Kim Heacox

Last updated

Kim Heacox
KimHeacox.jpg
Born (1951-06-26) June 26, 1951 (age 72)
OccupationWriter
GenreMemoir, biography, fiction
SpouseMelanie Heacox
Website
kimheacox.com

Kim Heacox is an American author, photographer, musician, and environmental activist living in Gustavus, Alaska, at the entrance to Glacier Bay National Park. [1] [2] He was born in Lewiston, Idaho and grew up in Spokane, Washington. [1] Heacox is best known for two of his books, The Only Kayak, a memoir (2005, [3] [4] 2020 [5] ), and Jimmy Bluefeather, a novel (2015), both winners of the National Outdoor Book Award, and for his opinion pieces in The Guardian [6] that focus primarily on the climate crisis, global biodiversity loss, and threats to U.S. public lands. His most recent book, On Heaven’s Hill, is a literary novel author Kimi Eisele praised as “the kind of story the planet needs right now.”

Contents

Heacox first arrived in Alaska in 1979 as a park ranger in Glacier Bay National Monument (today Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve). [7] His memoir, The Only Kayak (a PEN USA Western Book Award finalist), [8] describes that first summer in Alaska. Heacox has authored 17 books, including five published by National Geographic . [9] [10] His novel, Jimmy Bluefeather (2015), was the first work of fiction in over 20 years to win the National Outdoor Book Award. [11] [12] He has written opinion-editorials for The Guardian , [13] the Washington Post , [14] the Los Angeles Times , [15] the Anchorage Daily News , [16] and the Juneau Empire . [17] [18] He appears in the 2009 Ken Burns film The National Parks [19] and has been featured on NPR's Living on Earth (discussing his biography, John Muir and the Ice That Started a Fire). [20]

In 1985 he began writing for National Geographic Traveler, a new magazine, where his 1987 article on Mount St. Helens won the Lowell Thomas Award for excellence in travel journalism. (He won the same award a second time, in 1990, for a feature article on Alaska’s ABC Islands – Admiralty, Baranof & Chichagof – in Islands magazine). His first full-length National Geographic book, Visions of a Wild America (1996), explores the writings of John Muir, Aldo Leopold, Robert Marshall, Rachel Carson, Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner and Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, and the landscapes that inspired them.

Heacox was a professional nature photographer from 1984-2013. His images were sold around the world by the photo stock agencies Getty, DRK Photo, Peter Arnold and Accent Alaska. In 2000 he won the Daniel Housberg Wilderness Image Award for Excellence in Still Photography from the Alaska Conservation Foundation. In 2001 he served as the official photographer on the Harriman Alaska Expedition Retraced, organized by Smith College. Heacox’s photography, and his essay, “The Politics of Beauty,” appear in a book about that expedition, published by Rutgers University Press (2005). His photographs have been published in Audubon, Orion, Outside and Sierra magazines, in National Geographic and Smithsonian books, and in The Guardian and the Wall Street Journal, among other publications.

A 2021 newspaper article argued that political systems must become long‑sighted if humanity is to face any kind of reasonable future. [21]

Awards

Bibliography

[9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denali</span> Highest mountain in North America

Denali is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of 20,310 feet (6,190 m) above sea level. It is the tallest mountain in the world from base-to-peak on land, measuring 18,000 ft (5,500 m), and Earth's highest mountain north of 43°N. With a topographic prominence of 20,194 feet (6,155 m) and a topographic isolation of 4,621.1 miles (7,436.9 km), Denali is the third most prominent and third-most isolated peak on Earth, after Mount Everest and Aconcagua. Located in the Alaska Range in the interior of the U.S. state of Alaska, Denali is the centerpiece of Denali National Park and Preserve.

Galen Avery Rowell was a wilderness photographer, adventure photojournalist and mountaineer. Born in Oakland, California, he became a full-time photographer in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Outdoor Book Award</span> Annual literary awards

The National Outdoor Book Award (NOBA) was formed in 1997 as an American-based non-profit program which each year presents awards honoring the best in outdoor writing and publishing. It is housed at Idaho State University and chaired by Ron Watters. It is sponsored by the National Outdoor Book Awards Foundation, Idaho State University and the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education. As of 2021, awards have been presented in 13 categories, although not all categories are awarded in any given year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denali State Park</span> State park in Alaska, United States

Denali State Park is a 325,240-acre (131,620 ha) state park in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough adjacent to the east side of Denali National Park and Preserve, along the Parks Highway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pamyua</span> Musical group from Anchorage, Alaska

Pamyua is a Yup'ik musical group from Anchorage in Alaska.

Mark Twight is an American climber, writer and the founder of Gym Jones. He rose to prominence as a mountaineer in the late 1980s and early 1990s with a series of difficult, dangerous alpine climbs in various ranges around the world. His radical, light-weight approach to alpinism has seen him regarded as an influential figure in the single-push movement.

Bruce Kirkby is a Canadian adventurer, photographer, and writer. Recognized for expeditions to remote wilderness areas, his achievements include a 40-day, 1000-kilometre crossing of Arabia's Empty Quarter by camel (1999) and the first contiguous descent of Ethiopia's Blue Nile Gorge from source to Sudanese border. The author of three best-selling books, Kirkby's writing has appeared in numerous publications, including The Globe and Mail, Canadian Geographic and The New York Times. National Geographic Channel featured his photography in the documentary Through the Lens (2003). An Ambassador for Mountain Equipment Co-op and member of the Starboard SUP Dream Team, Kirkby makes his home in Kimberley, British Columbia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KATH-LD</span> NBC affiliate in Juneau–Douglas, Alaska

KATH-LD, virtual channel 2, is a low-power NBC-affiliated television station licensed to both Juneau and Douglas, Alaska, United States. The station is owned by Gray Television. KATH-LD's transmitter is located in downtown Juneau.

David Stuart Roberts was an American climber, mountaineer, college professor, and author of books and articles about climbing and the history of the American Southwest. He was particularly noted for his books The Mountain of My Fear and Deborah: A Wilderness Narrative, chronicling major ascents in Alaska in the 1960s, which had a major impact on the form of mountaineering literature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Peratrovich</span> Native-American civil rights activist

Elizabeth Peratrovich was an American civil rights activist, Grand President of the Alaska Native Sisterhood, and member of the Tlingit nation who worked for equality on behalf of Alaska Natives. In the 1940s, her advocacy was credited as being instrumental in the passing of Alaska's Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945, the first state or territorial anti-discrimination law enacted in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viad</span> American marketing company

Viad Corp provides experiential leisure travel and face-to-face events in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United Arab Emirates via two divisions: GES and Pursuit.

Lynn Schooler is an American novelist, nonfiction author, photographer, an outdoorsman, and Alaskan wilderness guide living in Juneau, Alaska. He wrote The Blue Bear, The Last Shot and Walking Home.

Michio Hoshino was a Japanese-born nature photographer. He originally hailed from Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture. Considered one of the most accomplished nature photographers of his era and compared to Ansel Adams, Hoshino specialized in photographing Alaskan wildlife until he was killed by a brown bear while on assignment in Kurilskoye Lake, Russia in 1996. Lynn Schooler's book The Blue Bear relates the story of the author's friendship with Hoshino, a man he admired greatly for his skill as a photographer and his humanity. Schooler is a wilderness guide who became a photographer in his own right under Hoshino's tutelage. Another book, The Only Kayak by Kim Heacox, describes Hoshino's journeys to Glacier Bay as well as his own close personal friendship with Hoshino.

The Banff Mountain Book Festival is an annual book festival held at the Banff Centre in Banff, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evrard Wendenbaum</span>

Evrard Wendenbaum is a French outdoor photographer, filmmaker, geologist and explorer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adolph Murie</span> American naturalist and author

Adolph Murie, the first scientist to study wolves in their natural habitat, was a naturalist, author, and wildlife biologist who pioneered field research on wolves, bears, and other mammals and birds in Arctic and sub-Arctic Alaska. He was also instrumental in protecting wolves from eradication and in preserving the biological integrity of the Denali National Park and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In 1989 Professor John A. Murray of the English Department at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks received an NEH grant to inventory the extensive Adolph Murie written and slide archives at Rasmusson Library in the Arctic and Polar Collection. He wrote a forty-page report and biographical narrative of Adolph Murie, which remains unpublished but which is in his papers.

QT Luong is a French-Vietnamese born American photographer known for his work in the U.S. National Parks, as well as for work in the theory of computer vision. In 2022, Luong received the Ansel Adams Award for Conservation Photography from the Sierra Club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Rushforth</span> British photographer and writer

James Rushforth is a British photographer, mountaineer, climber, and travel writer, especially known for his guide book series on Iceland the Dolomites, as well as for his travel, nature, landscape, and extreme sport photographs, many of which have been recognized at the International Photography Award, the Siena International Photo Award, and the Px3 – Prix de la Photographie. Rushforth's photos have been displayed in national newspapers, travel magazines and other media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vera Starbard</span> Alaska Native editor, TV Writer, and playwright (born 1982)

Vera Starbard is an Alaska Native editor and playwright. She is a Tlingit/Denaʼaina woman born in Craig, Alaska, graduating from East Anchorage High School in Anchorage, Alaska. In 2016, she was named Playwright-in-Residence at Perseverance Theatre in Douglas, Alaska. Her residency was renewed for Cohort 3: 2019–2022. She has written several episodes of the Molly of Denali animated children’s program airing on PBS KIDS. She is the editor of the “First Alaskans” magazine. Vera is currently a staff writer for Alaska Daily.

Lance X̱ʼunei Twitchell is an American scholar, poet, and language revitalization advocate. He works as an associate professor of Alaska Native Languages at the University of Alaska Southeast. He has written for "Molly of Denali".

References

  1. 1 2 "At Home | kimheacox.com". kimheacox.com. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  2. "PBS - Harriman: Kim Heacox". www.pbs.org. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  3. "Review of The Only Kayak by Kim Heacox". Kirkus Reviews. 2005.
  4. "Review of The Only Kayak by Kim Heacox". Publishers Weekly. 2005.
  5. Miles, John (2020). "Review of The Only Kayak: A Journey into the Heart of Alaska by Kim Heacox". National Parks Traveler.
  6. "Kim Heacox". The Guardian. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  7. "Bard of Denali: Author Kim Heacox revisits the national park that shaped his destiny". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  8. "The Only Kayak". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  9. 1 2 "Author | kimheacox.com". kimheacox.com. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  10. "Kim Heacox: Alaskan Writers Directory". www.alaskawritersdirectory.com. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  11. Newman, Chérie. "Alaska's Tlingit Canoe Culture Featured In Kim Heacox Novel" . Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  12. "Local Authors and Artists: Heacox, Kim". Hearthside Books.
  13. "Kim Heacox". The Guardian. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  14. "Opinion | Walk with us, Ryan Zinke, and see the folly in what you've done - The Washington Post". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  15. "Amazon.com: Kim Heacox: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle". www.amazon.com. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  16. "Kim Heacox". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  17. "Juneau Empire: Where's our Churchill?". www.juneauempire.com. March 16, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  18. "Juneau Empire: ANWR: Let it be". www.juneauempire.com. February 27, 2017. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  19. "The National Parks: America's Best Idea: Film and Website Credits | PBS". www.pbs.org. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  20. "John Muir and the Ice that Started a Fire". Public Radio International. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  21. Heacox, Kim (August 27, 2021). "Why we need a department of the future". The Guardian . London, United Kingdom. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  22. "2020 Winners". National Outdoor Book Awards.
  23. "2015 Winners". National Outdoor Book Awards.
  24. "April 14, 2016–Kim Heacox–Award-Winning Author of Fiction and Non-Fiction". Alaska Professional Communicators. March 16, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  25. "Banff Mountain Book Competition Announces 2016 Long List". BANFF Center for Arts and Creativity. September 14, 2016.