Author invites view into “My Wilderness Life”

Writer and former wildlife biologist John Fraley appears Feb. 5 in the third installment of the museum’s 21st annual John White Series.

For the first time, popular Northwest Montana author John Fraley, who usually turns his pen to historical figures of Glacier National Park, the Bob Marshall Wilderness, and other wild spaces, has turned his attention to himself. His newly published fifth book, My Wilderness Life, tells of the inspiration and sometimes tragedy of giving into the risk of exploring remote places.

“I didn’t want to write a self-indulgent memoir,” Fraley says, “so instead I basically followed the template of my other books. Each chapter features the challenges and rewards of adventuring in the wilderness, except this time they’re adventures I experienced firsthand.”

Always an engaging speaker and an inquisitive researcher and observer, Fraley takes us along on the trail of his life and where reflection and wilderness intersect.

The John White Series is named for longtime custodians at the former Central School, who encouraged Kalispell learners for decades.

The 2023 series wraps Feb. 26 with Kyren Zimmerman talking about marine archeology photography and what lies beneath the surface of Flathead Lake and other waters.