Amy & Dave Freeman
Amy and Dave Freeman are the authors of A Year in the Wilderness, a rousing cry of witness activism and a beautifully illustrated account of their year living in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to raise awareness about the threats of sulfide-ore copper mining. They have traveled over thirty thousand miles by canoe, kayak, and dogsled through some of the world’s wildest places, from the Amazon to the Arctic. National Geographic named them Adventurers of the Year in 2014, and their images, videos, and articles have been published by a wide range of media sources from the CBC, NBC, and FOX to the Chicago Tribune, National Geographic, Outside, Backpacker, Canoe and Kayak, and Minnesota Public Radio. They also run the Wilderness Classroom, an educational nonprofit organization that introduces children to wild places and unique cultures.
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Author Q & A
How did writing help you reflect on your year in the wilderness?
The writing process gave us the opportunity to spend a lot of time thinking back on the beautiful moments—like when a pack of wolves ran through our campsite and the challenges like hauling the canoe over thin ice while navigating the lakes during the freeze up and thaw. It also also helped us tackle larger questions about how the experience changed us, and why wilderness is important. [Read more at Canoe & Kayak]
How long did it take you to put the book together? What was that like?
Daniel Slager from Milkweed Editions paddled into the Boundary Waters to meet with us in August 2016, about a month before we paddled out of the wilderness, to discuss publishing our book . . . It took us nine months to complete the project. It was a lot of work, and a totally new experience for us, but working with a team of amazing editors and designers at Milkweed was really great. In the beginning I spent a lot of time sifting through more than 20,000 images to select about 350 of the best photos to consider for the book. While I was doing that Amy was starting the writing process by sifting through her journal and pulling out important moments and stories that would form the backbone of the book . . . I think we sort of balanced ourselves out while writing the book, just like we do when we are out on a long journey in the wild. [Read more at Canoe & Kayak]
What are you most looking forward to about the book's release?
We see the book as a wonderful tool for sharing our journey and this amazing place with more people. Getting the book in people hands with the hopes that they will enjoy it, share it with others, and in doing so be inspired to visit the Boundary Waters, call their elected officials, sign petitions, volunteer, donate, and become advocates for our public lands is what excites me the most. We are also looking forward to doing a book tour and meeting with more folks in person to share our story. [Read more at Canoe & Kayak]