Eureka Books Blog

Fortuna and Eel River Valley History Come to Life at Arts Alive!

Alex Service, curator of the Fortuna Depot Museum, has sorted through historical photographs from the museum’s collection, along with photos of the Fortuna Volunteer Fire Department and local residents to tell the story of the community’s history.  Her new book, Fortuna and the Eel River Valley, was co-authored with historian and educator Susan O’Hara and has just been published by Arcadia Publising.  Service will be at Eureka Books on Saturday, August 6 from 6-9 pm to sign copies of the new book.

“This history of Fortuna and the Eel River Valley really reflects all of the larger forces at work in Humboldt County over the years,” said Eureka Books owner Scott Brown.  “From logging and milling, to our local apple growers and dairies, to the expansion brought on by the railroad in 1914, this book fills a critical gap in our appreciation of our history.” The book also covers Fernbridge, the company town of Scotia, and Newburg, a long-vanished mill town.

Fortuna and the Eel River Valley represents an important contribution to the growing collection of Arcadia titles on local history.  In addition to histories of several towns in Humboldt County, the company has also published books on the history of Humboldt State University and the Sequoia Park Zoo.  “These photographs are hard to come by,” said Brown, “and as anyone who has ever tried to organize family photos knows, it’s not easy to get the right dates, names, and places for each photo.  It’s a tremendous amount of effort, and we’re lucky to have so many local historians working on these books.”

Vintage W. W. Denslow prints

Join us tonight for Arts Alive! and check out some vintage prints by illustrator W.W. Denslow.  Perhaps most recognized for the illustrations in L. Frank Baum's Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the prints tonight are from St. Nicholas, a magazine for boys and girls, circa 1909.

Local Author Joan Dunning at Eureka Books for Arts Alive!

Saturday night is Arts Alive! in Eureka from 6 to 9 pm, and stores will be open late showing art.

Local author and artist Joan Dunning will be at Eureka Books signing her new children's book about the marbled murrelet, Seabird in the Forest.  It's a very touching and beautifully illustrated tale about the life cycle of one of the North Coast's endangered creatures.

Come meet the author and check out Joan's original paintings from the book which will be on display on the Eureka Books art wall.

Seabird in the Forest is Joan's latest book on the natural world.  Her previous works include From the Redwood Forest, Secrets of the Nest and The Loon.  She also illustrated the children's book, Leaving Home.

Seabird in the Forest

This just in: Local author Joan Dunning's new book about a mysterious ocean bird known as the Marbled Murrelet hit our shelves this afternoon.

Dunning is both author and illustrator of Seabird in the Forest, a children's book that chronicles the early life of a Murrelet chick high in the canopy of an old-growth forest. 

Dunning will be at Eureka Books for Arts Alive! on April 2nd from 6-9pm to sign copies of her new book.

Jacqueline Suskin's 2011 Book Tour

If you stopped by Eureka Books during the February Arts Alive! you were no doubt impressed with our guest Jacqueline Suskin and her Poetry Store.  Suskin creates poems made to order on her typewriter while you wait.  And you don't have to wait long!  Her well of inspiration is clearly close at hand. 

Now Suskin is raising money for a 2011 book tour.  She needs $5,000 by February 27th.

Here's what she says about the tour:

I will travel across the country doing different events, reading my work, collaborating with local artists and musicians, and creating celebrations based around poetry. My hope is to earn enough funds in order to support each event (food, entertainment, venue fees, etc..), printing costs, and travel expenses.

I will also be doing Poem Store whenever I can (www.yoursubjectyourprice.com). This will be an added way to bring poetry into as many lives as possible. I am excited to interact with anyone who is still engaged in the importance of poetry as a driving part of American culture.

She's almost halfway to her goal.  You can pledge your support here.

 

The Poem Store

Last night, we welcomed Jacqueline Suskin into our store for a night of poetry-writing.  She sets up her typewriter and creates poetry to order on any subject.  Here's the North Coast Journal's Bob Doran asking for a poem on "transitions."

Jacqueline usually sets up on the Arcata Plaza during the Farmers Market; we were glad to have her in the store on this winter night.  And it was lovely to have the sound of the typewriter clattering around the store all evening.

 

Poems written to order at Arts Alive!

Join us tonight for Arts Alive! as we host poet Jacqueline Suskin and her typewriter.  Suskin writes poems about love or any other subject on request. 

Get one for your honey.  It only costs a little money.

Actually, Suskin does not charge for her poems. Her motto is “Your subject, your price,” and she accepts donations in any amount.

Suskin will be at Eureka Books tonight from 6 to 9.

Harvesting Books

Book artist Sandy Vrem, harvesting some of the 1,000 books that members of the North Redwoods Book Arts Guild (norbag.net) made as a benefit for literacy here in Humboldt County. The books are $1 each, with all proceeds going to the Humboldt Literacy Project. Fewer than half remain, so come in and get some while they're still available.

(Photo by Ellen Golla, taken September 4, 2010, during the opening of the 3rd annual NORBAG show)

Pulp Mill Art Show Opens Tomorrow

If you're out and about for Arts Alive on Saturday evening, drop in to see our show of paintings and photographs of the pulp mill. The mill is one of the industrial landmarks of Humboldt County, sitting on the bay on the Samoa peninsula, right across from Eureka. For many decades, the pulp mill emitted rather foul smelling sulfurous smoke from its towering smokestack. Environmental upgrades reduced the odor and a slack market for pulp that has kept the plant offline most of the time lately, greatly improved the air quality in town.

But for all its faults, the mill employed quite a few people and most landscape artists in Humboldt County painted or photographed it at one point. Since the mill manufactured the raw ingredients for paper, we asked Ellen Golla, past president of the North Redwoods Book Arts Guild (website and blog), to demonstrate papermaking with dried pulp. It should be a fun evening.

(Image courtesy of Brandon Truscott)

Apple Art and Tasting

 

This is a preview of some of the new apple portraits we'll be displaying in November. These life-size color pencil drawings by Peggy Irvine depict heirloom apples from Humboldt County. This is our second show of Irvine's botanical illustrations, and once again, we're inviting growers to the store for an apple tasting on Saturday, November 7, from 6 to 9 p.m. (during Arts Alive). Last year, we had more than two dozen varieties of apples on hand. See you then!