Saturday, August 8th, 2009, was a special day. It was a day to recognize and honor Ben Logan, one of Wisconsin’s most popular authors.
The event, held at the historic Boscobel Hotel in Boscobel, Wisconsin, was conceived and organized by James Schneider of Gotham, Wisconsin. He stopped by my office one day last winter and asked if I would take part in the tribute and be one of the Wisconsin writers who would read from his book, The Land Remembers. I’ve mentioned in previous columns that it’s one of my favorite books. I have a copy of all the editions that have been printed; the first edition hard cover, the small paperback, the soft covers, the 25th anniversary edition, and even the collector’s edition with photos book. Needless to say, I was honored to be a part of Ben’s day.
At 89 years of age, Ben now lives in Viroqua instead of in the isolated farmhouse where he grew up on Seldom Seen Ridge between Gays Mills and Mount Sterling, Wisconsin. That’s been a tough transition for an independent individual like Mr. Logan.
On Saturday morning, I picked Ben up and we drove to Boscobel. The storm that had gone through the area earlier in the morning was retreating ahead of us. The colors of the hills around us were brilliant. We remarked about the many shades of green with the dark storm clouds as a background. It was a perfect setting for writers. Ben related how when he was young, his mother would have him look up at the sky above him and then slowly bring his eyes down to the horizon. She wanted him to observe how the colors changed as he looked at the different areas of the sky.
We talked about his mother, who died when he was young. Since he was the youngest child he worked more with her than his older brothers. She had a four-year college degree in teaching, which was unusual in those days. Even though she didn’t teach in a school after she was married and had children, she did a lot of teaching to her children. Mr. Logan is still filled with curiosity about the world around him, something he learned from his mother. It has served him well as a writer.
Ben said that he recently found an old essay he had written about Aldo Leopold. When Ben was a student in Ag Journalism at the University of Wisconsin, Leopold was one of his teachers and mentors. Ben said that he and Leopold often butted heads. He didn’t think that emotion should enter into writing and Ben liked to bring emotions into his work. Another of his teachers, English professor Rachel Salisbury, dared Ben to be even more emotional in his stories. Ben said he was very surprised when Sand County Almanac was published and Leopold had put emotion into his writing. Years later, when Ben was talking with one of Leopold’s daughters, she said she was also surprised to see the emotion in her father’s writing. Ben told her, “Maybe I taught him something too!”
Over the years, since we became friends, Ben and I have had many conversations about writing and life. The more we talk, the more parallels we find in our lives. As we drove along we both remarked about wanting to know the story behind every road name. There are so many interesting ones. He said, “I’m always searching and looking for answers. Curiosity is essential to be a good writer.” Then he quoted Robert Frost’s poem, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, “I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep.” I was surprised to hear that line and told him that’s always been one of my favorite lines too.
The trip to Boscobel and back while visiting with Ben, was very enjoyable. The event at Boscobel was also great. I was the first reader, and read a couple of excerpts. The first one was about hearing the corn grow. I even admitted having tried to hear it growing after reading that chapter the first time. However I couldn’t hear anything. I suggested that perhaps a person needed to be much younger to hear it growing. But, who knows, maybe I’ll try it again this evening! The other story was about the changes in fall, bringing in the stove, and putting up the stovepipes. Anyone who’s experienced setting up an old stove and the pipes, knows what an exasperating time that can be.
Ben read the intro and last chapter of his book. It’s always special to hear him read the intro to The Land Remembers. There were many tears in the audience as he read the last chapter about planting the garden the spring after his mother died. In the discussion that followed, he talked about how important his mother had been to the family.
Boscobel Remembers Ben Logan was a fitting tribute for a man who has brought so much enjoyment to so many people. It was a wonderful day for him as he visited with his fans and signed their books. There’s something very special about The Land Remembers and the gentle man who wrote it. His story about farm and family life has touched the hearts of many people. It was very evident on Ben Logan’s special day.
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