Open Book Club announces spring schedule

In normal, non-pandemic years, Alpine Artisans, Inc's Open Book Club (OBC) brings people together on a Saturday evening nearly once a month. There, we enjoy rubbing shoulders with an accomplished author, we listen to them read their work, and if we're lucky, we kick off the evening with a Seeley-Swan High School student reading their poetry. OBC founder Sara Wilcox said, "It's been a long year without these gatherings, we miss the inspiration and connection we have with friends, community and our treasured Montana authors."

That is about to change. We invite you to join us in three scheduled Open Book Club events by ZOOM. We're bringing back two of our favorite authors, Russell Rowland and Gwen Florio, with their new work and featuring Little Shell Tribal advocate Chris LaTray in his OBC debut.

Russell kicks off our spring season reading from his new novel "Cold Country" Saturday, March 6 at 7 p.m. The setting - Montana, 1968: The small town of Paradise Valley is ripped open when popular rancher and notorious bachelor Tom Butcher is found murdered one morning, beaten to death by a baseball bat. Suspicion among the tight-knit community immediately falls on the outsider Carl Logan who recently moved in with his family and his troubled son Roger. What Carl doesn't realize is that there are plenty of people in Paradise Valley who have reason to kill Tom Butcher.

On Saturday, March 20 at 7 p.m., Gwen Florio introduces her new mystery series "Best Laid Plans." And, last but not least, Chris LaTray brings his amusing poetry from his collection of life in Montana titled "One-Sentence Journal: Short Poems and Essays from the World At Large" on April 10 at 7 p.m.

Please register for each free event in advance at AAI's website, alpineartisans.org.

We're all anticipating being able to gather together by the end of the summer and we are getting ready to celebrate that and more.

In September 2020, the OBC won the prestigious Montana Center for the Book Prize, awarded by Humanities Montana. To acknowledge this prize and to gather local residents to celebrate the end of the pandemic, we are launching "Seeley Celebrates." Each "Seeley Celebrate" event will feature an outstanding Western author and will be held in a large venue, such as the West Wing of the Seeley Lake Community Foundation, Camp Paxson or the Double Arrow Homestead Cabin to accommodate social distancing.

With these headliners, AAI anticipates a large, festive crowd and an emphasis on once again gathering together to listen, learn and engage with these entertaining and informative authors. These events are made possible due to recent funding from the Seeley Lake Community Foundation coupled with our Book Prize award stipend.

OBC events are free, and everyone is always welcome. More information on these events will be announced in the future.

Save the date for the 2022 Maclean Festival!

AAI's biennial literary festival, the In the Footsteps of Norman Maclean Festival, was pushed back a year due to the pandemic, and is now scheduled for June 24-26, 2022. Keynoters Timothy Egan and Terry Tempest Williams lead a remarkable line-up of presenters.

Watch our website macleanfootsteps.com for updates.