Looking for Alaska

278 Pages·2013·2.05 MB·English

by  Jenkins Peter

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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Map
1. Dream in the Daylight
2. Ted
3. At Home with “The Police Log”
4. “Fly through That Hole”
5. Tina
6. Bears on Dora Way
7. Can a Glacier Cry?
8. No Road
9. The Largest Member of the Congregation
10. Termination Dust
11. Howls of Glee
12. Maximum Security
13. Bingo Anger
14. On the Way to Coldfoot
15. The Winter Trail
16. Life at the Homestead
17. On the Edge of the Land-Fast Ice
18. Anything but Cyber Trash
19. Hobo Night
20. XtraTuf
21. Unalakleet
22. Landing on a Roof
23. Leaving Alaska
Epilogue: Jump Out of That Plane
Also by Peter Jenkins
Copyright
To my six highly intelligent,
extremely creative,
hard-working,
beautiful, and handsome,
perfect children:
Julianne, Luke, Jed,
Rebekah, Brooke,
and Aaron
Acknowledgments
Looking for Alaska would not have been possible without the caring and
assistance and friendship of the following people: my great family, Fred and
Coleen Jenkins and Molly, Sarah, Derick, Colin, and Evie. Winky and Randy
Rice and Alex, Jesse, and Tyler. Scott and Bonnie Jenkins and their children.
Elizabeth and Abigail, my little sisters. Mom and Dad Jorgensen. Kevin and Val
Karikomi and Matt, Mike, Dave, and Dan. Mike and LeAnn Turner and John,
Michael, and Scott. Eric and Michele Jorgensen and Tammi, Kari, Rachael,
Derick, Cheyanne, Chris, Brandon, and Brittany. Aaron and Robin Jorgensen,
Gena, Julie, Jerry, Cory, Taylor, and Page. Chris Jorgensen and Anna Stowell.
Archie and Janice Buttrey. And a special thanks to Rhoda Jenkins, who inspired
me very early to be an adventurer.
There were many terrific people in Alaska who helped out and offered their
assistance. Many of them are in the book. Those that are not I wish to thank
here: Gale Vick and Richard Lowell. Mary Pignalberi. Linda Sylvester. Dawn
Starke. Tina Lingren. Colonel Glenn Godfrey. Julie Guy. Linda Thompson. The
following people at APRN: Dale Harrison, Ron Zastrow, Steve Franklin, Liz
Fullerton, and Jessica Cochran. Cindy Matson. Ron Spatz. Scott Taylor. Lee
Gorsuch. Ann Parrish. Kathy Newman. Mel Kalkowski. Terri Graham. Tom and
Mary Tougas and family. Mavis Blazy and Ken Lancaster. Jim and Kathleen
Barkley. Kenai Fjords Tour staff. Sharon Anderson. Lori Draper. Randy Becker.
Mark and Betsy Bartholomew. Doug Lechner and Bay Vista B&B. Gail Phillips.
John Torgerson. The University of Alaska, Anchorage. The University of
Alaska, Fairbanks. Kodiak College. Maggie Wall. The brilliant staff at the
Alaska State Library. Mike Hyde. Gerry, Margie, and Guy Riley. Brian Porter.
Lisa Murkowski. Gary Wilken. Robbie Graham. Craig Matkin. Diane Kaplan.
Richard Foster. Scott Henderson. Joyce Thomas. Steve Langdon. Alan and
Ginnie Austerman. Peter Ecklund. Kyle Johansen. Karen Hofstad. Stan Hooley.
Jim Tilly. Jennifer Foltz. David and Elizabeth Odell. Kerry Cline. Neal and
Juanita O’Shea. Macen Kinne. Genie and Joe Smith. Pat and Lorali Carter. Drew
Pierce. Kris Norcoz. Arne Fugloug. Harold Kalve. Don Young. Hertz of Seward
and Rosie. Dale and Carol Ann Lindsey. Dennis and Jackie Wheeler. Bob
Malone. The ALPINI’s. Artie at BJ’s. Jim Menard. And in general, the
outstanding people of Alaska, so many who were so helpful.
Speaking of Alaskans, a very special thanks to the supporters of The
University of Alaska’s Writer in Residence Program, of which I was a part.
Thank you so much, National Bank of Alaska (now Wells Fargo), Alaska
Railroad, Alaska Heritage Tours (CIRI), NorthRim Bank, and Holland America
Westours. Thanks especially to Al Parish, Ed Rasmuson, Gov. Bill Sheffield,
Johne Binkley, Dennis Brandon, and Mark Langland.
Thanks to my longtime great friends, Skip Yowell and Winnie Kingsberry
and, of course, JanSport. And Bill and Mary Lucy Fuqua, great friends. Bill,
thanks for all the doctoring and especially the friendship. And our terrific friends
and neighbors, Ray and Cindy Williams. Thanks to Tammy and Tony Jamison
and A.J., Sam, and Lucy, who took care of stuff while we were gone. Thanks to
our great friends Tom, Belinda, and Tanner Long. Thanks to Christ Community
Church, Scotty Smith, and congregation. To my friend and one of the few people
who can read my handwriting, Glenda Andrews, who typed much of this book as
I wrote it by hand. It has been great working together again. And to Paul and
Anne Breeden. Paul has made the excellent maps in all my books since my first,
published in 1979. And to Tom Smith, my mentor at National Geographic. And
Harvey Arden. Thanks to Pat Golbitz, my first book editor and beloved friend
who influenced me in so many ways. Thanks for inspiration and friendship to
Luther and Kay Jones and family, and the Minnow Bucket Crowd.
Thanks to my excellent agents, Michael Carlisle, Whitney Lee, Byrd Leavell,
Michelle Tessler, and Christy Fletcher at Carlisle and Company. And to Neal
Bascomb. Special thanks to my good friend and adviser, Barbara Morgan.
I am especially pleased with my new publisher, St. Martin’s Press. First, to
the voice of St. Martin’s, Helen Plog. In a world of sameness and the shunning
of accents, Helen sets the tone for St. Martin’s! I love it. Thanks to Sally
Richardson for her outspoken belief in this project. And thanks to the other
talented folks at St. Martin’s I’ve had the pleasure to work with: John Sargent,
John Cunningham, John Murphy, George Witte, Joe Rinaldi (Go get ’em, Joe),
Alison Lazarus and her outstanding sales people, Ben Sevier, Steve Snider,
Matthew Baldacci, and Matthew Shear. And especially to my talented, calm
editor with the perfect personality for me, the outstanding driver Kelley Ragland.
Thanks so much, Kelley. And thanks, Kent Ragland, for giving your little
daughter a book you really liked, A Walk Across America, and suggesting that
she read it.
A fond tribute to that pivotal moment, known to but a few, now immortalized
as “Three moons over the Kenai.”
And especially to Rita, my loving wife.