Beneath The Rim: Stories And Pictures From Inside The Grand Canyon

Thu, 06/14/2012 - 1:45pm by Caser

Join us in welcoming author Rick Kempa to the Downtown library on Monday June 18 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm for an evening of stories and pictures of the Grand Canyon. Mr. Kempa has been hiking in the Grand Canyon since 1974. The event will include stories spanning that length of time, from his first hike “when, as immortal teenagers, my brother and I had the bright idea of swimming across the river just above Hermit Rapids,” to his most recent hike this spring, “when I began to consider that there may come a day when I am too old and tired to climb out.” His words and photos also depict “encounters with grizzled fellow-hikers, with rangers who appear in the weirdest of places, with river-runners who feast like kings, with exotic wildlife, and—best of all—with the silence that exists between the river and the Rim.”

In August 2010, Kempa served as the Artist-in-Residence at the South Rim, giving public presentations and working on his Canyon-country writings. He is currently serving as editor of two Grand Canyon anthologies, one of poems and the other of essays by backpackers. He teaches writing and philosophy and directs the Honors Program at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs, Wyoming.

The AADL also has guide books, historical books, music, and videos on the Grand Canyon for those interested in learning more about this incredible National Park.