reviewing; you may be a hellof-a bird hunter and wing shooter, but if you‘ve never been to a competitive trap, (Continued on page 19)
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Photography’s World With Jeff Davis Who trusted God was love indeed And love Creation‘s final law– Tho‘ Nature, red in tooth and claw With ravine, shriek‘d against his creed– Alfred, Lord Tennyson, In Memoriam 56:13-16. The natural world is a dichotomy of beauty and horror. A good photographer can capture either, or both, depending on his or her point of view. For example, images of either predator or prey, individually can be striking in showing the beauty and grace of each animal, but photographs of the two animals together at the same time and place can be jarring to the sensibility of the average viewer. A leopard or gazelle at sunrise can result in images that draw feelings of serenity, or awe, or an appreciation of the wonder of nature. An image of the same gazelle, flailing its legs while the leopard crushes its windpipe, can produce a very different set of feelings. So, which image do the photographs honestly portray? Is the leopard a noble cat, the embodiment of power and splendor; or is it a vicious killer of innocent animals? Does the photograph show us nature‘s truth? A problem with photography is that an image has no inherent truth, but rather functions as a vehicle onto which the viewer imposes their innate biases. The internationally known art critic John Berger, in his controversial art history book Ways of Seeing
wrote about how people ―see art‖ (which includes photography) as being more complicated than simply looking at an image. ―We never look at just one thing;‖ Berger wrote, ―we are always looking at the relation between things and ourselves.‖ (Frm. Ways of Reading anthology, pg. 106) For many of today‘s hunters and ranchers in areas of Montana, Colorado, and Idaho the image of a wolf can evoke an angry response because of the growing problems and controversy over wolf reintroduction. However, the very same image can be an effective fundraising tool for wolf advocate groups in the political fight over keeping wolves on the Endangered Species List or opening a hunting season on wolves. Another example of how photography, especially selective photography, influences political action is the fight over drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska that was raging some 20 years ago. One of the most compelling tools used by opponents of drilling was a series of photographs depicting a beautiful, pristine wilderness, covered with wildflowers and stunning vistas. The photos were both true and accurate, and there was never any question as to their authenticity (this was long before digital manipulation). However, the summer season is very short in this part of the world, and the ‗normal‘ or ‗average‘ condition in ANWAR is snow
cover and very cold temperatures, and the images were not captured where the drilling was going to take place. Regardless, it was very easy to use these remarkable photographs to sway people to a particular political view. Berger‘s explanation of how photographs are the result of the photographer‘s actions helps explain the success of the ANWAR images:
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Jeff Davis
Photographs of Nature – Truth or Myth? Who trusted God was love indeed And love Creation’s final law– Tho’ Nature, red in tooth and claw With ravine, shriek’d against his creed– From Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s In Memoriam 56:13-16.
Every time we look at a photograph, we are aware, however slightly, of the photographer selecting that sight from an infinity of other possible sights. This is true even in the most casual family snapshot. The photographer‘s way of seeing is reflected in his choice of subject. (Ibid. pg. 107) When people looked at the photographs they ―believed them to be true because the photographer saw the image then put it on film for them. This powerful technique is common to the arts and was discussed at great length by the American philosopher John Dewey, in his Harvard lecture on esthetics. He later combined these lectures into his book Art as Experience (1934). Dewey wrote: It is everywhere accepted that art involves selection. Lack of selection or undirected attention results in unorganized miscellany. The directive source of selection is interest; an unconscious but organic bias toward certain aspects (Continued on page 20)
For many of today’s hunters and ranchers in areas of Montana, Colorado, and Idaho the image of a wolf can evoke an angry response because of the growing problems and controversy over wolf reintroduction..
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Social Media With Rachel Bunn
Rachel Bunn
To use Twitter ask yourself a question—it isn’t ―do you feel lucky?‖ but ―what are you doing?‖ Then you disscovcer Twitter ―has a catch.‖
To use Twitter all you need to do is answer a simple question: what are you doing? Unfortunately, like most things that seem too easy, Twitter has a catch. Its status box only allows users to type 140-characters. This does not seem too hard until you discover what Twitter means by characters. ―Characters‖ in the Twitterverse means letters, numbers, punctuation and spaces. The 140-character limit suddenly becomes a lot smaller. How do you get the most out of your tweets? Although there is no such thing as the ―perfect tweet,‖ there are some hints that can help you make the most impact when using Twitter‘s limited space. The most important thing to remember about Twitter is Twitter is not Facebook. Although they both fall under the umbrella of social media, the sites are completely different and should be treated differently. Think of them in news terms, Facebook is CBS‘s 60 Minutes to Twitter‘s CNN. 60 Minutes, a weekly news show, delivers in-depth analyses of news events and high profile government officials and celebrities. CNN, on the other hand, is a 24-hour news source that is focused on breaking news. Just as a 60 Minutes broadcast differs from a CNN broadcast, a Facebook update differs from a Twitter update. On Facebook it is possible to post full paragraphs as status updates and provide lengthy notes on subjects of interest. Twitter does not budge with its character limit, forcing tweets to be short and timely. The most basic Twitter advice is to keep your tweets simple. Short words and phrases work best, but avoid abbreviations. Though it may seem obvious to you, followers and potential followers of your tweets can find abbreviations confusing. Technical language should also be avoided. Technical language can alienate your followers and potential followers. Twitter is an ideal site for self-promotion by writers. It is a usefull means of introducing potential readers to an author or publication you write for. Or, if you are a publisher, it is an ideal means of promoting the newest issue
of a periodical or a new book release. However, if the only people you are only reaching out to are those who already are familiar with your work, you are not effectively using Twitter. Experienced tweeters have developed a few tricks to get more out of their tweets and one is to include links. Twitter users are twice as likely to read a tweet that includes a link than one that does not include one. Adding a link to your tweet may seem nearly impossible because of the long web addresses quickly eat up Twitter‘s limited character amount. To get around the problem there are several websites that can shorten web links, making it possible for them to fit into a Twitter update. Websites http:// Tinyurl.com http://bit.ly/ and http:// Ow.ly,ly/url/ shorten-url, each provides a link shortening tool. Creating an account with any one of these sites is a good idea because one of the perks of these sites is they can track how many people click on your link which then gives you an idea of how effective your tweets are at driving readers to your website and/or articles. Hashtags ―Hashtags‖ are not connected to the ―blue plate special‖ at your local diner but hash tags are a great way to make the most of tweets. Hashtags are words or acronyms that follow a hash sign (#). Hashtags are used at conventions and events to allow users interested in those events to easily view all the information on Twitter about those events. Some examples of recent notable events to use hashtags include comic convention Comic Con (#SDCC), music festival Bonnaroo (#bonnaroo), and music and arts festival South by Southwest (#SXSW). Sharing Content An ideal way to maximize your presence on Twitter is through tweets in which you share content from others. You can also do this
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and give your brain a chance to think about the program and why you liked it, or wished you skeet, or sporting clays event, chances are good could have changed the channel to I Love Lucy you‘re going have a difficult time judging a reruns. video that covers competitive events. 6. Make sure your review is factually based. 3. Identify the viewing audience before offering Go back and reread your notes before you write your opinion. your review. It‘s fine to be strongly opinionated, Think about who the producer sees as his or her but defend your reasons for likes/dislikes. A viewing audience. If the production clearly reviewer wrote a scathing review of a travel states on the DVD cover, or in the introduction, safety video that I produced and to this day I that this program is designed for professional cat swear he never put the program into his DVD fishing tournament anglers, then it figures that player! the beginner with a cane pole and stink bait is 7. Be prepared for negative feedback. going to have a hard time relating to advanced It‘s a simple fact of life that everyone has differtactics and techniques. ent tastes in TV, film, video, web casts, etc. I 4. Take notes when reviewing the program. recently viewed the web cast of a guy who had Write down notes about what you liked in the written a rap song about why he loved fried program, and what you did not like. Also, write chicken. My two comments in my review to down the reasons for each. If I‘m watching an many friends who thought this is the funniest outdoor/backwoods survival video and the host video they had seen in years were: tells me about carrying a lighter and a pack of At least the chicken wing nut was not a matches, I‘m not going to be very impressed. If gangster; the host shows a bunch of wide-eyed forest newAnd, it truly reinforced my belief that some bie‘s how to start a fire with a handful of steel people have way too much time on their hands. wool and a 9V radio battery, and their reaction is And, to my friends who assured me that I wide-eyed rapture, then I want to be able to ref- would be falling out of my chair with laughter? erence that in my review. Maybe they need to get a life! 5. Take time to digest and think about what you Andy Lightbody owns Rocky Mountain Television/ have viewed. Productions in Colorado. He has been a writer and broadStay focused on the production. Don‘t get discaster for 30+ years and regularly writes TV/Video reviews, tracted by kids, other folks in the room, etc. If and produces a host of his own TV and Video producyou need to, go back and watch segments or the tions. Email comments and questions to him at radioentire program again. Then set your notes aside questions@hotmail.com. Video
(Continued from page 16)
Social Media through a re-tweet, @-reply or mention. A re-tweet is the reposting of a tweet by another Twitter user. An @-reply (pronounced atreply) is a reply to another Twitter user‘s tweet. A mention is simply mentioning another Twitter user within a tweet. Although it seems counterintuitive to use the self-promotion Twitter website to promote someone else sharing content from other Twitter users, it can benefit you in the long run. It isn‘t uncommon for mentions, @replies and re-tweets to elicit a similar response from the user you are mentioning, replying to or re-tweeting. In my own Twitter experience, I received an @-reply and a handful of followers after I mentioned Time magazine (@TIME) in a tweet. Sharing content from other Twitter users allows you to tap into their audience, as well as your own. The key to being a great Twitter user is to tweet on a regular basis (preferably every day) and to limit the number of tweets you send during the day. Having a Twitter account but rarely us-
ing it is the cardinal sin of social networking, conversely, overloading your followers with too many tweets will cost you followers. Though it may please you, your followers can become irritated if the only Twitter updates they receive are from you, and you are overloading them. A good rule is to limit your tweets to no more than five times a day, and to spread your tweets out over a period of time, somewhere between eight to twelve hours. As for the best times to tweet, they are at 9:15 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., the times most people arrive at work or arrive at home. The important things to remember about tweeting are: keep your tweets short, keep them interesting, and then mix them up by using links, hashtags and sharing content from others. All can help you keep your tweets interesting. As a cautionary note, do not rely on only one of these tips to keep your tweets interesting. Employ combinations of all of these and make tweets fun and interesting to keep your followers interested and to help you to gain new followers.
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Photography (Continued from page 17)
"Boulevard du Temple", taken by Louis Daguerre in late 1838 or early 1839, was the first-ever photograph of a person. It is an image of a busy street, but because exposure time was over ten minutes, the city traffic was moving too much to appear. The exception is a man in the bottom left corner, who stood still getting his boots polished long enough to show up in the picture.
and values of the complex and variegated universe in which we live. In no case can a work of art [photograph] rival the infinite concreteness of nature. An artist is ruthless, when he selects, in following the logic of his interest while he adds to his selective bent an efflorescence or ―abounding‖ in the sense or direction in which he is drawn. The one limit that must not be overpassed is that some reference to the qualities and structure of things in environment remain. Otherwise, the artist works in a purely private frame of reference and the outcome is without sense. . . . (pg. 95) This same technique was used very successfully during the spotted owl and old growth forest controversy in the Pacific Northwest. In 2001 Doug Thron, a 24 year-old nature photographer produced a slide show of truly spectacular images of old growth forest areas and lugged it around by himself, showing it to any group he could in an attempt to shut down logging operations in northern California. It was the definition of grass roots advocacy and gradually the audiences got bigger and bigger, and eventually led to publication of the images in major magazines. Again, the photos were all true and accurate, but they also served as a canvas onto which advocates projected their preconceived biases. It isn‘t always in the political arena where photography can be a problem. At the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, there was an extensive display on killer whales and a mother was walking through the exhibit with her two children. All was well until they came to one display, with still photographs, and a movie clip shot from an airplane, of a pod of killer whales attacking a blue whale. It was a tableau that is the definition of nature, the hunter and the hunted, survival of the fittest, one animal dying so that other animals can live, but the mother was incensed that something like that would be shown where children could see it. By today‘s American standards of politically correct ―sensitivity‖ that is dominated by ab-
sence of nature it was a savage, brutal scene, but then again there is a reason they are called ―killer whales.‖ The Photographic Lie The recent deep water oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico produced the usual round of news photography that concentrated on detailing the problems, devastation, and destruction of the spill, but it also resulted in many images that were striking in their beauty. I saw many images of shimmering rainbow patterns of oil on water, close-ups of oil on plants, sand or other surfaces, and bright orange or yellow ribbons of oil booms against dark water and oil. It was disconcerting to realize that I was admiring a photograph because of its striking beauty before I became conscious of the fact that the photo actually depicted a horrible disaster. This same thing has happened to me when the subject depicted is one of the most primal elements in human existence – fire. Fire can be the subject of amazing photographs, because of the quality of the light, or the scale of a massive wildfire, or the inherent tension of the total destruction that results. I remember images of entire mountains on fire, tornadoes of flame, and deer huddled in a stream, backlit by a hillside engulfed in flames. There is a beauty in these images that exists at the same time as the realization of the horror of situation. Is the truth depicted in the destruction, or the beauty, or both. Or does it matter at all? Since the earliest days of photography in the mid-nineteenth century it has been used to effect social or political change and just as an individual image can be true and accurate, without presenting Truth or Accuracy, the use of photography is good or bad only because of an individual‘s point of view. Photography’s Power Photographs by William H. Jackson of an unusual area in the western United States directly led to the first national park in 1872. The ability of photography to capture images and transport them over time and distance allowed members of Congress to experience the grandeur of Yellowstone at a time when transportation was somewhere between difficult and impossible. It is undeniable that photography was and is a powerful force in shaping opinions about the natural world, and it is becoming more important as modern society, for the most part, is increasingly removed from nature. While photography shapes the myth of what nature is, a specific image can only be an element of that myth, rather than the Truth.
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By Danny White & Galen Geer
This past June OWAA held its fifth conference since the 2004 membership crisis, and contrary to predictions the nation‘s oldest organization for outdoor writers is intact and moving forward, in spite of buffeting by the nation‘s economic woes. Robin Giner, who was named Executive Director only a few days before the conference, compared the 2010 conference to previous conferences, saying that the 2010 conference was the first to show a reaction to the economy. ―In terms of conference attendance, we‘ve seen better numbers,‖ Giner explained to the Review, adding; ―this year OWAA saw the attendance decline that other conferences have been experiencing over the past two years.‖ Neither Giner, nor current OWAA president, John Beath, believes the lower attendance is a permanent issue. ―We‘ve streamlined our conference and we have broken the tradition of June only conferences. In 2012 the conference will be in Fairbanks, Alaska in September.‖ Shifting the conference date is only one change OWAA has undertaken, but Beath and Giner both emphasize that changes are not because of any competition with either POMA, or regional and state writer organizations. Giner pointed out that the organization is responding to the changing needs of the OWAA membership. ―We are adding more hands-on features to the conference agenda next year in Salt Lake City,‖ Giner explained, then she added that the organization has reduced the length of the conference to three days, and she plans to fill it with more workshop style sessions, and there are plans to take the conference to locations that are more recreation-oriented. ―Our members need more immediate access to the one thing they all need to make a living—the Outdoors.‖ Digital Issues Rapid changes in the technology of communications has left many organizations wondering how they are going to survive, but OWAA‘s president, John Beath, has several ideas for deal-
ing with the changes and making them work for the organization. ―The future is digital,‖ Beath explained. ―Even standard media continues to transform to digital, even if they print the old fashioned way. The growth of OWAA will come from citizen journalists: Bloggers, YouTubers, Podcasters and others who pioneer outdoor communications on the Internet.‘ Robin Giner agreed, explaining that she has looked at changes in the media as a time of opportunity for OWAA‘s members; ―they [members] can develop new skills, take chances on modifying their delivery and engaging their readers wherever they are, and while on the go! I believe this is an opportunity for OWAA to lead the way in new technology implementation and instruction for the outdoor communicators.‖ Both Giner and Beath agree on the changing roles outdoor writers will be playing in the future, and OWAA is committed to being an organization for the new communicators. ―Our membership will grow with the digital revolution and our current members will be stronger as they learn how to communicate in this digital media environment,‖ Beath said. Giner points out OWAA is not sitting on a stump and waiting for future writers to achieve success and come to the organization. ―This past summer we hosted our first annual Goldenrod Writing Workshop here in Missoula, Montana,‖ she said. The workshop‘s success has been a shot in the arm for the organization and it is serving as proof that the concept of reaching past the traditional membership of the organization is a sound move. Robin explained that the workshop was open to both members and nonmembers of OWAA and participants came from across the country. ―The week-long intensive seminar was dedicated to helping them improve their outdoor writing and photography skills,‖ Robin said. ―Within just a few weeks after the workshop we were getting back some amazing reviews and (Continued on page 24)
Six years after the crisis that was supposed to destroy it, the oldest organization for outdoor writers is still growing and alive with plans for the future.
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True or False? The Number of Women Fishing and Hunting is the Fastest Growing Population Segment in the Outdoor Sports. Article By Tammy Sapp
When it comes to news, if information is printed three times, it enters the realm of accepted fact, whether or not it‘s accurate. Such is the case with articles belauding the increase in the number of women hunters. Throughout the last few years, I‘ve read several press releases announcing increases in the number of females who hunt. This information is then recycled in hunting magazines, radio shows, websites, forums, Facebook and other social media platforms. However, as much as I wish it was true, the National Survey of Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife-Associated Recreation data says otherwise. According to the 1996, 2001 and 2006 National Surveys, which are conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the number of female hunters 16 years old and older remained at 1.2 million or 9 percent of the entire population of hunters. The only increase occurred from 1991 to 1996 when the total number of women hunters went from 1.1 million to 1.2 million. Considering the total number of hunters (mostly male) declined from 14.1 million to 14.0 million during that same period, women were a bright spot. The outdoor media is so desperate for positive news that claims of growing numbers of female hunters is such welcome news; the source of the information is rarely questioned. For many, information from the latest online poll is as valid as the National Survey. However, in the opinion of research experts in the outdoor industry, the National Survey is the most scientific and credible source of data on the number of hunters, anglers and wildlife watchers. ―The National Survey is one of the most important sources of information on fish and wildlife recreation in the United States because it is conducted with such a high degree of scientific rigor,‖ said Mark Duda, executive director of Responsive Management, a public opinion and attitude survey research firm specializing in natural resource and outdoor recreation issues. ―The National Survey‘s methodology and sample size are unmatched in our industry.‖ For the 2006 National Survey, 66,688 telephone interviews were obtained for a national response rate of 90 percent. Other sur(Continued on page 23)
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veys can‘t hold a candle to the National Survey because they don‘t have the funding, manpower and scientific validity. When it comes to determining hunter numbers, sample size and methodology are critical factors because studies must deal with such a small number to begin with. Overall, hunters make up about 5 percent of the total U.S. population while only 1 percent of women in the U.S. hunt. ―What it boils down to, when studying women hunters, is you‘re looking at a small percentage of a small percentage,‖ Duda said. ―It‘s unlikely that surveys with a smaller sample size than the National Survey, or that are conducted online, can accurately detect fluctuations in such a small population.‖ While online surveys are becoming more popular as a low-cost, easy way to measure opinions and attitudes, Duda said they seldom provide accurate information. In a peer-reviewed article published in the January-February 2010 issue of Human Dimensions of Wildlife, Duda and Responsive Management staffer Joanne Nobile outlined major flaws regarding the use of online surveys. First, for a study to be unbiased, every member of the population under study must have an equal chance of participating. For the most part, Internet surveys can‘t yet accomplish this, because there is no such thing as a master list of email addresses for the general population or subpopulations such as registered voters, park visitors, or hunters and anglers. Plus, because anyone who happens to visit the site can take the survey, the results are biased by the fact this selfselected sample may not represent the larger population. The self-selection nature of Internet surveys can affect results in another way. People who respond to a request to complete an online survey are likely to be more interested in the topic and therefore more willing to complete the survey. This biases the results because research has shown people who don‘t respond to invitations to participate in a survey have the potential to differ from those who do. Another complication is that people who have a vested interest in survey results can complete an online poll multiple times and urge others to do the same, which will invalidate the results. Finally, because researchers can‘t control who has access to online surveys, there is no way to verify who responds to them. They can‘t confirm respondents‘ demographic background, location or other pertinent information. Even when safeguards are used to control access to online surveys, those who want to can circumvent the controls. Because of these reasons and more, telephone surveys, which are used to collect data for the National Survey, are still the established method of gathering opinion and attitude information. Another example of how sample size and collection procedures affect research results can be seen in a collection of tables found in the National Survey, which contain information about participation of 6- to 15-year-olds in hunting, angling and wildlife watching. While it may be tempting to use trend information from these tables to make the case that numbers of young female hunters are increasing, it may not stand up to more intense scrutiny for several reasons. To begin with, National Survey screeners only contact adults to develop a representative sample for the study‘s more detailed phase two interviews. As a by-product of this initial screening, they collect information about participation of 6-to15-year-olds. A note in the National Survey‘s appendix explains that data usually is reported by one household member speaking for all household members rather than interviewers speaking to actual participants. In addition, the (Continued on page 25) Continued on page 25
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Page 24 OWAA (Continued from page 21)
hearing from students who had sold the writing they did at the workshop.‖ Opening the Doors For several years, even before the 2004 breakup, talk had circulated among outdoor writer organizations that to attract new members, and gain better recognition for the outdoor media, the time was approaching when the traditional Excellence In Craft Award Competitions would need to be opened to non-members. The concept was solidly resisted by many of the older, more traditional membership. Perhaps it was the breakup and the formation of POMA, and only a couple of years later the creation of the POMA Pinnacle Awards which are open to non-members, that prompted the decision, but OWAA has also opened their Crab Apples Photo & Copyright 2010 Galen Geer EIC awards to non-members. ―Next year, 2011, will be the Free first time that the EIC awards will be open to the non-members,‖ Robin explained. ―Different Advertising for fees will apply for member versus non-member Organizations entries, but we feel it‘s a good way to spread the Outdoor Writer Organimessage of OWAA to other groups, and hopezations are eligible for fully increase our membership numbers in the free 1/3 page advertising process.‖ in The Pines Review for There are other expansion programs in the up to three consecutive works for the organization including an outissues. Free advertising reach program for high school students interspace is allocated on a ested in communicating the outdoor experience, first come-first serve baand partnering the outreach program with a Unisis and is subject to pubversity Extension office. lisher/editor approval. Past and Future Free ad space is for ads During the 2010 conference Review editor up to 1/3 page, 2-5/8x9 Geer visited with OWAA members and most of in. and ad copy must be them agree the organization has recovered and submitted via e-mail. If is moving forward. Bill Hillts, a past president your organization would and always outspoken member, said that he like to take advantage of believes the past should be left where it is—in this offer contact the edithe past, and get on with the future. Peter tor by email at: Schroeder, who John Beath credits with the idea editorpinesreview@ that OWAA should offer $10 memberships to mlgc.com Free Advercollege students enrolled in journalism or wildtising may be placed for life management studies, was on the OWAA contests, conferences, Board at the time of the breakup, and in an Aumembership drives. Free gust 20, 2004 Gun Week article defended the ads may not be political (then) board‘s actions on the letter. He is or organization elections. quoted as saying that he had been at the break-
fast when Robinson gave his now infamous speech and that the breakfast, ―did not draw its normal attendance‖ and Schroeder claimed that a number of people who did not attend told him ―they said they were not interested in hearing Robinson‘s talk.‖ Schroeder was interviewed by Gun Week Senior Editor Dave Workman for the article and Schroeder was also quoted as saying that both the nation and OWAA‘s demographics were changing and that ―the group (OWAA) is trying to attract the ‗next generation‘ of outdoor writers, who may write about things other than hunting and fishing.‖ From the position of attracting a wider membership, that aspect of the old OWAA has not changed. POMA, however, is recognized as being more focused on the fishing, hunting and shooting writers than OWAA. ―POMA is very much a niche organization that caters to the hunting and fishing community,‖ Giner said, ―and OWAA, of course, acknowledges with gratitude the hunting and fishing community as a deep root in our long history; however, our branches spread out across all topics outdoors, form hunting and fishing, to canoeing and bird watching, to conservation and land use issues. ―In the end, she continued, ―I firmly believe POMA and OWAA, and all the other outdoor writers groups, want the same thing for our members: For them to better their skills; be profitable in the marketplace; and continue their outreach to the leaders, listeners and viewers to help promote enjoyment and responsible use of the outdoors and our natural resources.‖ Robin Giner‘s optimistic outlook for OWAA is one that John Beath believes can help guide the organization into a new era. In a brief interview at the 2010 conference Beath explained that part of what finalized Robin‘s appointment as OWAA‘s new Executive Director is her enthusiasm. ―She has what we need for the future,‖ Beath said, ―a love for the job, the organization, and the outdoors. It‘s that combination that we need.‖ The Outdoor Writers of America Association is not the same organization it was on June 21, 2004, the day before Kayne Robinson‘s speech. Some people believe the breakup was inevitable and Robinson was the spark that set the primed wheel in motion. Others insist the breakup was a conspiracy within the organization; one group insists it was from the right, others claim it came from the left. What is known is that on that day OWAA was changed and six years later it is viable and growing—but changed.
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researchers to pinpoint trends. When you combine these factors with inferior research methods and respondent is asked to remember information from insufficient sample sizes, the result is wild swings a 12-month period, which can affect recall accubeing reported about the number of women huntracy. In many cases, longer recall periods result in ers. overestimating participation. Lastly, in many cases Although some may accuse me of being a wet sample sizes of 6- to15-year olds are too small to blanket, I believe it‘s critical we approach this report trend data reliably. topic with honesty. The foundation for effective While the number of female marketing is an accurate picture hunters has been flat for the last 15 of the current situation. If we years, Duda said there was an inblindly accept results from crease in the 1980s. Research cononline polls and surveys based ducted by Responsive Management on substandard methodology or revealed that between 1985 and small sample sizes, we may al1990, the percentage of women who low ourselves to grow complawent hunting more than doubled, cent about our outreach to while the percentage of males who women. If the hunting commuwent hunting during that same time nity is convinced we‘re already period declined by 16 percent. They doing a great job of introducing examined the trend to better underwomen to hunting, it‘s possible stand the cause of the increase and that programs, funding and other discovered that while participation resources will shift to different among male hunters could be tied to areas. Or, we‘ll make decisions several demographic factors, the about how to introduce women female hunting population could to hunting based on false infornot. The implication was the inmation. crease in female hunter numbers Although it is possible the was caused by basic changes in attinumber of women hunters has tudes and changing roles of females increased since the 2006 survey Day’s Bag Photo & Copyright 2010 Galen Geer in society. was released, we won‘t know for Additional research revealed the churn rate for sure until the 2011 National Survey results are women hunters is much higher than it is for men. released in July 2012. Until then, we would be In general women are less avid and thus more well served to ask questions about how survey likely to drop out of hunting than men. The flucresults were obtained and to continue efforts tuations caused by this higher attrition rate within to reach out and introduce more women to an already small population make it difficult for hunting. Women (Continued from page 23)
Tom Watson (Continued from page 7)
though it may tend to drift into the boilerplate article arena. Still, I try to give each piece its due with new information and a spark of freshness. I have neither a fancy office nor a huge inventory of gadgets and technology. I don‘t own a laptop. I still get the equivalent of a Gordian knotted, bird‘s nest backlash on my computer screen when I do something wrong. Yet, each week, I produce thousands of words that make it into print. I am a member of several writers‘ groups. The Outdoor Writers Association of America has helped me secure myriad articles over the twenty years I‘ve been a member. I earn back my annual dues, twenty to thirty times over each year. The lessons I learn there are far more valuable than the dues– many are priceless. I also belong to a Great Lakes regional writing group. And, since I am trying to work my way into
children‘s books, I have become involved in a variety of writing exercises with a website writer‘s group. The opportunities are limited only by my enthusiasm and willingness to grow. Recently I have been developing a website (www.tomwatsonwrites.com), to share my writing with friends and colleagues and to generate more interest in my books via website promotions and sales. The opportunities are limited only by my confidence. Occasionally, my efforts are rewarded by the various writing groups. So, yes, all you need to do to become an ―outdoor writer‖ is to say you are one. However, to keep yourself a true believer and to have others regard you as such, takes time, effort, and perhaps a little talent. Whatever the case, it‘s an effort from which you can never to slack. It‘s a love that requires modest encouragement to keep alive, and it‘s a lifestyle that never ceases to reward you for your efforts. tom@tomwatsonwrites.com
Book Reviewers & Book Publishers Please Note! The Pines Review welcomes book review contributions. Reviews must be for books that have been released no more than one year previously or will be released within six months of The Review‘s issue date. Contact the editor before submitting a review. Book review assignments are not made to PR firm writers. Books for ―Revisited‖ must have been published at least two years previously. Critical studies of older books or the works of authors are considered for assignment and are not published as book reviews. Qualifications for critical work must be included in query. Selfpublished books, whether Print On Demand or traditional printing, are given equal review consideration as all other books submitted for review. Publishers are encouraged to submit books for review. All books submitted for review become the property of Pen on Page, Ink or the reviewer and cannot be returned. Publishers should send books for review to: The Pines Review PO Box 31 Finley, ND 58230. For more information contact the editor by email: editorpinesreview @mlgc.com
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Book Review
only one more North American ―first‖ and that would be using an Atlatl, which I doubt will ever be accomplished. The next question is whether there is something remarkable about Barebow!, in which Dunn recounts the entire 40-year quest? The answer is in the very depths of the book‘s text; as deep as any critic of outdoor literature could delve in a single text. The Epic The attraction of this book is linked to human nature. We love an ―Epic Accomplishment.‖ This is rooted in the construction of our civilization. Since the Epic of Gilgamesh was written on Sumerian clay tablets in 2000 BCE, Western culture, both the oral histories and written, has thrived on epic accomplishments—the creation of heroes. Traditionally, we think of the epic poem, but the epic novel has its own place in literary history: Moby Dick, Ulysses, Don Quixote, and The Magic Mountain among others. To understand the prose epic we need to turn to epic poetry and the six conditions which normally define the epic poem, and to one degree or another these conditions can be applied to the epic novel. These conditions are: 1: The hero: Generally the hero of an epic poem is someone of imposing stature, and is important nationally or even of international importance. Also, the hero will be of historic, even legendary importance in the poem. 2: The Setting: An epic poem must range over a vast territory, covering an entire nation or even the world. 3: Action: The heroic character must accomplish his (or her) deeds with superhuman strength and these deeds must be of such valor the hero is automatically recognized as supercourageous. 4: Supernatural Involvement: The ancient Gods, or today‘s one God, the angels, demons, and other supernatural beings must take an interest in the hero‘s actions. 5: Style: The author (poet) must use a style of poetic (or prose) narration that maintains a constant threat of ―what next?‖ in the text. 6: Objectivity: The author must remain objective.
Barebow! The First Outdoor Classic of the 21st Century, Or? Barebow! By Dennis Dunn Review By Galen L. Geer Barebow, Dennis Dunn. Documentary Media, LLC, 3250 41st Avenue S.W., Seattle, Washington 98116. 504 pages, 15”x10”x1.75” Standard Edition w/dust jacket $95.00. Limited Edition w/slipcase box, signature page, gilt-edge and reader’s ribbon $195.00. Dennis Dunn, the author of Barebow, recently added the POMA Pinnacle award in the book division, to his growing list of awards for his book about his 40 year odyssey to do the near impossible—score an Archery North American Grand Slam using instinctive shooting only. Other awards include NOWA‘s (Northwest Outdoor Writers Association) award, the OWAA award, and he received a bronze book award from SEOPA award at their fall conference. Dunn‘s book has been reviewed on blogs, web sites, and the outdoor media at every level from local to national, and Dunn has become a featured speaker at outdoor writer conferences. Why are Dunn and his book attracting so much attention? The answer is the accomplishment. Over a period of 40 years of dedicated hunting, oftentimes making multiple attempts before having a successful hunt, he successfully hunted all 29 North American big game species, using archery equipment that was not equipped with any sort of sight. Dunn‘s remarkable achievement leaves
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These conditions are employed by the poet (author), who must follow other conventions including opening the narrative in the middle of the adventure by invoking his Muse and then the poet, or narrator, asks a question which starts the narration. Other requirements are for a long cast of characters, armies, nations and the list goes on. The epic novel drifts only somewhat away from these conventions. Ulysses, it could be claimed, does not meet all the conventions because it is about one man, in one city, and covers only one day, but if a person follows the story to its literary roots, from the title‘s Latinized Odysseus, through a long list of connections between the characters of James Joyce‘s novel and Homer‘s Odyssey, the conventions exist, although too mildly to pacify a harsh critic. Yet, when Dennis Dunn‘s massive work is carefully read the most fitting description of it is as an American Narrative Epic, a first person narrative written in creative nonfiction. In first person the author must maintain reader interest without being able to fall back on multiple points of view; to avoid losing reader interest many authors rely on breaks in the text. The problem also appears in first person fiction. Herman Melville encountered this difficulty with Moby Dick and he dealt with it by using long narratives of exposition that are frequently less about the story and more about Melville‘s questions about his (then) declining literary fame. Still, the literary community, primarily the American side, may be especially reluctant to accept Dunn‘s account of his 40 year quest as an American epic, but the story could never be written in any form other than his first person account of the events, characters and locations that are the story. To establish Dunn‘s book as an American epic there is the issue of the ―hero‖ of the tale—the author is the hero. The hero of an epic is usually someone who borders on supernatural, if not in stature at least in some paranormal ability. Dennis Dunn does not cut the heroic cloth—not of Homer, not of Melville‘s Ishmael. A first impression of Dunn is of a nerd—which is understandable because he graduated cum laude from Harvard with a BA in Romance Languages and later earned his Master‘s Degree in Romance Languages from the University of Washington. The nerd impression is not easily overcome. Listening to Dunn in general conversation one might want to dismiss him as somewhat wild-eyed and brimming with facts, which he probably can‘t back up, and impossible stories of derring-do that can‘t be verified— ailments that afflict too many members of the outdoor media. Slowly, however, the realization that Dennis Dunn is connected to his facts, he cites his sources, and the foundation of his argument is verifiable. As for claims of hunting derring-do, they are part of hunting history. Dennis Dunn, however, does not look the part. There is no Daniel Boone or Ernest Hemingway mystique about him, but as a
hunter he did heroic deeds. He successfully hunted all 29 of North America‘s big game animals with archery equipment that is devoid of any sights. In order for Dunn to kill the animal he was hunting he had to get much closer than any other hunter, and sometimes only a matter of a few feet—less than a yard— separated him from his quarry. On more than one occasion he faced North America‘s most dangerous game—the grizzly—so close he could touch the animal with his hand. The size of these animals and their inherit danger inspires a sense of awe. How did this mousey looking man accomplish it? The hero of an epic possess an imposing physical presence, in street clothes Dennis Dunn falls short, but in photos of him in his hunting attire his hunter‘s persona emerges and he becomes a modern Natty Bumpo. But courage, stamina and the willingness to overcome obstacles isn‘t easily recognized in anyone, but to accomplish his goal Dunn needed those traits. There is no doubt that Dunn meets the requirements to fulfill the first condition—a heroic accomplishment of his quest. Two & Three The conditions for the epic poem are present in the epic novel. Setting, which is the second requirement, stipulates that the action rage over a vast territory; Barebow! easily exceeds that requirement because it does range over a vast territory—all of North America, from the desert to Arctic Circle. As for Number Three—Action—according to poetic traditions the action must be of superhuman proportions, with strength and courage that are unmistakably courageous. You don‘t find that in Ulysses, but it is an integral part of Moby Dick, whether (Continued on page 28)
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Barebow! (Continued from page 27)
Queequeg or Daggoo with their harpoons, or Ahab‘s fanatical obsession with the white whale. Facing down a whitetail deer won‘t win any medals, but facing down a grizzly will. Any doubts are quickly dispelled with a few paragraphs from Chapter 27 ―American Grizzly.‖ We had progressed perhaps half-a-mile when I suddenly saw the big Grizzly approaching some 80 or 90 yards ahead. What struck me instantly was the enormity of his bulk – plus the fact that he was walking slowly along the very same path I was on. Since there was – unfortunately – no cover at all anywhere near me, I knelt down right away in the middle of the trail. Looking up at my guide on top of the bluff, I realized he couldn‘t yet see the bear from his position some 70 yards away, and maybe 25 yards forward of me. Then I glanced back at the bear, just in time to see him lift his nose in the air and pick up Eric‘s scent. With that he broke into a trot. Three seconds later – upon seeing my guide‘s profile against the sky – he accelerated to a dead run, and I instantly knew I was about to have a very close encounter of the most furry kind. . . . I hardly had time to get an arrow nocked and drawn before the proverbial moment of truth was upon me. Having to think on your knees in front of a charging Grizzly has a way of speeding up your thought process. Because he was running so hard, his head was up high, fully exposing his ample chest as an easy target. I knew that one of two things was most likely to happen. In the 4 AM half-light of the arctic spring night, either he would not see the obstacle in his path and would run right over the top of me, or else he would see me at the last second and veer to one side. (Pg. 439) Dunn did launch an arrow at the bear as it ran past but the broadhead hit the bear‘s massive elbow bone and deflected, not even a good scratch, although Dunn probably aged a couple of years. The bears were not through with him. A few days later, on the same hunt, Dunn and his guide again saw a huge bear and again were able to set up an ambush in front of the ambling bear by hiding behind a large rock. While the guide watched and ticked off the yardage Dunn prepared himself and at the appointed time went to full draw and was holding the draw when he picked up a flicker of motion. As I twisted my torso rightward to get a better look, my eyes quickly focused on a pair of ears wiggling, barely visible
over the top of the big rock I had been leaning against. Just then came the horse whisper, ―He‘s up above you!‖ . . . I suddenly became aware that the hair on the back of my neck was standing straight up, and it was moving! At the sound of my guide‘s verbal alert, the big fellow stood straight up on his hind legs and peered down at me over the top of the tall boulder. While he stood there trying to figure things out, he revealed to my astonished eyeballs all of his head and neck and the top half of his chest – down to about the armpits. (Pg. 441) Unfortunately when Dunn released his arrow the smallest tip of one broadhead blade caught the boulder, deflecting the arrow. Dunn returned to the same hunting area the following year and after another long wait behind a boulder was able to kill his Grizzly bear, at a distance of eight yards! It just happened to be the new Pope and Young World Record. If there is any question about Dunn possessing the qualities of courage they are easily disposed of in Chapter 27 alone, not including some of the other remarkable achievements! Four—Supernatural Involvement There is a very strong shift in broad sections of the hunting community to return to a more spiritual relationship between the hunter and his prey. For some hunters this is proof of supernatural involvement in the hunt. Who could honestly rule out spiritual or supernatural forces at work in Dunn‘s odyssey? Did he channel the powers of great hunters before him? No one can honestly answer, but reading the book often raises the specter of the ghosts of the great hunters who watched over him. I‘d say he is covered for condition four. Five and Six, Momentum, Objectivity The requirement of the poet to maintain the pace of the epic poem translates to the epic novel, the author must maintain that steady sense of ―what next‖ throughout the text. Every page must be a new adventure—there‘s no question that the majority of Dunn‘s text meets this requirement. Once the reader is into the actual hunting, every page burns with anticipation and every chapter is a new adventure, unfortunately, in his Preface (corresponding to the poet‘s invoking the Muse), he has a problem, which I‘ll explain later. Finally, there is Number 6, which in the epic poem is the requirement for objectivity. The poet must never become involved with trying to second guess the characters or interpret the actions of the Gods. There is nothing objective about this book. Dennis wants this book to be understood by the non-hunter and the hunter. He wants the non-hunter to be aware of the motiva-
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tions, difficulties and struggles of the hunter, and he writes the entire text to accomplish that task. From page one through to the end of the book Dunn is fully committed to the story he is telling and that he is pro hunting. Objectivity does not exist in this book. Entering The Book When I received my review copy of Barebow! and lifted it from its shipping box I was dismayed by the size and weight. ―This isn‘t a book!‖ I complained to Michelle, ―This is a boat anchor!‖ For exactly that reason Barebow! sat on one corner of my desk and glared at me. Finally, giving in to the need to read it, I carried the book into the kitchen and after making myself a cup of Earl Grey tea, opened it. Then I fanned the pages. I was looking for the ―hero‖ pictures that usually dominate first person hunting narratives. They were missing. Instead, fine outdoor art—the kind of art that is more than a pretty picture but an image that captures the essence of what is nature—whether line drawing or painting, illuminated the pages. The artists, Dallen Lambson and Hayden Lambson add an artistic elegance to the book. The dedication page presents the drawing of a bear that is as fine an illustration I‘ve ever seen in a book. On the facing page is a photograph of Dennis Dunn and his wife, Karen (cover photo, this issue), and behind them is the towering Grizzly he killed. The photograph is flanked by two pieces of text. On the left is a love poem (sestet) to his wife and on the next page, opposite the title page, is another incredible Dallen Lambson drawing, significant from its implied meaning—an archer, standing on a tree stand, has just loosed an arrow at a trophy whitetail but the deer is jumping away and the arrow is passing harmlessly past the buck‘s neck, perfectly illustrating the coming trials of Dennis Dunn. Most Forewords are less than stellar pats on the author‘s back and obligatory ―thank you for letting me write this.‖ Dunn surprised me, the Forward is by Dr. Robert E. Speegle, a practicing physician, who is the only person to have taken a North American Grand Slam with both a rifle and bow, and who was 85 when he wrote the Forward. He pointed to one of Barebow!‘s outstanding features—it is the first book of its kind—a hunting book without ―hero‖ pictures but illustrated by fine art. Secondly, it is a book that opens new ground in outdoor writing. When I read Dr. Speegle‘s Foreword I wasn‘t sure I would agree with him. To learn whether I would, I had to read hundreds of pages of text.
The massive size and design of Barebow! creates a lie. A standard book is around 6-1/2 x 9 1/4 inches and between 300 to 500 pages. After 500 pages books become daunting and Barebow! is double that with the double columns on each page! Also, an average book will have 450-500 words per page, depending on type size, leading between lines, etc. Barebow!‘s average is 567 words per column, two columns of text per page averaging over 1200 words per page! Multiply that by the number of pages of text, which I‘ll guess at around 400 (503 numbered pages less front and back matter, illustrations, maps, etc.) and you you‘ve got an easy 400,000 words. My first inclination was ―too ostentatious.‖ Once committed to a review, however, I manage to struggle through the book out of a sense of commitment. After reading the Preface I dreaded the rest of the book because the Preface is much too long. The first part, ―The Food Chain‖ is a well written exposition on the why of hunting, and Dunn‘s need to write the book, but then the Preface bogs down. An author should have confidence in their work so they are not compelled to ask the reader not to abandon them. Dunn does ask and in the end, most of the Preface is worth reading. However, some parts could have been left out. There is a stand out quality of the long and involved Preface in that Dunn tackles some perplexing problems facing today‘s hunter, and he provides thought-provoking answers. He examines hunting by both gun and bow, talks about the crush of new bow sighting systems for the bow, gadgets for gun hunters, and the need for all hunters to adhere to ethical behavior. One of the most difficult arguments for hunters to validate is trophy hunting. Dunn argues in support of the trophy hunter by writing: To sum things up: Both fundamentally and quintessentially, ethical trophy hunting is the highest and purest form of fair-chase hunting that can exist. Because it demands the most of hunters in terms of self-discipline, determination, physical conditioning, energy output, self-sacrifice, and tolerance for low odds on success, true trophy hunting gives any trophy-class animal the highest odds of survival in the age-old contest between the hunter and the hunted. (pg. 31) However one feels about pure trophy hunting, Dunn‘s summation is the most lucid and acceptable that I have read. Dunn’s Epic Dunn‘s 40 year journey to achieving the North American Grand Slam with a bare bow begins, as it should, by hunting the (Continued on page 30)
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West for mule deer. His introduction to big game hunting was a series of failures, but serendipity on his first hunting trip after graduating from Harvard in 1962 stepped in when, on a mountain trail in Washington State, he met bow hunting legend, (the late), Glenn St. Charles who directed him to a hunting area locals had named ―The Park.‖ (It was the first step in what became a close friendship.) When Dunn finally kills his first deer it is a running doe. The story of his first buck is a combination of luck, timing and his chance meeting of good Samaritans. By this point in Dunn‘s text he has established the format for the remainder of his book and, in fact, it parallels the criteria of the epic because at this point in the text (only page 45) even the most casual reader is wondering if Diana herself isn‘t forging Dunn‘s maturation into a special archery hunter. After all, he was having chance encounters with legends and after he kills his first buck (which makes the record book by 1/8 of a point), a hulking mystery man carries Dunn‘s fully grown mule deer on his back two miles to Dunn‘s truck— then disappears! Chapter One ends with the busted stalk of a trophy mule deer near Rifle, Colorado in 1984, but the fire of hunting is burning as Dunn‘s internal flame, and with the unfolding of Chapter Two the reader is caught in the book‘s rhythm. Dunn approached the task of telling the 40-year odyssey as a collection of shorter ―tales‖ that include both his successes and failures. Grouped by species, and in chronological order of Dunn‘s successful hunt of that species, the mule deer hunt begins the book in 1964 and the Alaskan Brown Bear in 2004 concludes the book‘s main text. But, in the third requirement, action, the heroic character must accomplish his (or her) deeds with superhuman strength and must be of such valor that the hero‘s courage is intrinsic to the hero‘s character. Most of us associate dangerous game, whether in Africa or North America, with courage. Repeatedly, on his hunts, Dunn faced down danger, and it was not always animals. While hunting a mountain goat on the last Saturday of the Washington 1975 season Dunn spotted two mountain goats about 1,000 feet above him ―on a small ledge suspended directly over some nearly vertical cliffs (pg. 84).‖ Dunn is determined to finally kill his mountain goat to end a series of busted hunts and he begins the treacherous climb. Four hours later he is nearing a position from which he believes he‘ll have an opportunity to launch an arrow when he meets the smaller goat face-to-face, at five yards. After a ten minute face down the goat finally ambled on and Dunn was able to resume the treacherous mountainside stalk when he discovers he has only a small window of opportunity to put an arrow into his goat be-
fore it would disappear around the edge of the ledge. He killed the goat with a nearly perfect shot and the remainder of the chapter (story) is the ―superhuman‖ account of lowering himself, plus the goat, 1000 feet to the canyon floor, using a 200 foot rope. Was it inspiration by Diana or Hercules that led him to devising a way to accomplish the feat? In The Text Dennis Dunn‘s painfully slow progress toward completing the Grand Slam is not gilded writing, but I believe honest reactions to nature. There is comedy, such as discovering a Barren Ground Grizzly swimming between two shores and being able to get close enough by boat to photograph the bear in the water. There is a reverence each time some new part of nature is experienced, as if curtains are pulled back for him to record in Barebow!. In the story of the bear in the water Dunn also describes a bull caribou: And his mane! His mane was just incredible! The front of his shoulders, brisket, and full neck were already as perfectly white as fresh-fallen snow! I could hardly believe my eyes. Normally, as the fall progresses and winter comes on, a bull caribou‘s mane grows significantly longer and whiter. The particular bull was already sporting the biggest, whitest mane I think I‘ve ever seen – for any species of caribou, in any season of the year. He had a very tall and wide rack, with well-developed, double brow-tines and several very long points on top. (pg 203 -4) Although the book spans four decades of a hunter‘s life, and it is written in first person narrative, a form of outdoor writing which is frequently grating on the mind‘s eye and ear, Dunn‘s writing is often an understatement of classical narrative. A mountain lion in a tree, which he videotaped and did not kill, is one such passage: The big pine was directly between me and the sun, and as the orange ball became brighter and brighter, a breeze came up which started blowing some of the powder snow, deposited from the recent storm, off the pine boughs. The powder crystals – directly back lit by the strong sunlight – seemed magical as they flew through the air from limb to limb. I must have spent a minimum of 15 minutes – through the eyepiece of my camcorder – studying the face and sleek musculature of this magnificent catamount. Whenever he shifted his body positions up there in the limbs of the tree, his permanently-well-toned-muscles just rippled beneath his glossy fur coat. So finely sculpted and detailed did his muscle structure appear that, at times, it seemed as if he wasn‘t even wearing a coat. Occasionally, he would yawn, as if getting bored with the whole video session. (pg. 189) Every story is filled with equally stunning writing about the animals, the terrain, and the pounding pulse excitement of big game
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hunting; whether the hunt is for whitetail deer or the North American Grizzly. There is even the frustration of a long court fight over Dunn‘s Stone‘s Ram. Dunn‘s willingness to fight the anti-hunting bureaucrats of the Canadian wildlife legal system is a testimony to his determination and it isn‘t until the end of his odyssey that he is vindicated—perhaps divinely. A Place In History Dennis Dunn has secured his place in hunting history; first the North American Grand Slam, second as an archery hunter and finally, the bare bow. He did not need to write Barebow! to secure that place, but he did. We will all be the better for his efforts. As we near the end of the first decade of the 21 st Century (December 31, 2011), many will lament that outdoor literature is on a dangerous slope. This book proves them wrong, and as for the critics who claim outdoor literature lacks significance, I suggest they study the rules of literature. Comparing Dunn‘s work to the epics of literature‘s past, they will claim, is a stretch of the pen, but by the conditions for the epic Dennis Dunn is heroic in
measure, and his story an epic, by the trials, dangers, failures, triumphs, and of course the story. Dunn‘s book is not perfect. In places it is overwritten and it has a few grammatical and textual errors, but they are not so numerous or egregious they should detract from the quality of Dunn‘s work. At the end of this new century we will all be dust and whether hunting will exist in the place it has today will be the result of what we, the generation passing the torch and the generation grasping it, do. How we conduct ourselves on the hunt, whether in the public‘s eye, or alone on the side of a mountain, will in part, determine the future. But the future will also be determined by what we write—how we write about our hunting and the reasons for our hunt. This book resets the standard for outdoor literature; it is what all outdoor writers should strive for— because it is what most of them grew up on. Dennis Dunn‘s Barebow! is a classic of hunting literature because it captures the essence of what it means to hunt. BAREBOW! is available directly from Dennis Dunn at: http://www.str8arrows.com.
Personality Profile
Dennis Dunn, Author, Hunter When Dennis Dunn, author of Barebow!, approached the podium at the 2009 Southeastern Outdoor Press Association (SEOPA) conference to deliver the keynote speech, the long-necked microphone was obviously in the wrong position. Dunn tried leaning over, then he adjusted the mic to compensate for the difference between his height and the mic and he began speaking. His voice didn‘t boom across the room and there wasn‘t any fire and brimstone, but he held everyone‘s attention. Perhaps Dunn was able to hold the attention of a group of independently spirited outdoor writers, editors, photographers and broadcasters because he spent ten years of his life teaching high school English and French literature. Another possibility is that the audience was seriously interested in what Dunn had to say. He spoke about the importance of reaching the non-hunter through quality outdoor media, whether it is broadcasting, print, or online. Each one, Dunn pointed out, is important to the future. The message is only part of the Dunn story. No one is arbitrarily asked to be a key speaker at any conference; they are selected on the basis of their accomplishments. In Dunn‘s case it is a two-fold accomplishment, and the first is his completion of the rare Archery Grand Slam of North America‘s big game animals—by instinctive shooting only! His second qualification is writing a book that relives the entire 40-year journey, from the first big game animal to the last But, getting past the achievements, to see the core of Dennis Dunn, seems somewhat difficult because he is reluctant to talk about himself beyond the book or the future of the outdoor sports. It isn‘t because he is self-delusional about his position in the outdoor industry and wants to keep attention focused on his triumphs, but because Dunn appears to be somewhat shy. Dennis Dunn‘s educational background, beginning as far back as Seattle, Washington‘s Lakeside High School, seems to position him as the antithesis of the big game hunter, especially the bow hunter who uses a bow without any sighting or aiming devices. During high school his favorite classes were Latin and French, ―Because language always fascinated me.‖ After high school Dunn took his love of language across the country to Harvard University where he majored in French Language & Literature and minored in Italian. After graduating Cum Laude from Harvard he went on to attend the University of Washington, where he received his Masters Degree, in Romance Languages. As soon as Dunn graduated from Harvard in 1962, he embarked on the hunting career that would eventually lead him to where he is today—speaker, author, lecturer, but not without diversions. In 1970 he was elected Chairman of the King County Republican Party, and then in 1976 he was elected the National Committeeman for Washington State, and for the next seven years continued his rise in the GOP until he became the party‘s Vice-Chairman before he switched careers to become a securities broker.
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Dennis Dunn (Continued from page 31) Continued Next Page
Between 1988 and his retirement in 1999 Dunn lived in Canada, returning to the US to live in his home state of Washington where he became the Northwest Regional Chairman of the Metropolitan Opera National Council, on organization that he still serves. In some ways Dunn‘s life seems to be one of those too perfect lives that grate on the common person‘s skin, but Dunn knows tragedy as well as any person, losing his wife, Jennifer, who was the mother of his two sons, and he suffered the frustration of the failure of another marriage. Today, however, he is married to his third wife, Karen, and they have been together, as he says, ―on a constant honeymoon‖ for 22 years. To some critics Dennis Dunn might represent conflicting ideologies, even intellectual approaches to life, by his academic career, passion for opera and in his favorite books, people and poems. Treason by Ann Coulter is Dunn‘s favorite nonfiction book and he lists Michael Crichton‘s techno thriller State of Fear as his favorite work of fiction. Ann Coulter‘s book, he explains, is ―educational, as to the McCarthy era and the FDR Administration.‖ A possible key to understanding Dennis Dunn is not in his affection for Crichton‘s condemnation of the political manipulation of science (State of Fear), and Ann Coulter‘s controversial writings on the Democratic party, but on two other pieces of literature—one is the complex short story by Jack London, ―To Build A Fire.‖ The story (two versions exist, a 1902 version and a 1908 version) is arguably one of the most clearly demonstrative examples of Man vs. Nature themes ever penned because it is man‘s own folly that kills him, only because nature is incapable of taking action and only exists. The second part of the key is his choice of a favorite poem and poet. The latter is Sara Teasdale, an American poet who emerged as a powerful poetic voice in the early 20th century. Her lyrical poetry is frequently set to music
and Dunn‘s favorite poem, Barter, is one of her well-known poems that is frequently taught in high school English literature classes and has also been set to music (see box below). Trying to gain insights into the mind of Dennis Dunn and understand what motivated him to complete a 40-year hunting odyssey isn‘t easy. His complex appreciation of art, literature, and historical figures (Jesus Christ, Ronald Reagan) presents as many questions as it does provide answers, because he is driven by his twin passions for art and archery (historically, many believe, were not mutually exclusive), a combination which provides him a powerful voice in the outdoor industry, bringing him a step closer to his goal, which is, he told the Review, ― to make a meaningful contribution to the political battle to preserve our national wildlife heritage and outdoor way of life.‖ To underscore his commitment, Dunn points out that even though he is a bow hunter he is dedicated to the Second Amendment and he believes that both the right to hunt and the right to fish are ―invaluable and inviolable,‖ to the American people. Yet, he points out that wild animals need protection ―against unrestricted human exploitation, but—in general—need to take a back seat to human rights.‖ This is a position that pits him squarely against much of the liberal non-hunting community, but, he sees this as an opportunity. ―The non-hunting public needs to be educated about hunting,‖ he explains. At the 2009 SEOPA conference he raised the same theme throughout his keynote speech, admonishing the men and women present to do better than their best in their work because, ―we are the people who have the greatest influence on the non-hunter.‖ In some ways Dennis Dunn may be one of the most complex figures in contemporary American Outdoor Letters. He has made his mark with a single book and is changing how many people in the outdoor media look at themselves and their own work. He is raising the standard of outdoor literature because he is proof that a hunter can appreciate fine arts, poetry, opera, and attend an Ivy League university—an image that runs counter to what many hunters and the outdoor media have wanted to believe since Daniel Boone first entered the American Wilderness.
Barter Poem by American Poet Sara Teasdale
Poem listed by author Dennis Dunn as ―favorite poem.‖
Life has loveliness to sell, Music like a curve of gold, Scent of pine trees in the rain, Eyes that love you, arms that hold, And for your spirit's still delight, Holy thoughts that star the night.
Life has loveliness to sell, All beautiful and splendid things, Blue waves whitened on a cliff, Soaring fire that sways and sings, And children's faces looking up Holding wonder like a cup.
Spend all you have for loveliness, Buy it and never count the cost; For one white singing hour of peace Count many a year of strife well lost, And for a breath of ecstasy Give all you have been, or could be.
1884-1933 First Publication, Love Poems published by Macmillan, 1917
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Essay
one after the other, just behind his tail. I sat down. Terry and Kevin were quiet. Doc just said: ―No duck hunter would ever do that. You see a duck; you call out ―MARK‖ and the time. We should have had a dead duck.‖ A few years after, we were at The Fraction, on the outside, By Peter Gohsman facing the eastern shore. Doc sat, of course, on the outside, then I . to his right, then Hack, then the guide, Roger. Roger ―MARKed‖ I woke up this morning at 3:45. I thought, ―This is silly; I the brace of bluebills, coming in low out of the background of only wake up this early to go duck hunting.‖ And then I remem- purple grey clouds and steel gray water, decoying at two o‘clock. bered. I saw them and stood, stoned the drake, dropped the hen and finThe Old Duck Hunter died yesterday. He was 92. Maybe he ished her on the surface. It was not a difficult kill; I hardly had to stayed too long and fought too hard, but that was like him. lead them at all. Doc just said: ―That‘s how you do it.‖ And I Surely there would be one more flight before it was time to pull knew, because one of the best that ever was had just said so, that the decoys, one more flush before shooting time, one more fish I had become a duck hunter. before it was time to go or got really rough. Why not stay? Or Because of Doc, I got to hunt The Fraction, Willow Point don‘t you know? and The Farm, at first with him. Later, when I called to ask perFinally, it was time to go. And he was gone, like a bull can- mission to go by myself, he would practically insist that I go, vasback on a northwest wind. especially if the wind was right. All he asked for was a little But he left behind the things he saw, the things he told me! work; cutting brush, putting up the blind at Willow Point, nailing He poured out the stories like fine wine and I drank them in and up the No Trespassing signs at The Farm, but especially, a Full drank and drank and never got full or drunk or hungover. Report. When I called with the report of the hunt and day‘s bag, A boy, shooting dinner‘s pheasant at The Farm in the failing he‘d ask: ―How many did you miss?‖ I didn‘t like to recount the light, knowing it was a rooster by the length of its tail. A young misses and the mistakes, but, over time, it made me better. And man, shooting ducks over live decoys. Spring widgeon hunts in he always asked: ―How‘s your bride?‖ the Northwest during WW II. Mallards in Saskatchewan fields Later still, when he couldn‘t hunt any more, and he didn‘t until the dust fouled the 1100. 100 straight. Caesar Salad at the want me to visit, because his pride wouldn‘t stand for it, I knew, little place in Mexico. Wading the Wolf. Willow Point. The because he told me, he was seeing the hunt again through my Fraction. There‘s more, and you know that better than I. eyes. What an honor. I saw the hunts and places of his youth Nothing is like it used to be. Guns were better then. The through his stories and he saw again the beauty and the promise whiskey was smoother. Bamboo is better than graphite. Eddie and the wonder of the lake and the marsh and the field and he Bauer used to make good goose down parkas and there never will smelled again the blood and the guts and the powder and he felt be a substitute for lead. Only hand carved wood or cork make again the wind and the cold and the rain through the reports of good decoys, molded plastic scares the ducks. It‘s impossible to my meager efforts, made possible by him, to try to do it the right be a good shot if you didn‘t grow up on a farm. The birds and way, the way he taught me. fish were smarter and wilder and bigger and there were many, And now, and from now on, every time I am out, or cutting many more of them. There‘s more of that, too. brush, or decorating a blind, or watching a dog work, or plucking I didn‘t like to call him Harry. It‘s still hard for me to call a duck, or cleaning a gun, or mending a cast, or sharpening a my elders from that Greatest Generation by their first names. I knife, or shooting skeet, or seeing a sunrise over a frozen marsh, liked ―Doc‖. I think he liked it, too. If he didn‘t like it, at least I‘ll remember, if only for a moment, that it was Doc who taught he didn‘t seem to mind too much, because if he did, I‘m sure I me how to do this and love this. And even though I‘ll always be would have heard about it. glad I knew him and grateful because my life is richer for the Doc helped me love the outdoors. He taught me how to gifts of the stories and lessons he so freely told and taught, I‘ll shoot, and I always did it wrong. I‘m right handed, but have a left always be a little sad when I think of Doc, because the world is master eye. He taught me how to set decoys, and I‘m not sure I poorer now that The Old Duck Hunter is gone. ever did that right. It is best that I don‘t even mention duck callGood-bye Doc. That‘s how you do it. Say ―Hello‖ to your ing or dog handling. He criticized, he harangued, he scolded. I bride for me. never really minded and I came to appreciate it, because I was When the owl hoots out of season learning from one of the last great ones. And whether whatever When the mallards fly over too low thing I was doing at any given time was ―ALL WRONG‖ or not When you wake before dawn for no reason was not the point. The point, and the lesson, was that there IS a Don‘t be sad; it was Doc‘s time to go. right way to do things. And those few things that I learned to do Monday, June 7, 2010, at about 3 AM, my friend and mentor, Harry J. Wilkins, DDS passed away. His wife, Winnie, preceded him. Annie Wilkins Spear is my friend; her husband Kevin the right way, I learned from Doc. was my hunting partner until his health failed him. After Winnie died, Annie came to believe We were at Willow Point together, Doc, Terry, Kevin and I. that she would visit, in the waking world and in the dream world, in the form of a wise old owl. Annie heard the hoot owl over the weekend. Very early, the morning Harry died, as I had earned the hunting time by cutting brush and helping to Kevin and Annie left the Congregational Retirement Home, a drake and hen mallard flew right over them, so low that Kevin had to duck out of the way. They were the first mallards assemble the blind. A lone blue wing teal came flying in from that Annie had ever seen around the Home. the right. I was the first to see him and stood, shouldered my I wrote this Tuesday afternoon, June 8, 2010 for Annie, her brother Dr. Terry Wilkins new11-87 and placed three perfect modified patterns in the water, (also a hunting companion of mine) and their sister, Mary Wilkins Peterson.
The Old Duck Hunter
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Autumn, 2010 Vol. III No. 3
Short Fiction
Catfish Creek By Jon Wongrey Mother Beck appeared with the mid-August ascending sun just as she had done since a child, for she was not sluggish….to work was her delight. Her age was 70, and she had never tasted the bread of idleness. She was dressed, her only dress, a faded brown sackcloth, with a wash-worn blue apron around her large middle. Her feet were shod with sewed rabbit moccasins. Her legs were stockingless, but her eyes, brown floating in marble, were as clear as a young girl‘s… sharp, out-looking and far-seeing. She opened the worm-riddled door, and the maiden sun came in to light the single-room cabin. Then she set a handleless small pot of water on the wood stove to brew a cup of sassafras tea. Next, she fumbled for matches in her right apron pocket and lighted a short corncob pipe, pressing down the burning surface of rabbit tobacco with a calloused left thumb. With the live pipe in her mouth she began preparing to go catfishing on Catfish Creek. In her tote sack, made from coarse jute, she carried her necessities, and with things ready, she went down the rotten steps, and when she stepped on the third and final step a battle-scarred rooster with tucked wings ran from under the crumbling steps, past the dripping water pump and into a weedy field where it nested, and softly clucked twice. ―John Oliver, I‘se gwine stretch yore neck on a choppin‘ block if yo‘ keep up yore devilment,‖ Mother Beck threatened. ―Lawd,‖ she carried on, ―dat‘s one dumb rooster.‖ Then pulling her shopworn apron up to her face, she laughed into it, wiped her moist eyes and
This is Jon Wongrey‘s third short story to appear in The Pines Review. Wongrey has been working as a professional outdoor writer for more than forty years, beginning his career as a freelance writer in his homestate of South Carolina in 1968 and that same year was hired by the State Newspaper as a full-time outdoor writer. In 1980 Jon returned to fulltime freelance writing and since then has sold and had published more than 600 articles and is the author of four books. In this story Jon demonstrates his willingness to experiment with language and the use of the outdoor theme beyond traditional outdoor story lines.
walked to the water pump and pumped a drink of water. The water was cold, and when she had had her fill she washed her hands and face, and with her apron she wiped dry and began her journey. Catfish Creek was indeed a magical stream with its coal-black water bordered with gnarled live oaks flying Spanish moss streamers. Turtles sunned on logs, and small fish nipped at busy water insects. Her time-worn cheeks were flushed when she arrived at the creek where she shucked her rabbit-skin moccasins, put her hot feet in the cool water, removed a cooked sweet potato from her tote sack, peeled it and ate while she laid back on the emerald grass. When her feet were cooled and her hunger hushed she took a red kerchief that kept her thin gray hair, soaked it and mopped her face and neck. After she had refreshed herself she got up, and taking her hoe she went into the swamp to dig for blue earthworms and to gather wood to feed her fire through the night. In the morning, when day cracked night‘s shell, Mother Beck had laid four small catfish on the bank. The fire was reduced to reddishorange coals. She cleaned and washed the catfish in the creek, salt, peppered, dredged them
in flour and one by one placed them in military formation in the black iron skillet bubbling with lard she had melted over the coals. Morning‘s freshness fused with the frying fish. Songbirds, recent from night‘s roost, warbled, and gray squirrels chattered as they emerged from their nests. When the fish had browned, she forked them onto a chipped blue plate, unwrapped two fried hoe-cakes and ate. After she had eaten she washed her plate, skillet, re-packed the tote sack, re-tied her gray hair with the red kerchief, picked up her hoe and raked dirt over the coals until not a trail of smoke leaked from the snuffed embers. Ready for the long walk home, Mother Beck placed the tote sack over her left shoulder and with her right hand gripping the cane pole and hoe, took a last look at Catfish Creek, for here she and her husband, James, had fished for the 50 years they were married. He died 10 years ago. They had share-cropped cotton for the John Evan‘s family for most of those years. Mother Beck was in a half turn when she sighted the square bow of a small wooden boat rounding a switch-back in the creek. An intrusion into her world, for never had she seen another soul, except her husband, on Catfish Creek. Her brown eyes followed the boat as its backside slipped around the creek bend and was now in full view and she saw what resem-
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bled a person. Now in clear view she saw that it was a man. A man whose face was without color. She hollered out. No tongue replied. She hailed again in a louder voice answered only by her echo. Mother Beck dropped her tote sack and began to unravel the cane pole‘s line. Her first and second cast missed. She tried once more and failed. Chambering courage she dropped the pole and plunged into the water thrashing wildly until her right hand latched onto the boat and looking into the boat she saw up close a sorrowful sight. With her right hand firmly on the boat she took her left hand and began clawing at the water until she brought the boat to the bank where she dragged the unconscious man onto the land and split his blood encrusted right leg pants and saw that it was broken, swollen, discolored. ―Fo‘ tru‘ Gawd yo‘ mos‘ daid!‖ For three days she kept an eye on him beneath a lean-to she had built to keep him from the weather. And in the three days he had not stirred or attempted to speak. Nor had his eyes opened and neither had he turned to the right or to the left. But she was not to let him pass through the cracks. At the foot of the lean-to she had dug a pit 2 feet wide and 1 foot deep. There she built a fire, and when the fire had burned to embers, she heaped on medicinal roots she had dug and fanned smoke onto him with a small aromatic sassafras branch to heal him in a natural way. But it was his broken leg she fretted over, for the swelling had increased and turned black-widow black since she retrieved him from what would have certainly become his floating coffin. But he continued to live on, to fight back, for this man, this unknown man, was courageous. Mother Beck saw that even in his miserable condition that he was handsome with fine facial features and a stoutness to his shoulders and chest. His meaty hands were rough. A man used to hard labor. Yet she had yet to see the shade of his eyes, for they had yet to crack. She wondered where he came from and how he came to be in this condition? Did he have a family? On the fifth day his eyes opened and in them she saw a blueness richer than sapphire, brighter than turquoise and softer than indigo. But his tongue did not produce a word. She had picked some blackberries which she mashed and began to feed him. Catfish she fried and broke into small pieces for nourishment. Water came from the creek. Still his leg worsened though she kept it clean and wrapped in a poultice of herbs. She would have to take him to back to her cabin or surely he would die on Catfish Creek. And with her small axe she cut small trees to make a stretcher. A beast of burden she would become. Mother Beck was not yet to her cabin when the sun fled the land, and there was nothing save a solid wall of dark clouds laced with white hot lightning and bear-like thunder silencing the sing-song of summertime cicadas. Then the flood gates opened, unleashing a torrent of rain. The brow of a hurricane. And the man, whose name remained a secret, for he had slipped back to death‘s door, knew nothing of the weather. Mother Beck, her back bent, her soaked gray head down, continued on as if she were a plough mule. Determination was with her and finally she saw her home. Her refuge. She had barely pulled him inside when a bolt of lightning cindered an oak tree beside the water pump killing the annoying rooster John Oliver.
When she had gotten him onto her bed, her only bed, she dried, covered him, and built a fire. Then laying her white-haired head on her small wooden table she slept as the storm raged and when she woke the eye, that subdued heart of a hurricane, had arrived. Gone was the wind, the flash of lighting, the peal of thunder. The rain-washed sky was bright to Mother Beck‘s squinting eyes as she walked out into her yard and before her, as it is after a fresh battle, was its ragged litter. ―Gawd!‖ And her eyes were made sad. But there was still the backside of the storm to rage….to conquer….to humble man and earth. As she stood there, she watched as the azure sky began to fade gray like the back of a mourning dove and listened as the wind, soft at first, began to grow in strength. Worry, for the first time began to creep into her bone marrow, and she knew that her cabin would not stand another assault. Her only chance was to tie the man to a live oak and then lash herself to a tree in hopes that the century old overlords would stand for there was no place to seek sanctuary. The man was of no assistance and remained unconscious as she dragged him into the yard. And when she had finished she saw that evil was upon them. Looking over at the man whose head was limp, she yelled, ―Dat cabin gwine ‗xplode like kinlin‘ wood! Fo‘ tru‘ Gawd,‖ she whispered as the storm struck dealing a hand of fury. Hearing an explosion she turned to lay witness to the wind disassembling her cabin. Then there came the tearing sound of the land being cleaved and she watched as that rock of the ages oak tree was wrenched from the ground with its root-like tentacles whipsawing in the blow as both tree and man were pulled up into the darkness. ―Sweet Jesus!‖ Mother Beck exclaimed as she was extracted and absorbed where there was no light.
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A Collection of Jack O’Connor’s Classics—An Opportunity For Writers to Reconnect with the Work of One of the Giants Of Outdoor Literature Book Review By Galen L. Geer Classic O’Connor. Anthology. Editor Jim Casada. 45 Stories. 400 pages. Photographs. Illustrations by Ron Van Gilder. Sporting Classics Books. Columbia, South Carolina. http:// www.sportingclassicsmagazine.com. Trade Edition $35.00, Deluxe Edition $90.00 Is there an outdoor writer who is not familiar with the name Jack O‘Connor? If there is, that writer should be ashamed of themselves and take some immediate steps to acquaint themselves with the most popular outdoor writer of the Twentieth Century. Jack O‘Connor‘s writing was the gateway into sporting literature for many of today‘s elders of the community of outdoor writers. Men and women alike thrilled to O‘Connor‘s tales of hunting the world‘s most dangerous game, as well as his hunts for upland game birds, waterfowl, and the world‘s endless variety of small and medium game animals. Reading an O‘Connor story in any of the outdoor magazines was more than a journey to a far away land for an exotic hunt, or a trip to the Rocky Mountains for a North American species, it was an introduction to the workings of the firearms used, plus the careful and detailed explanations of the performance of the guns and ammunition. Why did he do this? As nearly as I can tell, from having grown up reading O‘Connor and most recently reading this new anthology, Classic O’Connor, it was because he knew that it was important for the reader to know the inside story of the hunt, what made it successful, as well as the adventure. There was another side to the O‘Connor writing, and it is one that is increasingly falling into disuse by today‘s younger outdoor writers—the inclusion of the taxonomy, the biological background information and local or regional background of the game animal hunted. This is an extra effort that required thinking and probably a little research before O‘Connor wrote his article. Strangely, in today‘s linked Internet world, finding this information is nothing more than a click away but in O‘Connor‘s time he had to turn to books, many were probably in his personal library, but I am sure the public and academic libraries were also sources, but all of them required effort on his part. It is a style of inclusion of information that only a few of today‘s younger writers are willing
to practice. In this wonderful collection of O‘Connor‘s writing there are numerous examples of how O‘Connor was able to weave some scientific and regional background into his story. In ―Royal Stags of the Desert,‖ a story that first appeared in the March, 1942 issue of Field & Stream, O‘Connor wrote: Along the border most American sportsmen call these desert deer ―black-tails,‖ continuing the mistake made by the first Americans ever to see mule deer. Scientists have dubbed them Odocoileus hemionus eremicus, and first classified them far down the Sonora coast, opposite
mysterious Tiburon Island. The ordinary Sonora Mexican,
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however, simply calls the desert buck el burro, while more literary town-dwelling Mexican calls him ciervo reyal or royal stag. (29) In a single paragraph O‘Connor has woven the taxonomical name, the location, the history, even the somewhat colloquialised Mexican (Spanish) name for the mule deer of the Sonora desert country. Reading any of the stories that have been compiled into the collection by Sporting Classics Magazine is a continuous treat for the mind‘s full senses. O‘Connor takes the reader to each destination and then treats each reader to an outdoor adventure. The decision by the publisher of Sporting Classics Magazine, Chuck Wechsler, comes on the heels of the successful publication of The Lost Classics of Jack O’Connor, which contained 40 of O‘Connor‘s stories that were published in Outdoor Life magazine and had never appeared in any previous anthology. The difference between Lost Classics and Classic O’Connor is that these later stories have been collected from all of what was once known as ―the big three‖ of outdoor magazines, Outdoor Life, Field & Stream, and Sports Afield. Other publications are also represented including Arizona Wildlife, Hunting & Fishing magazine, and Petersen’s Hunting. The editor of both Lost Classics and Classic O’Connor is the well-known and respected writer, and retired professor, Jim Casada. Putting together a successful anthology of a writer‘s work is a daunting task that can often be made more difficult by having to chase around the nation trying to locate obscure original publications. Casada has apparently avoided such problems because he was given access to the patriarch‘s published works in a variety of sources. A key source of published O‘Connor material is the vast collection of sporting magazines owned by Dale Arenz, a dedicated sportsman and collector of sporting magazines, who has indexed O‘Connor‘s published work in his private collection of more than 10,000 magazines. The importance of the Arenz collection in completing Classic O’Connor cannot be
Page 37 overstated. In his Acknowledgements Casada credits the Arenz collection as critical to the book because it provided him with access to articles from other, now obscure and out of publication magazines. Learning O’Connor While reading the collection of stories I realized that for all of today‘s young writers the only way they will ever discover the work of Jack O‘Connor will be either through the collections such as this or one of O‘Connor‘s books. Very few people will have access to the full collection of O‘Connor‘s work, and this collection will give them access to a variety of his stories; not only the expected articles about the guns that O‘Connor made famous, but more obscure articles in which he ranges over topics that most of us seldom associate him with. One example is his writing about the growing conservation problems of the world‘s big cats in ―The Big Cats in Trouble‖ that was originally published in Outdoor Life in October, 1970. Regardless of a reader‘s preference, there will be a story in this collection that will make the most skeptical critic of O‘Connor‘s importance to outdoor literature sit back and have second thoughts about the man who shaped much of our best outdoor literature. There are also stories that find a way to reach a reader‘s funny bone. O‘Connor could do that—reach every reader with something that would appeal to them. He knew how to write. Perhaps it was because he had a Masters degree in Journalism and he taught college students the art and craft of writing, or it was because he paid attention to everything around him and then put it down on paper. He did it without computers, and the electric typewriter wasn‘t yet a part of his world when he was at the peak of his powers. Whether you are an established writer, one who is just starting out on a long career, or midway through your writing career, spending some time with the classic work of Jack O‘Connor is a good investment in discovering the best of outdoor literature. (http://www.sportingclassicsmagazine.com)
info@artemistradingcompany.com www.artemistradingcompany.com
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Reviews
New Releases: Books/Videos Barclay Creek Press New Release Barclay Creek Press is a new publisher (January, 2008) with a short list of books but a long list of praise from such notables as James Babb and John Gierach for the fledgling company‘s books. The publisher/owner of Barclay Creek Press is James D. Anker, founder of Anker publishing (1989) that was acquired by John Wiley & Sons in 2007. Barclay Creek Press is Anker‘s newest publishing venture and the company is being promoted as a ―publisher of outdoor literature.‖ We at The Pines Review are delighted to see a publisher who is focused on outdoor literature and wish Anker and Barclay Creek prosperity and critical success. Fly Tales is the publisher‘s newest release. Fly Tales: Lessons in Fly Fishing Like the Real Guys, by Scott Sadil. Hardcover, 256 pages, hardcover w/dust jacket, 6x9 inches. Published by: Barclay Creek Press, PO Box 249, Bolton, MA 01740. Distributed by Stackpole Books, http:// www.stackpolebooks.com $24.95. Released July, 2010 According to the author, Scott Sadil, ―real guys‖ are the men and women who ―belong to an inner circle of expert anglers—men and woman of rarefied gifts whose skills and knowledge and perhaps fortune of good breeding have positioned them in territory the rest of us can only glimpse or occasionally admire. Sadil asks if these ―Real Guys‖ are real and then poses additional possibilities, that these men and women are fabrications in the minds of fly fishers who find themselves unable to avoid the
kinds of failures and humiliations anglers everywhere have suffered since first tying flies to their lines. This book consists of more than three dozen essays (lessons) that Sadil writes as he strives for membership in this rarefied group. Each lesson is completed with a pattern, or recipe, for a fly that has proven integral in the author‘s journey to fish like a Real Guy. Praise for Fly Tales has been written by John Gierach, author of Trout Bum, Patrick McManus, author of The Huckleberry Murders, and Seth Norman, author of Meanderings of a Fly Fisherman. Safari Press New Release Ask The Grizzly/Brown Bear Guides, By J. Y. Jones, 329 pages, photos, 6x9 inches, hardback with dust jacket. Published by Safari Press, 15621 Chemical Lane, Huntington Beach, CA 92649. Phone 714-894-9080, http://www.safaripress.com. $29.95 Released Autumn, 2010 Author J. Y. Jones has hit a home run with his Ask The Guides series. Past Ask books have covered Black Bear, Elk and Mule Deer. Each book follows the same formula, the author asks a group of guides, who specialize in the subject species, questions about every aspect of hunting that species. The format is not complicated, the questions are those most hunters would like to ask an experienced guide and the answers follow the questions— simple. The information is reliable because Jones only interviews guides who can back up what they are telling him with real, verifiable, experience. When Jones sat down to write this newest book he discovered that everyone he interviewed had a lot more to say about hunting the bigger bears than the guides he interviewed for the previous books. Many of the guides for this book had harrowing tales of narrow escapes and three of the guides he interviewed had in fact, been mauled by either a grizzly or a brown bear. This book is filled with anecdotes that deliver a wonderful variety of insights into the truth about hunting North America‘s most dangerous game animals.
Jim Casada Books Award-winning author Jim Casada has completed his tribute to the finest wild trout fishing east of the Rockies—Fly Fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. All 448 pages are packed with the information that will inspire even the novice angler to fish the streams of America’s most popular park. A reader’s bonus however, is the incredible amount of history, human and natural, that is woven into the tapestry of the book, making it a pleasure to read and information filled. Softbound: #24.95 Hardbound: $37.95. $5.00 P& H Ea. Book Other Titles Available The Lost Classics of Robert Ruark $35.00 and Ruark Remembered $40.00 Contact: Jim Casada Books, 1250 Yorkdale Dr., Rock Hill, SC 29730-7638 Ph. 803-329-4354, Fax 803-329-2420. www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com
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Autumn, 2010 Vol. III No. 3
Safari Press New Release/Limited Edition Around The World and Then Some: A Pennsylvania Deer Hunter on Six Continents, By David Hanlin, 224 pages, color photos, 8x11, hardcover, 1st Edition limited to 200 numbered, signed and slipcased copies. Published by Safari Press, 15621 Chemical Lane, Huntington Beach, CA 92649. Phone 714-8949080, http://www.safaripress.com. $100.00 Summer, 2010 This book is Volume 35 in the Safari Press Classics in Big Game Hunting. Around The World and Then Some is a book of adventure. Hanlin‘s hunting began when he was a youngster in Pennsylvania and his uncle, Joe Semple, took him on his first deer hunting trip. The real adventure began, however, in 1958 when he and some friends went on an unguided Alaska big game hunt. After shooting a moose the group hung the carcass in camp and later four brown bears came into camp, attracted to the smell of an easy meal. By the end of the fracas two of the bears were dead and Hanlin was hooked on big game hunting. During his lifetime Hanlin was able to take several dozen trips to the world‘s most exotic regions for hunting some of the most difficult to hunt animals. He was one of the last hunters in the Sudan before it was closed and in Mozambique FRELIMO guerillas stole the carcasses of the animals he‘d shot in order to feed their troops. In the Philippines he was forced to use an M-1 Garand, loaded with solids, to drop a charging buffalo suffering from a large ear infection. Hanlin has completed the Grand Slam, Super Slam, the Big Five and all of the spiral-horn antelope of Africa plus North American big game.
Page 39 REVISITED In each issue of The Pines Review we will look at a book that was published at least two years previous and evaluate it as one that outdoor writers could find helpful. The subject of the ―revisited‖ book is open but the intent is to point out books that are worth second (or third, or…) looks. Globe Pequot Press Revisited The Ultimate Hunting Dog Reference Book, By Vickie Lamb, 450 pages, indexed, photos, hardback, dust jacket. Published by Globe Pequot/Lyons Press, Phone: 800-820-2329. http:// globepequot.com $29.95. Published in 2006 To Order Direct from Author: http://www.vickielamb.com 29.95 Vickie Lamb is a professional dog breeder and trainer who has won her share of awards for her work. In 2006 Vicki‘s highly praised book on hunting dogs was published by Globe Pequot/Lyons Press. The book, containing some 450 pages, covers every aspect of dog training, most importantly training the hunting dog, and it is done so in some of the most easily understood language yet penned to communicate between expert and novice. To start the reader at the beginning of the dog/ owner relationship she began logically, with the breeds of hunting dogs. From there she goes through every step of acquiring a puppy and by her explanations she is answering a host of questions, many of them familiar to the experienced dog owner, but often unknown to the novice until it is too late to ask the breeder. She guides the reader through selecting a new dog and covers every step of training. Most questions a person could have are answered by the information in this book. This book is a proven resource for the hunter/writer‘s bookshelf—if you don‘t have a copy it is worth a second look.
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Autumn, 2010 Vol. III No. 3 Page 40
I care not, I, to fish in seas— Fresh rivers best my mind do please, Whose sweet calm course I contemplate; And seek in life to imitate: In civil bounds I fain would keep, And for my past offences weep. And when the timorous trout I wait To take, and he devours my bait, How poor a thing, sometimes I find Will captivate a greedy mind; And when none bite, I praise the wise, Whom vain alurements ne’re surprise.
The ANGLERS Song. As inward love breeds outward talk, The Hound some praise, and some the Hawk; Some better pleas’d with private sport, Use Tenis; some a Mistris court; But these delights I neither wish, Nor envy, while I freely fish. Who hunts, doth oft in danger ride Who hawks, lures oft both far & wide; Who uses games, shall often prove A loser; but who falls in love, Is fetter’d in fond Cupid’s snare: My Angle breeds me no such care. Of Recreation there is none So free as fishing is alone; All other pastimes do no less Then mind and body both possess; My hand alone my work can do, So I can fish and study too. Photo: This Page, River Itchen near Winchester, England. Photo: Next Page, River Itchen flowing under mill in City of Winchester, England Copyright 1999 by Galen L. Geer
But yet, though while I fish, I fast, I make good fortune my repast; And thereunto my friend invite, In whom I more than that delight: Who is more welcome to my dish Then to my angle was my fish. As well content no prize to take, As use of taken prize to make: For so our Lord was pleased when He Fishers made Fishers of men; Where (which is in no other game) A man may fish and praise His name. The first men that our Saviour dear Did choose to wait upon him here, Bless’d fishers were, and fish the last Food was that he on earth did taste. I therefore strive to follow those, Whom He to follow Him hath chose. From The Compleat Angler By Izaak Walton
The Pines Review
Bless’d silent groves, O may you be, For ever, mirth’s best nursery! May pure contents For ever pitch their tents Upon these downs, these meads, these rocks, these mountains, And peace still slumber by these purling fountains; Which we may every year Meet, when we come a-fishing here. From Ventor’s Pledge in the closing pages of The Compleat Angler By Izaak Walton
Written Upon a Blank Leaf in
The Compleat Angler While flowing rivers yield a blameless sport, Shall live the name of Walton: Sage benign! Whose pen, the mysteries of the rod and line Unfolding, did not fruitlessly exhort To reverend watching of each still report That Nature utters from her rural shrine. Meek, nobly versed in simple discipline, He found the longest summer day too short, To his loved pastime given by sedgy Lee, Or down the tempting maze of Shawford brook— Fairer than life itself, in this sweet Book, The cowslip-bank and shady willow-tree; And the fresh meads—where flowed, from every nook Of his full bosom, gladsome Piety!
William Wordsworth
Autumn, 2010 Vol. III No. 3 Page 41
The Pines Review
Autumn, 2010 Vol. III No. 3
Page 42
Products For Outdoor Artists, Writers and Photographers Ultimate Tripod From Carl Zeiss CHESTER, VA - Carl Zeiss recently introduced a newly designed aluminum tripod set with many enhancements over its predecessor. This newest model features a state-of-the-art Photo/Video Head for quick and easy observation and photography using the ZEISS DiaScopes and PhotoScope. It also works well for most ZEISS binoculars with the ZEISS Binofix Tripod Adaptor. The features and benefits of the new design include: * Smoother motion, improved fluid action * More stability (counter balance spring) * Built-in sliding balance plate * Control arm can be mounted on either side * Improved quick release plate The tripod's rugged leg set ensures stability in the field and is easy to adjust for all of your observation needs. The new ZEISS Aluminum Tripod Set comes with spikes, a carrying strap and locking clips. http://www.zeiss.com/sports MSRP: $529.00 For more information email Shannon Jackson at: sjackson@shannonjcacksonpr.com
Green Mountain Digital Publishes Audubon Guides as Apps For Mobile Devices Something New for the Outdoor Media? The Pines Review is constantly on the lookout for products and services that will make the work of being an outdoor writer, photographer or broadcaster easier. If you would like to submit a press release send it to the editor at: editorpinesreview@mlgc. com
Every outdoor writer or photographer who has ever struggled to correctly name a tree, bird or fish for a magazine article, or other project, has probably turned to an Audubon Field Guide. Carrying the guides can prove awkward, however, but that problem is being solved by a relatevly new publishing company—Green Mountain Digital. Billing itself as an interactive digital media publisher Green Mountain Digital is taking advantage of the surge in smart digital device use explosion with iPad, iPod Touch & iPhone. The Audubon Guide Apps are a comprehensive series of digital field guide apps to North American nature. Created in alliance with The National Audubon Society, the Audubon Guides are an indepth look into the beautiful and richly diverse nature of the United States and Canada. The Audubon guide Apps series contains a wide arrary of apps, covering everything from animals to plants, with several regional and national editions also available. Every app is a thorough look
into its subject, comprised of professional photographs, range maps, up-to-date information from the authoritative National Audubon Society Field Guides to Nature, and much more, including a National Audubon Society Field Guide to African Wildlife app, all accessible through intuitive navigation. Thorough and simple search options make identifying a species in the field an easy task with the push of a few buttons, while a wealth of reference material make the apps irreplaceable tools for the outdoor writer. Using the apps you can hear the wail of the common loon or hear other bird calls, browse photographs of the wildlife and even identify a tree from its leaf. All of the information is available from the conve3nience of your mobile device. No more trying to write down notes and then remembering what you saw until you get back to your office to find out what it was. For more information visit their web site: www.greenmtd.com
Microsoft Expands Office Apps Only three months after releasing is Office Web Apps Microsoft is giving the new product a facelift. Users will be able to open Web Apps in MS Office, going from the Internet to the desktop. MS also added the ability to embed PowerPoint and Excel documents on Blogs and Web sites. Viewers will see all the animations and transitions.
The Pines Review
Autumn, 2010 Vol. III No. 3 Page 43
Events Calendar October: November: December:
Oct. 6-9: SouthEastern Outdoor Press Assn., Huntsville, AL., Contact: Lisa Snuggs, lisa@seopa.org Nov. 22-24: Outdoor Writers of Kansas, Great Bend, KS., Contact: Brent Frazee, bfrazee@kcstar.com No Listing
2011 January: February:
March:
May: June: July:
August: September: October: November: December:
Jan. 18-21: SHOT Show, Sands Convention Ctr. Las Vegas, NV http://www.shotshow.org Feb. 17-20: NWTF National Convention, Opryland Resort & Convention Center, Nashville, TN www.nwtf.org. Feb. 18-20: San Francisco Writers Conference, Contact: Sfwriterscon@aol.com No Listing April 1-3: Mason-Dixon Outdoor Writers Assn., Solomon‘s MD. Contact: Alex Zidock, zdockpub@ptd.net April April 16: 14th. Annual Northern Arizona Book Festival, Coconino Center, Flagstaff, AZ Contact, nazbookfest@gmail.com April 28-30: Tennessee Outdoor Writers Conference, Greenville, TN. Contact, Max Moss, mmenterprises1@charter.net or Gil Lackey, gillackey@bellsouth.net April 29-May 1: Pikes Peak Writers Conference, Colorado Springs, CO, Marriott, Contact, Jodi Anderson 719-244-6220 No Listing No Listing July 9-11: OWAA Conference, Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort, Salt Lake, UT. Contact Robin Giner, rginer@owaa.org July 13-14: ICAST, Las Vegas Convention Center. Contact: Mary J. Williamson, mjwilliamson@asafishing.org July 15-18: Alabama Writers Conclave, Huntsville, AL., Contact: Greg Screws, greg_screws@whnt.com DATE TBA: OWAA Goldenrod Annual Writer‘s Retreat. University of Montana. Contact, Robin Giner, rginer@owaa.org Aug. 10-13: POMA Annual Conference, Ogden, UT. Contact: Laurie Lee Dovey, lldovey@professionaloutdoormedia.org No Listing Oct. 5-8: Southeastern Press Assoc. (SEOPA), Annual Conf. Branson City, MO. Contact Lisa Snuggs, lisa@seopa.org No Listing No Listing
Events listing is free to writers organizations, conservation organizations and other groups with events that are of interest to members of outdoor media. All listings are subject to editor’s approval. Contact the editor at: editorpinesreview@mlgc.com.
Classified Advertising Autographed Copies Last Supper In Paradise By: Galen L. Geer $13.95 +$5.00 P&H Collection of short stories set in modern Africa. ggeerpinesed@mlgc.om Writer’s Retreat Cabin For Rent A-frame cabin in scenic Wet Mountains of Southern Colorado. Rent by day, week or month. See our ad this issue. Phone: 719.784-3160. Email: chasclifton@mac.com. German Wirehaired Pointers Top quality pups. Three Paws Kennel 701.347.5246. Casselton, North Dakota Free Newsletter Free monthly e-newsletter. Lists of books on turkey hunting, Africana, Archibald Rutledge. www.jimcasadaoutdoors. com. Or write: Jim Casada 1250 Yorkdale Drive Rock Hill, SC 29730-7638 Phone: 803-329-4354 FAX: 803-329-2420. Voltage Converters Travelling outside the USA? Convert 220v to 110v. $25 plus $5.00 S&H. ggeerpinesed@mlgc.com Classified ads in The Pines Review are limited to 25 words; the rate is $10 per issue.
Classified ads in The Pines Review reach the outdoor media.
(At the last minute)
Otis Launches Redesigned Website LYONS FALL, NY, OCT. 4, 2010—Doreen Garrett, President and CEO of Otis Technology announced that the company launched a completely redesigned website that would be more in keeping with the company‘s tradition of being on the cutting edge of new technology. ―The web and social media are important to the continued growth of any company,‖ Denise Miller, Otis‘ President of Sales and Marketing, said. ―To have 25 more successful years this step was necessary for us.‖ Otis maintains a presence on Facebook, Tweets via Twitter and instructional videos on YouTube. The new Otis website is at www.otistec.com.
FishPAA Television Debuts on VERSUS BENTON, KY, SEP. 30, 2010—Fans of the professional fishing tournament series will be able to follow the entire PAA series on the cable network, VERSUS. Danny Blandford, the PAA Program Director, said the weekly 30-minute broadcasts will begin with the opening launch at Cherokee Lake to the final tournament at Table Rock Lake in Branson, MO. (From Outdoor Wire)
NA Gamebird National Convention Keynote Speaker Set BEND, OR—The host and creator of the popular cable TV series Wingshooting USA has been selected the keynote speaker at the annual NA Gamebird Association‘s National Convention. The association‘s membership is from hunting preserve and lodge operators and gamebird producers. The convention will be held in Charleston, SC, January 17-19, 2011.
Henry Herbert, father of modern outdoor writing, wrote under the pseudonym of “Frank Forester.”
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