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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 7, 2017)
4 // COASTWEEKEND.COM • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Visual arts, literature, • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • theater, music & more • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • A literary leap 1978 after a two-year battle in the hospital. “I visited him nearly every day,” Walsh said. “We were talking about his life, and eaview author Kent D. Walsh recent- one of the things he said was, ‘Ken, I could write a book.’ But he never did. I thought ly released his eighth book, “The that is really a shame, and those words Little Spotted Frog,” which tells of inspired me to write.” a young boy who attempts to catch a cute Walsh’s wife, Madeline, a cancer survi- little frog with his bare hands … and gets vor, inspires him as well. more than he bargained for. “She encouraged me to be more serious The story is based on Walsh’s expe- about my writing and get published. I riences at Burnt Bridge Creek, a small guess you could say she inspired me stream about half a mile from his child- through her battle,” Walsh said. “I figured, hood home in Vancouver, Washington. A if she could win a battle like cancer, I could writer of fiction, nonfiction, young adult accomplish something, too.” and children’s books, Walsh drew inspira- Walsh, whose books often take a year or tion for this latest work from his childhood more to complete, speaks as if his charac- love of fishing and catching frogs. ters have a life of their A lighthearted cau- own. tionary tale with a twist brother asked me at the end, “The Little ‘SHE ENCOURAGED how “My I come up with the Spotted Frog” is about a ME TO BE MORE names and the things my boy’s quest for adventure SERIOUS ABOUT characters do. I joked, ‘I despite the best advice of his mom, and speaks MY WRITING AND don’t create their names, to every child’s sense of GET PUBLISHED. I their parents do.’ I don’t the events; they mischief. GUESS YOU COULD control just seem to be there,” It is also a family SAY SHE INSPIRED Walsh said. collaboration: The illus- ME THROUGH HER The author prefers to trations were drawn by BATTLE. I FIGURED write at his vintage roll Walsh’s daughter-in-law, Jennifer U. Ranker, a IF SHE COULD WIN top oak desk, a family heirloom. When working professional illustrator. A BATTLE LIKE a lengthy book, he will “She does the illus- CANCER, I COULD on write nearly every day. trations, and I do the writ- ACCOMPLISH For anyone who would ing,” Walsh said, adding SOMETHING, TOO.’ like to take writing more that Ranker is working on seriously, Walsh advises: another book for him. “You don’t have to spend Another of Walsh’s your whole life writing — an hour here or children’s books, “Thaddeus T. and Barnaby,” is also about frogs and tadpoles. there. Everyone has a book in them, and when someone reads it, you’re so happy. Walsh’s former coworker purchased that You think: I did that. That came out of my one for her 8-year-old son, who called it brain.” the best book he ever read in his life, the author recalled. “I felt that was a real compliment,” At home in Seaview Walsh said. “That’s one of the things that Born in Minot, North Dakota, Walsh inspires you to write. When someone says grew up in Vancouver and spent the next good stuff about your work, that makes you want to keep writing.” Continued on Page 15 By HEATHER DOUGLAS FOR COAST WEEKEND S ‘That came out of my brain’ Something else that keeps Walsh writing: Words from his father who died in Kent D. Walsh holds up his latest book, “The Little Spotted Frog.” SUBMITTED PHOTO ‘The Little Spotted Frog’ is Kent D. Walsh’s latest children’s tale
