Frank Bures, Jr. at the Blue Heron Coffee Shop

Tuesday, August 5 | 7 pm
Blue Heron Coffeehouse | 162 W 2nd St.

 

 

 

First Tuesday, the Laureate Writers Series for August 5 at the Blue Heron Coffeehouse will feature Frank Bures, son of prominent Winonans Ruth and Dr. Frank Bures. Frank Jr. Is a highly successful writer who is returning to his hometown of Winona to introduce readers to his new book, Pushing the River: An Epic Battle, a Lost History, a Near Death, and Other True Canoeing Stories.

 

This collection of true canoeing stories explores:

Adventure and survival, including a harrowing escape from the Pagami Creek fire.

Supernatural tales, including a 1970s ghost story in Quetico Provincial Park.

Historical accounts, especially the Paul Bunyan Canoe Derby, a 450-mile race on the Upper Mississippi in the 1940s–50s.

Cultural contributions, highlighting Ojibwe canoe builders Jim and Bernie Smith and racers from the Leech Lake Indian Reservation.

The book captures the spirit of canoeing as a metaphor for life’s unpredictability and adventure.

Bures’ work has appeared in Harper’s, The Atlantic, Outside, Big River Magazine, and more, and he has been featured in The Best American Travel Writing, Sports Writing, and Essays. He now is living in Minneapolis with his wife and two daughters.

Bures’ presentation, free and open to the public, will begin at 7 p.m. and will be followed by an open mic opportunity for diverse writers from the region. This program is generously supported by the Blue Heron Coffeehouse, Chapter 2 Books, Friends of the Winona Public Library, Richard and Sara Ricker, and Laurie Lucas.

 

Laureate Writers Series organizers Ken McCullough and Emilio DeGrazia are members of the River Arts Alliance. To learn more about the benefits of membership, please visit: riverartsalliance.org/membership/.