by Nathan Boddy
The group of people who’d come to Chapter One Bookstore to meet renowned author David Quammen had already filled the front of the store by the time the event got underway last Wednesday, March 8th. Bookstore co-owner Mara Luther was very pleased to see the turnout, saying that it is important for bookstores to help build connections between readers and authors. In the case of David Quammen, Luther says that his time in Hamilton was particularly exciting, not only because of his impressive writing career, but because he is a Montanan and had come to town, in part, to meet with representatives of the Rocky Mountain Lab.
Quammen is a science and travel writer whose 15 published books have covered the gambit from fictional spy novels to articles for Outside Magazine to extensively written non-fiction books about wildlife, viruses and pandemics. His most recent non-fiction book, “Breathless,” which publisher Simon and Schuster describes as, “the story of the worldwide scientific race to decipher the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, trace its source, and make possible the vaccines to fight the Covid-19 pandemic,” came out last fall, and his next, “Heartbeat of the Wild,” is projected to hit bookstands in May.
“We’re really hoping he’ll come back for a more traditional reading,” says Luther, acknowledging that the author’s time in Hamilton was short, but that they were very excited about his visit, nonetheless.
“He’s someone that I’ve been reading since I was in college,” she said.
Luther pointed out that the visit by Quammen was not just remarkable due to the author’s background, but that it reflects the nature of Hamilton as a community that attracts the notice of skilled professionals. She says that, while the town itself may not be directly upon the heavily traveled path for book tours, authors like David Quammen and Temple Grandin, who will be making a visit on March 23rd and 24th, find in Hamilton a variety of groups and purposes which merit their attention.
Temple Grandin is a well known professor, author and animal behavioralist whose study and insight into the management of livestock has had crucial and lasting impacts in the way animals are raised, managed and even slaughtered. Grandin is also a spokesperson on, and has written books about, autism. Her own experience growing up with autism and hypersensitivity have undoubtedly influenced and directed her work, and mean that her expertise is of tremendous value to multiple entities here in the Bitterroot. Grandin will be hosted by Chapter One Bookstore and HEARTism of Corvallis, for a book signing in Corvallis on March 23rd, and again by the Rocky Mountain Laboratories on Friday, March 24th. While in the area, Grandin will also be speaking with the Bitterroot Stock Grower’s Association.
“I think it’s so cool that in our little community, she was able to find all those groups,” says Luther. “It just goes to show you how diverse we are here in the Bitterroot.”
For more information about the upcoming visit by Temple Grandin, visit the Chapter One Bookstore website at: https://www.chapter1bookstore.com, or the events page for HEARTism in Corvallis at: https://www.heartism406.org/new-page.