The Clackamas Print
Campus authors celébrate publishing new books
Feature Editor
Two CCC employees have made
strides in the publishing world this
year.
“That could be a* good headline
for your article,” Jeff Davis said.
“The accidental author. I didn’t start
out to write this book.”
Maybe not, Jeff. But since begin
ning research four years ago, he had
plenty of chances to back out of the
project of writing his book. Return
to Toonaklut: the Russell Annabel
Story came out in June. The first 500
copies sold out within a month, sur-
EUSABETH MEYER Clackamas Print
Jeff Davis’s book Return to
Toonaklut: the Russell
Annabel Story has sold out
its first printing.
prising Safari Press into starting a
second printing a year earlier thap'
planned.
The quick reaction to Davis’
book is also a delayed one. Both
Davis’ printer and bookbinder folded
last fall, leaving him to find new
ones late in the game.
Toonaklut is a biography of
Russell Annabel, the man whom
Ernest Hemingway called his
favorite writer. His more than 600
stories of wild Alaska and its wilder
human inhabitants appeared in out
door magazines for decades.
Annabel moved to Alaska in the
1920’s and befriended Tex Cobb, a
legendary sourdough.
During World War II, Annabel
worked for United Press as their
Aleutian correspondent, sending
updates of the Japanese assault on
the Alaskan island chain. He was
with the first American troops in
Japan. After the war, alcoholism led
to family and legal problems, and he
left Alaska for Mexico, where he
eked out a living until his death.
Davis recalls reading Annabel’s
articles while growing up in the
Midwest. When he moved to Alaska
with the Air Force in 1983, he recog
nized places from Annabel’s stories
during hunting and fishing excur
sions.
“I used to drive the highway
between Anchorage and Fairbanks a
lot," Davis said, “and I would see
this sign for Goose Creek. I won
dered if it was the same one Annabel
wrote about.” He eventually found
Annabel’s
homestead,
called
Toonaklut, when he explored the
area.
Much of Davis’ information
about Annabel comes from the per
sonal files of a retired Anchorage
newspaper editor.
“We cut a deal that I would do the
research and he would write,” Davis
said. When dementia kept the older
man from his part, Davis took over
the job of writing as well.
Davis’ sources also include
Alaskan public records, and the
national archives in Anchorage. He
spent a week with one of Annabel’s
three wives, Dell; found Annabel’s
children in Mexico and interviewed
local Alaskans, many of whom knew
Annabel’s mentor and story charac
ter Tex Cobb, better than they knew
the author.
Copies of Return to Toonaklut:
the Russell Annabel Story cost $35
plus shipping from Safari Press, and
Davis is selling them for $35 out of
his office. The books should also be
available in the bookstore soon,
Davis said.
Whether or not Davis planned to
write Return to Toonaklut, he seems
to have gotten into the habit. His
research hobby has turned to finding
Lewis and Clark’s Columbia Gorge
campsites and learning more about
World War II in the Aleutian Islands,
both of which may become books
later.
English instructor Jim Grabill is
waiting for publication of two new
collections of his work. Lost Horse
Press will release a compilation of
essays titled Actual Energy, next fall,
and Lynx House Press will release a
combination of poems and essays in
spring 2004.
“(A year) is actually a pretty good
turn-around time,” Grabill said.
“Publishers accept manuscripts
ahead and print them later.”
Qrabill heard that he’d been
accepted at the beginning of October
and has now begun the process of
putting the poems and essays in a
cohesive order. This is one of the
final touches to the manuscript,
Grabill explained, but there’s still
plenty of work to do before the book
shows up. He still has to read
through proofs before the manuscript
goes to press.
After
taking a look at the first copies, his
publisher Lynx House will publicize
the book and begin printing in
earnest. Grabill will then promote
the book by giving readings around
the Northwest.
Changing the order of the poems
and essays can foster a sense that the
poems fit together and belong in the
same book, Grabill said.
“These are poems I’ve been
working on for quite a while. Some
go back 10 years,” Grabill said. “A
collection of poems always comes
from a bigger batch.”
Over time, Grabill explained,
“the poems constellate into different
works... (they) create more of a con
text with each other. They relate to
one another and build on one anoth
er.”
ELISABETH MEYER Clackamas Print
Jim Crabill has two new
collections of poetry and
essays coming out next
year.
Grabill claims we won’t lose him
to early retirement where profit from
book sales are concerned. Though
he estimates the book will pay for its
own printing, Lynx House won’t
make money off the publication.
Small presses such as Lynx House
rely on grants and donations to stay
afloat financially, he said. •
Copies of ActuaLEnergy and will
be available in the college bookstore,
the college library and at a few book
stores. Grabill plans to give a few
readings around town.
In December, The Oregonian will
feature one of Grabill’s poems in a
story about the environmentally-
focused literary magazine Windfall.
Oregon City's Everhart House opens as Internet Cafe
Feature Editor
Through ongoing construction,
Mark and Anna Matheson are turn
ing their home into the Everhart
house, an Internet café with cross
demographic appeal. The 86-year
old house opened for business in
August, on Molalla Avenue in
Oregon City.
The café offers convenience and
services not usually associated with
public library or school computer
use. Besides serving more studious
purposes, the computers and their
dedicated DSL line can be used for
chatting, downloading music files
and burning CDs. Fax machine and
flatbed scanners are also available.
“We’re hoping that it serves the
local community,” Mark Matheson
said. “Not everybody can afford
computers, and most people don’t
need a computer long.”
The house’s six computers use
Sun Microsystems’ Sunray system
and a server downstairs instead of
traditional CPUs. A user’s “smart
card” completes the system’s circuit,
bringing up the screen last viewed by
the user.
“It’s
not
state-of-the-art,”
Matheson said of the system, “but
it’s proven technology.”
Not having a CPU with each
computer means files on a floppy
disk have to be e-mailed to the
Matheson's before they’re accessible
on the house-computers. And since
corrupted files can’t simply be added
to a computer’s hard drive by a per
sonal disk, users don’t have to worry
about other users’ viruses.
The café serves Longbottom cof
fee. And instead of letting guests
choose from catered sandwiches kept
on hand, the Mathesons have decid
ed to arm hungry surfers with take
out menus from local restaurants,
phone the order in, and pick up the
food for them.
The intersection of restaurant and
computer lab make the Everhart
house Oregon City’s most versatile
new locale.
“One gal is using this place as a
neutral for her home business,”
Matheson said. Meeting customers at
the café eliminates apprehensions
about going to a stranger’s home,
and places both parties on a more
equal footing. Another user takes
advantage of the Internet and fax
machine to find jobs advertised
online and send resumes.
“Oregon City needs something
like this,” said Shaun Morgan, one of
two locals who dropped in during my
interview to get some details about
the café. He dislikes going “all the
way down McLoughlin,” to have
somewhere to hang out.
“There’s not much in Oregon City,”
Morgan said. “It’s a pretty good
idea.”
Although the head count of the
house’s members is only around 12,
the Matheson’s aren’t concerned
about the future.
“It’s just a matter of getting popular,
and of people coming here to hang
out,” Matheson said.
Hours:J^o^Thurs_7am26¿30pm Fri-7am-2pm Sat-8:30-10:30pm
$0.50 B iscotti
w/ any S tarbucks
ELISABETH MEYER Clackamas Print
The Everhart House Internet Cafe, located on Molalla
Avenue, is a welcome addition to the Oregon City scene.
Parking is available at nearby Grocery Outlet.
purchase
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50% off F resh
P astries or hot
SOUP
( after 5 pm )