Cold Starry Night: An Artist's Memoir
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Book Overview
Young Claire Fejes was a promising sculptor and painter in New York City when her husband gave in to "gold fever." She held the unconventional view that her career was as important as his. But in those days, a woman followed her husband, so Claire did--to Fairbanks, last stop on the Alaska Railroad, in the heart of the immense northern territory, where Joe Fejes intended to mine for gold. In a refreshingly candid memoir, Claire describes a remote outpost where the young couple joins a hard breed of Alaskans who transform loneliness into powerful friendships and where the artist overcomes soul-aching cultural isolation. Fairbanks is populated by characters such as the happy Finnish couple who adopt Claire and Joe; the lively Eva McGown, a one-woman social services agency who wears a potent violet perfume and speaks with a sweet Irish brogue; and Fabian Carey, the trapper who loves the wilderness as much as he does opera, literate, and art. Written from the heart, this memoir of post-war Alaska has become a classic with its nostalgic reflections of a simpler time.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:1935347462
ISBN13:9781935347460
Release Date:January 2017
Publisher:Epicenter Press (WA)
Length:296 Pages
Weight:0.69 lbs.
Dimensions:0.7" x 5.5" x 8.5"
Customer Reviews
3 ratings
Captivating Book
Published by Jane Gale , 1 year ago
To Claire Feyes daughter, thank you! It's a wonderful book! The men and women your mother writes about in Fairbanks are amazing and inspiring. It's a fascinating world, now forever past. I haven't finished the book, but am ordering a copy for a friend who had lived there.
Great Book... one you can read again and again.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
I bought this book because it was another true story about the Alaskan frontier. I was pleased to discover that it covered more than the standard, romantic memories of a rugged life in the far north. Claire Fejes wrote a humorous / honest account of the "true" Alaska. It covers the people she met, the struggles she endured, and those things about daily life in frontier Alaska that make it unique. Never been to Alaska? Read this book if you want to "feel" how cold and isolated (even in Fairbanks) it can be; read this book if you want to "feel" how rewarding and wonderful it can be also. I lived in Alaska for 7 years and I will return someday, but until then I will keep this book close at hand, for those times I need a reminder about what makes that lifestyle and location so unique.
powerful and entertaining
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
I thought it might be interesting to anyone who finds this email to know that I am Claire Fejes's daughter. She passed away in October of 1997 and left a legacy to behold. I re-read this book with new eyes and found more than family history. There is a sense of bravery and awareness that I wish all women had. I am interested in any feedback a reader may have. This book reads easily and was like a drink of pure, cold water.
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