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A book release party and reading for Back Road Grace by Ely writer Scott Stowell will take place on Wednesday, March 27, at the Ely Folk School at 7 p.m. An open mic will follow his reading for writers, poets and musicians.
Back Road Grace is a collection of essays, memoirs and short fiction about Northern culture, wilderness treasures and the character of the inhabitants in the Minnesota Arrowhead. The stories elicit thought, laughter and encouragement. Readers from distant locations will learn more about year-round life in a northern climate and the moxie it takes to thrive there. Local readers will already know the lifestyle, but perhaps better appreciate the life they’re living and who they’re with.
Stowell grew up in the suburbs of two very large cities. But then he gravitated north, attracted to populations that dwindled from town to town. As a result, he’s benefited from big-city amenities and perspectives, plus those with a small-town approach. He’s found that per capita, small-town residents know more fellow residents than city dwellers know their community members. He speaks to that in the introduction of Back Road Grace: “Perhaps most engaging is our own species…I’m continually impressed with how small-town folks look after each other. Commonalities override differences and their character exudes depth and humor.”
As a freelance writer, Stowell was a regular contributor to the “Outdoor Weekend” section of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. He is a former editor of the Ely Timberjay newspaper and host of the Morning Show on WELY radio. His writing, publishing and media background also includes work as a magazine editor, radio copywriter and television news field photographer. Some of his published pieces have received individual and collaborative awards from the Minnesota Newspaper Association.
Many of the stories in Back Road Grace have also been broadcast on “Stay Human,” a literary program at public radio station KAXE/ KBXE Northern Community Radio in Grand Rapids and Bemidji, Minnesota.
Copies of Back Road Grace are available at several local bookstores, art galleries and the Ely Folk School.
Back Road Grace was made possible in part by: a grant from Ely’s Donald G. Gardner Humanities Trust; and an Individual Artist Project Grant from the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
For further information, contact the Ely Folk School: 218-235-0138, info@elyfolkschool. org, facebook. com/elyfolkschool, or visit elyfolkschool.org.
