A GREAT ALASKA READ.

Last Saturday morning we experienced another of those wonderful and unpredicitable happenings which have come about because of Betty's book "Jessie". It involves another writer who portrays the lives of remarkable Alaskans.

Pictured above are Stanton Patty and his wife of 61 years, Mabs. Mr. Patty was born and raised in Alaska in Fairbanks and on some of the fascinating gold-dredge claims to the east, along creeks which flowed into the Yukon River. Later, after five years writing the news in Longview, Washington, he continued his career writing for the Seattle Times newspaper. During this tenure he often traveled the world gathering amazing experiences, memories, and a few mementos, but his greatest opportunity was to write about Alaska. It became "his beat" for the Times. As a journalist, he chased every story, traveled to every remote part of the state and territory, and successfully captured Alaska's history for decades.

Stanton Patty did it all for fifty years, meeting and writing about Alaska's fascinating people: fishermen, flyers, politicians, and a host of other remarkable characters through a period which took Alaska from post-Russian obscurity to the challenges of statehood and the rapid development which followed. Officially "retired" in 1988, he continues to write and travel for the newspaper, and in 2004 wrote a book about many of the unique individuals and experiences that were a part of his Alaska years. Unfortuately, the book is quite rare, only a few copies actually getting into public hands, because of an unscrupulous publisher, a lawsuit, and the remaining printed copies being warehoused instead of distributed for sale.

If you can find a copy of "Fearless Men and Fabulous Women" through one of the many on-line used book outlets or businesses, and if you love (as I do) good Alaska Literature, make every effort to secure this book for your personal library. It is a wonderful read indeed. Not only are the topics and peoples special, but Mr. Patty is a delightful storyteller with a deep reservoir of the unusual, the astounding, and the whimsical. One does not have to "make-up" stories about Alaska; the truth is sufficiently amazing, the folk are heartwarming, and the land itself is a grand epic. (The cover of this dandy book is pictured below.)

That brief hour with Stanton and Mabs was a treat. The moment when the two authors - Betty and Mr. Patty - signed one another's books was touching and memorable. There was clearly great respect which passed between them. For our part, we are honored to have met them and look forward to a future visit with more stories comparing our years in "The Last Frontier". You will have to find the book. Good Luck!