WOMEN, HEROES & A DAWG, a book of 49 meaningful and uplifting real-life stories by Diane Ford Craig just dropped on January 1, 2025! Published jointly by Alaska Press and Books2Buttons.com, it's the kind of book you want to gift family and friends, share with your book club, or keep for yourself when you need a lift! Featuring true stories, vintage photos, and pin button badge images that highlight the kinds of life experiences we all go through, this book is cleanly-written and accessible to all adults.
Like life, the central theme celebrates the joyful randomness of life with a sub-theme of how music -- whether as a musician or appreciator -- enhances everything it touches.
This is author Diane Ford Craig's third book published by Alaska Press.
Available now at www.Books2Buttons.com or look for it on Amazon.
OTHER PROJECTS: "WRITING IS A DELICIOUS SURRENDER TO STORY"
CIRCLE OF FIFTHS, a first novel based on a disastrous trip to Rome and Assisi in the 1980's, is nearly complete and about to circulate among agents for potential representation.
Research has begun on a second novel, tentatively entitled RUTH & LAURO, tells the story of an unlikely love affair between an older American dramatist and a young anti-fascist in Italy during the time of Mussolini.
Given the demands of motherhood and life, this book took years of isolation, persistence and even a world pandemic to complete. But there are gifts! Letting the story lead -- by listening to and honoring voice and evolution -- was a humbling and exciting process. As the writer attempted to go one direction, the story continually demanded another.
It's like what architect Louis Kahn said about his building materials:
"You say to a brick: 'What do you want, brick?' And brick says to you, 'I'd like an arch.' And you say to brick, 'Look, I want an arch, too, but arches are expensive and we can use concrete lindel instead. And brick answers, 'I want an arch.'" And so you have it:
Writing, to Diane Ford Craig, is a process of delicious surrender to story.
Two previous non-fiction books, The Dawg's Tale: The Story of the Salty Dawg Saloon and the Town of Homer, Alaska (1994) and Camouflage & Lace: My Life with a Windbender (audiobook 2005), both published by Alaska Press, are sold out.
CREDENTIALS
Education:
^Master of Arts, New York University, Music and Writing, Gallatin Division (2005)
^Bachelor of Arts, New York University, Music and Writing, Gallatin Division (1983)
Distinguished Journalism Awards from New Hampshire Press Association:
^Feature Writing: God, Work & Family, Monadnock Ledger, First Place (1990)
^Investigative Journalism: Russian Roulette, Monadnock Ledger, First Place (1990)
Book Editor:
^This is Coffee Point: Go Ahead by Wilma Williams, Alaska Press (1995) (Sold out)
^Home Sweet Homestead by Joy Griffith, Alaska Press (1996) (Sold out)
Commercial Writing/Editing/Marketing: Epic Urns, Ecolab (GCS), Wilder Trail Books and Women Venture.
