Meeting Author Kim Heacox:
A Story Told From Two Perspectives
Meeting Author Kim Heacox: A Story Told From Two Perspectives
Occasionally in the evenings, Jeffrey reads aloud to the guests. He says, “Getting read to connects the story to you in the way of the old-time storyteller. Stories are the way humans have connected with each other for thousands of years.”
And one of the passages he likes to read even says so itself: “In nineteenth-century America and Europe… friendships and love affairs blossomed as men and women read to each other in summer meadows and winter kitchens.”
More often than not, Jeffrey reads from the writings of John Muir. Southeast Alaska has so many connections to the early exploring and writing of John Muir that his Travels in Alaska is sort of a bible for Jeffrey. For added context, Jeffrey also often reaches for John Muir And The Ice That Started a Fire by Kim Heacox..
Emailing an Author
This story starts even earlier, when Jeffrey had read a passage from The Ice That Started a Fire aloud to another guest. This guest had spent much of his career on conservation and the federal protection of wild lands in America. Inspired by the connections and efforts of so many people to protect SE Alaska, Jeffrey did some digging and wrote to Kim Heacox, describing the conservationist he had read to:
“It was a really moving experience for me to be reading to him in particular about the connections from Wordsworth to John Muir to Carter and the formation of the parks and refuges and federal lands in AK… Thank you for writing this beautiful piece and thank you for your involvement in the preservation of the National Interest Lands as well.” — Jeffrey
And Kim Heacox even wrote back!
“I don’t revisit that book very often, and have forgotten much of what I wrote in there. That makes your message all the more heartwarming… I’m unfamiliar with the David B. Do you operate in Icy Strait and/or Glacier Bay? Give a ring if you ever do.” — Kim Heacox
Jeffrey filed that invitation away and then last year he finally had a reason to use it.
Enter Rosemary
Our passenger Rosemary had read a number of Kim Heacox’s books getting ready for her David B trip. One of which was The Only Kayak, Heacox’s memoir of leaving a conventional life for a job with the National Park Service in Glacier Bay, where he met his wife, Melanie.
When Jeffrey read aloud that first evening of the trip and explained why The Ice That Started a Fire meant so much to him, Rosemary said she’d read Heacox too. Jeffrey was happy that he knew he could finally call on that invitation.
So, Jeffrey emailed Kim again, asking whether he and Melanie might be willing to meet the boat in Glacier Bay and that one of our passengers was a fan. Fortunately, Kim and Melanie could be at the Glacier Bay visitor center in Gustavus, where they live, on the day before that trip ended.
“You must be Rosemary!”
As soon as the David B arrived at the dock, all the passengers went up to check out the Glacier Bay visitor center. Kim and Melanie actually pulled up to the boat shortly after that. Jeffrey got to meet them at last. Kim signed a book for Rosemary, but she wasn’t back yet. Jeffrey left it for her, disappointed for her that she would miss the author even though he was thrilled to shake Kim’s hand in person.
Up at the visitor center, Rosemary had noticed a car near the dock by the David B that morning, but thought it was one of several loading and unloading for other trips. By the time she realized who was in that car, other folks had gathered around. The Heacoxes are celebrities at the visitor center with folks rushing over to meet them. Rosemary held back, not wanting to interrupt on anyone else’s time with them. Then it looked like they were leaving and she would miss her chance!
Rosemary and her husband started walking towards the car. And when she came closer, Melanie looked at her saying, “You must be Rosemary!” Rosemary says that absolutely made her day.
On Cloud Nine
They got to talk about Kim’s books, Melanie and Kim’s education work at their center in Gustavus, and how much the Heacoxes had enjoyed their morning visit to the David B. They had enjoyed a tour of the boat, learned about the boat’s history, and spent time with Jeffrey and Christine. While on the boat, Kim autographed a stack of his titles the boat carries onboard, gave a few more to keep, and even signed the tattered, well-read copy Jeffrey reads from to guests. He even got a signed copy of Christine’s book More Faster Backwards – Rebuilding David B. Sadly, Kim and Melanie then needed to leave for a group of teens and tweens waiting for them at the education center.
Rosemary says she was floating through the rest of that afternoon on cloud nine. When she got back on the boat, Jeffrey and Christine were waiting to hand her the book Kim had signed for her that morning, the one she’d missed by minutes at the dock.
“What a gift, and I thank Jeffrey and Christine for setting this up. Absolutely awesome, and awesome people.” — Rosemary
Rosemary also says, “Jeffrey and Christine are the nicest people. Patient, talented, creative… Every person’s needs are met. And Matt, the deckhand, too offering a hand over every slippery rock along the trail. A trip of a lifetime. “ It’s a trip she hopes to repeat again someday.
What’s amazing for Jeffrey is that this story brings it full circle from a single email years earlier, on a different trip, with a different guest, over the same worn paperback that he still reads to guests today.
Until Next Time Serendipity Smiles Upon You – Fair Winds,
Sarah
Reservations & Cat Staff
P. S. Our 2027 season is already half sold out. Don’t wait to reserve your own moment of serendipity on the David B! You can see our current 2027 and 2028 schedules here: https://northwestnavigation.com/schedule-and-rates
Sarah, who has handled our reservations for over 10 years, is happy to help you!
Sarah
Reservations