To live in a pristine land unchanged by man; to choose an idyllic site, cut trees and build a log cabin; to be not at odds with the world, but content with one’s own thoughts and company. Thousands have had such dreams, but Richard Proenneke lived them. He found a site, built a cabin and stayed to become part of Alaska. The documentary Alone in the Wilderness is a simple but powerful account of his life alone in the Great White North.

April 14 • 1:30 p.m. Sisters Public Library	April 19 • 2:00 p.m. Sunriver Area Public Library
April 21 • 1:00 p.m. La Pine Public Library	April 21 • 2:00 p.m. Downtown Bend Public Library
April 26 • 3:00 p.m. Redmond Public Library	April 27 • 2:00 p.m. East Bend Public Library

As part of the “A Novel Idea… Read Together” program, Deschutes Public Library is pleased to present a free screening of Alone in the Wilderness at each of the six branches in the library system. The documentary follows Proenneke who, in the late 1960s, built his own cabin in the wilderness at the base of the Aleutian Peninsula, in what is now Lake Clark National Park. Using color footage he shot himself, Proenneke traces how he came to this remote area, selected a homestead site and built his log cabin completely by himself. The documentary covers his first year in-country, showing his day-to-day activities and the passing of the seasons as he sought to scratch out a living alone in the wilderness.

The screenings are free and open to the public.

The 2013 “A Novel Idea” selection, The Snow Child, by Eowyn Ivey, takes place in Alaska during the 1920s as a couple homesteads an impossible land. Ivey carries the reader through the stark Alaska landscape without apology, threading the story together with a magical realism and hopeful persistence. Dozens of events between April 13 and May 4 invite residents of Deschutes County to explore the Alaska landscape, homesteading, art, food and more, culminating with a visit by author Ivey on May 3 and 4.

For more information about this or other library programs, please visit the library website at www.deschuteslibrary.org. People with disabilities needing accommodations (alternative formats, seating or auxiliary aides) should contact Tina at 541-312-1034.