My First Big Book Was Published. Now What?

My First Big Book Was Published. Now What?

I had lavished ten years on researching and writing the first comprehensive biography of female Arctic explorer Louise Arner Boyd. Of course, life intervened during that time as it does but I always returned to working on THE BOOK. I didn’t really have much of a choice as Miss Boyd’s voice was ever-present in my head and got progressively louder if I stayed away for too long. But once the book was completed and my publication date loomed, my attention increasingly focused on what I would do next.

It was tough to move beyond the parallel life I had been living with my biographical subject for so many years. But it doesn’t really matter if you’re writing non-fiction or fiction, thinking about and deciding on the next big project is daunting. Luckily I had to dive right into promoting my biography of Boyd on social media- a task that I dreaded. So many writers are comfortable in our own space with our books, the computer and the voice in our heads. Entering the new realm of Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Researchgate occupied much of my time and attention for several months- I was starting from scratch after all. But during this time, an insistent refrain was bouncing around. What next?

Writing is such an organic, intuitive process. If the words aren’t flowing and no ideas are firing up, I don’t write but work on other tasks. If the muse is with me, I write like a demon. And so, when I embarked on my book tour travelling throughout the United States, I let myself be open to possibilities. One of my presentations was given in the hallowed halls of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. It was a great talk with lots of audience interaction and I was thrilled to spy Karen Ronne Tupek in the audience.

Karen is the only child of two famous Antarctic explorers- Finn and Jackie Ronne. Jackie was the first woman to participate in an Antarctic expedition as a member of the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition (1946-1948) and was one of the first two women to over-winter there. I also knew that no biography of Jackie had been written. Karen and I ended up having a leisurely lunch and we excitedly explored the possibility of my writing about Jackie. We each took a few weeks to mull it over.

She was familiar with my work and liked my writing style but had to decide if she could trust me with her mother’s life story. This was a serious consideration as Jackie’s husband, Finn Ronne was saddled with a controversial reputation and had been much maligned in the press. There was the very real possibility that any book about either Jackie or Finn Ronne would highlight the more provocative aspects of their lives. And I had to decide if I wanted to spend the next three or four years living with Jackie Ronne in my head and if she was the right subject for me. After all, Louise Arner Boyd was a tough act to follow.

 In the weeks ahead, I did some preliminary research to learn more about Jackie’s story. Sure, being a pioneering woman in Antarctica was enough to warrant a biography but was there anything more about her that would convince me to take her on? In the end, it was Boyd who guided me towards my decision. It turns out that these two dynamic women met shortly after Jackie returned to the United States in 1948 after spending a year in Antarctica.

Jackie had been co-organizer of the expedition and worked as the communications expert, archivist, assistant scientist and counsellor while there. Unknown to the other team members, her husband had stipulated that she would become leader should anything happen to him. For over twenty years, Louise Arner Boyd and Jackie Ronne maintained a friendly collegial relationship with their shared passion for polar exploration. Jackie Ronne became a famous writer and lecturer, a proponent of the first Antarctic Treaty and an early supporter and participant in Antarctic tourism.

The strong bond between the two women was a clear sign to me that Jackie Ronne was destined to become the subject of my second biography. What could be better? With Boyd’s guidance and the enthusiastic assistance of Jackie’s surviving family, I wrote “Antarctic Pioneer The Trailblazing Life of Jackie Ronne”- the first biography of a female Antarctic explorer and it makes a wonderful companion book to “The Polar Adventures of a Rich American Dame A Life of Louise Arner Boyd.” 

As I believed it would, the idea for my second biography did eventually present itself. More importantly, I knew with absolute certainty that this was the right idea and never wavered in this belief. Biography of Arctic explorer Louise Arner Boyd written and published- check. Biography of Antarctic explorer Jackie Ronne written and on its way to bookstores- check. Hmm- now, for the third book…..

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Joanna Kafarowski PhD. is a Fellow of the Explorers Club, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a Member of the Society of Woman Geographers. She is the author of two biographies of female polar explorers and is in the early stages of researching her next book about gendered aspects of polar exploration. She currently lives in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Follow her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/joannakafarowskiauthor

Find out more about her on her website https://joannakafarowski.com/

 

ANTARCTIC PIONEER: THE TRAILBLAZING LIFE OF JACKIE RONNE

Jackie Ronne reclaims her rightful place in polar history as the first American woman in Antarctica.

Jackie was an ordinary American woman whose life changed after a blind date with rugged Antarctic explorer Finn Ronne. After marrying, they began planning the 1946–1948 Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition. Her participation was not welcomed by the expedition team of red-blooded males eager to prove themselves in the frozen, hostile environment of Antarctica.

On March 12, 1947, Jackie Ronne became the first American woman in Antarctica and, months later, one of the first women to overwinter there.

The Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition secured its place in Antarctic history, but its scientific contributions have been overshadowed by conflicts and the dangerous accidents that occurred. Jackie dedicated her life to Antarctica: she promoted the achievements of the expedition and was a pioneer in polar tourism and an early supporter of the Antarctic Treaty. In doing so, she helped shape the narrative of twentieth-century Antarctic exploration.

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