James will present the story of his cousin Heimo Korth and his family, who live a semi-nomadic hunter-trapper-gatherer existence in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In 1975, at the age of nineteen, Heimo decided to leave his home in Wisconsin to escape an overbearing father and fulfill his dream of living the life of a mountain man. After six years alone in the bush, he met his wife-to-be while whaling with a group of Bering Sea Eskimos. While other members of the "back-to-nature" generation returned to civilization, Korth remained in the Alaskan wilderness, where he and his wife Edna raised three daughters, one of whom's life was cut short in a tragic canoeing accident.

James Campbell spent two years visiting and chronicling the day-to-day existence of Korth and his family, who live more remotely than any family in the United States- over 100 miles from the nearest neighbor, 250 miles from the nearest highway, and 150 miles above the Arctic Circle. James will share with us his inspiring depiction of contemporary pioneer life, told against the backdrop of a changing Alaskan landscape- the search for oil, Native Claims, environmental politics, and the closing of the frontier.

As an editor and writer, James' work has been published in a plethora of publications, including Islands, Backpacker, Escape, Spin, Outside, Men's Journal, National Geographic Adventure, Coastal Living, Audubon Magazine, Chicago Tribune, The Southern Farmer's Almanac, New City Magazine, Wisconsin State Journal, Wisconsin Trails, Wisconsin Academy Review, Zulusports.com, and WOW! from Compuserve. Prior to writing full time, James served as Editor for SPIN.com, the online version of SPIN Magazine of New York, and taught writing at the University of Colorado/Boulder. The Final Frontiersman is his first book.

This Tuesday, November 9th evening event will be held at the Doubletree Guest Suites Hotel, overlooking the Charles river and adjacent to the Harvard Business School near the Cambridge/Allston on/off ramp to the Mass Pike (400 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, Tel: 1-617-783-0090). You may park in the hotel garage for a $5 flat fee, payable at the front desk. The Social Hour begins at 7PM in the hotel's well-appointed (cash) bar on the second floor, with the presentation following at 8PM. There is a $10 donation per person requested to help defray the costs of room rental, which is payable at the event. All guests, friends, family, and interested parties are welcome. If you let us know ahead of time that you intend to come, that would be helpful; but regardless, do come. Dress as you wish. For any further information, or to let us know that you are coming, please contact me at 401-247-4944 or markallio@cox.net. See you on the 9th!

Sincerely,

Mark Allio

Program Chairman

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