PAGE 22 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - JUNE 3, 2009
Author Katy King’s newest book is just off the press by Nancy Jappe VOYAGER VILLAGE – Author Katy King’s latest book, “Brigid: Dancing in a Rowboat,” is just off the press. In this new book, the fourth in the Brigid series, the year is 1948. Harry Truman is president of the United States. The colorful mayor of Minneapolis, Minn., Hubert Humphrey, is running for the U.S. Senate. Civil rights was not popular at that time, but Humphrey was one of the many people who pushed for civil rights. King’s heroine, Brigid Tierney, in 1948, faces new challenges in her life as her mother’s cousin, Fiona, the head of the household, recovers from a stroke and gets married, all at the same time. Her children want to take swimming lessons. She takes lessons, too, but doesn’t do very well with them. She also campaigns for Humphrey. King started the story of Brigid when the young girl was 14 years old and living in her native Ireland in “Brigid and the Red Hat Rebellion.” The historical setting at that time was the passage of a new Irish Constitution with the promise of more discrimination against women. Brigid chose to come to America with her daughter and second husband to escape that discrimination for her daughter. Book two, “Brigid, Babies, Books and Bee Balm,” describes the purchase of a run-down mansion that had been used by prostitutes during the gangster era in St. Paul, Minn. The year was 1937, and the price for the house on Summit Avenue, which was turned into a boarding house, involved payment of back taxes of $2,000. More characters were added to the story line in that book, along with two more children for Brigid and her studying-to-be-a-doctor husband, Michael. Eleanor Roosevelt, one of King’s personal heroines, came to St. Paul to speak at a program put on by the Women’s Institute of St. Paul. Brigid, of course, went to hear that talk, in which Roosevelt described the themes in her book, “It’s Up to the Women.” Book three, “Brigid and Books, Ballet and Bullets,” deals with the World War II era and the time when Brigid worked in a defense plant and coped with life
Author Katy King’s new book, “Brigid: Dancing in a Rowboat,” the fourth in the Brigid series, will be offered for the first time to the public during the craft show for Big Gust Days in Grantsburg, Saturday, June 6. King, who has self-published eight of her nine books, will be appearing at local craft shows, in Cumberland June 13, Rice Lake July 31 and Siren Aug. 1. – Photo by Nancy Jappe with a husband gone in the military. At war’s end, Michael was decorated for his war service by President Roosevelt, and Brigid was part of the group invited to have coffee with Eleanor Roosevelt at the White House. Now, Brigid’s story continues, against the background of Truman, who replaced Roosevelt in 1945, and Humphrey. Men who served in the wartime military were coming home, creating problems in finding jobs and housing for them. “There was not enough of anything,” King commented. The war economy had to be converted to a peace economy, and women who had been doing war work had to find other types of jobs. But their attitudes about their work had improved. They had been doing work of importance compared to housecleaning. This was
true not only for women but for AfricanAmericans and Mexicans as well. “People – human beings – this is the issue of the 20th century,” Humphrey said in his speech to the 1948 Democratic National Convention. “When I read that short speech, it determined that the book would have to be 1948,” King said, adding that Humphrey’s voice wasn’t the only voice to speak out for just treatment of African-Americans, but he was by far the most consistent and persistent, “in my opinion,” King said. In the latest book, Brigid decides to go to the university. She dabbles in politics. She helps her cousin, Fiona, plan her wedding, and she deals with Michael’s preoccupation with his doctoring work. It turns out to be a pretty good year by the end of the book, all things considered. Where will King go next in the Brigid series? She’s thinking about maybe centering on the 1950s and the civil rights sit-ins. It will all depend on what era in history grabs her attention and what climate in the country she wants to work Brigid’s personal crises around. When asked what she gets out of writing books, King answered: “Why does a singer sing? Why does a dancer dance?” She has always loved reading and counts the books she always received for Christmas as her favorite presents. Among those favorites were the “Anne
of Green Gables series,” “The Secret Garden” and “Black Stallion.” However, it was after she kissed the Blarney Stone during a trip to Ireland that King turned to writing books herself. Her first book, “The Attic Was an Unused Room,” took about 10 years to complete. It came about from a family reunion in 1988 where 150 relatives were telling all kinds of family stories. The book details the life of five generations of women in King’s family. The first book was printed through a publisher. Because everyone else made money on the book, not her, King has taken to self-publishing her works since that time. She sells through participation in craft sales and through mail orders. One of six children of an engineer who traveled on U. S. aid government projects throughout the world, King was born in Kenosha and grew up in Shawnee, Kan. She cites travel as something she hopes to always be able to do. In five years, if her health, brains and finances hold up, she sees herself continuing living as she lives now. “I’ll still be writing, taking pictures and traveling,” King said. That includes continuing the story of Brigid and her family, probably up to the current day. Readers, be prepared for more “just off the press” notifications about upcoming Brigid books from author King.
Winery and grill adds pergola
NARFE to meet DRESSER - The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Chapter 1581 will hold a dinner meeting at noon on Thursday, June 11, at the Village Pizzeria
in Dresser. All active and retired federal employees are welcome. Reservations may be made by calling 294-3185 by Monday noon, June 8. - submitted
NUE banquet honors retirees
Grantsburg teachers Barb Hoefler, Cindy Johnson and Janice Teigen attended a banquet to honor retiring Northwest United Educators at Lehman’s Supper Club in Rice Lake. Shown with them is Marie Knutson, vice president of NUE. Thirty-nine retiring NUE members were present representing over 1,200 years of teaching. Hoefler was a speech/language therapist for 24 years, Johnson taught in the primary grades for 34 years, and Teigen taught early childhood and kindergarten for 23 years. - Special photo
Indian Creek Orchards Winery and Grille in St. Croix Falls gears up for summer dining by installing a pergola for shaded outdoor seating this week. –Photo by Tammi Milberg
Candidates do community service
Added new to the Grantsburg pageant this year, the five contestants vying for the title of Miss Grantsburg worked community service hours. They were required to work on their own and as a group. This group of girls chose to spend their group hours working and talking with the residents of CCC. The girls are pictured (L to R): Jenna Christianson, Jillian Schinzing, Cherissa Volendorf, Crissy Peterson and Carissa Skifstad. - Special photo