Hello! Welcome to JackNisbet.com! Jack Nisbet is a teacher, naturalist, and writer who lives in Spokane, Washington.
Recent News:
April 21, 2008Because of the heavy snowfall this winter, the level of Lake Roosevelt has been drawn down far enough to expose large portions of Hayes Island above the old Kettle Falls, and another few feet will begin to reveal some riffles. Maximum drawdown is supposed to occur during the first week of May. Jack will be at the interpretive center on May 1 with some students from Kettle Falls Elementary to listen for the noise of running water.
In connection with their year-long focus on water, Gonzaga University has chosen Visible Bones as the common reading book for incoming freshman this fall.
This month's North Columbia Monthly column presents the back story behind an important exhibit of Northern Plateau artifacts that will open at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane on July 19, 2008.
The David Thompson traveling exhibit is open for business at the Moses Lake Museum and Art Center through June 28. Jack will give a presentation on Thompson's canoes there on Thursday, May 15, at 7:00 p.m. For more information, contact the museum at 509 766-9395 or www.mlrec.com/museum.html
David Thompson's eyesight, blindness, and astonishing but temporary cure are the subject of an article Jack has in the April 24th issue of the Pacific Northwest Inlander.
He has also been consulting with a documentary film maker and Spokane Public Television about a program focusing on Thompson's work in the Columbia River drainage.
February 17, 2008
Work continues on the naturalist David Douglas and what he saw during his trips to the Pacific Northwest, 1825-33. You can catch a taste of it in my North Columbia Monthly "Boundaries" column for March.
Jack and Claire are also writing entries for the Washington state online encyclopedia, www.historylink.com. This gives us a chance to update research that appeared in past books and move it forward in time. The entry for Jaco Finlay is already posted; one for the artist Gustavus Sohon should be up soon.
This winter and spring Jack is spending a few days each month as a guest teacher for the Wellpinit School District on the Spokane Indian Reservation, exploring the period of contact between the tribe and Canadian fur traders. The emphasis is on natural history and comparing oral and written traditions for information about this era.
In David Thompson news, Outpost Magazine of Canada is doing a piece on Thompson for their April issue that includes interviews with Jack and Bill Moreau.
This summer Jack will take part in the annual meeting of the Lewis and Clark Trails Association, slated to be held at the Lewis and Clark Interpetive Center in Great Falls, Montana. There will be an author's event on August 11 from 2:00-4:00 p.m., and his presentation interweaving the careers of David Thompson with Thomas Jefferson and the Corps of Discovery will take place in the main auditorium on August 12 at 7:00 p.m.
January 2, 2008
I have been receiving queries from people looking for copies of Sources of the River, which were in low supply at many bookstores around Christmas. The reason was apparently a wave of demand combined with a slight delay in getting a new printing ready to ship.
The second printing of the new edition of Sources of the River has been in distribution for several weeks now, and there should be no trouble in finding copies.
The paperback edition of Visible Bones also sold out, but there are a lot of those left in distribution centers.
If you have any questions about these or any other titles, feel free to email me directly and I'll check it out.
Although I continue to work on other writing projects, I will be involved in several David Thompson events this year. These include Elderhostel International classes listed below, as well as talks in Coeur d'Alene, Missoula, Great Falls, Moses Lake Washington, and Clark Fork Montana listed on the calendar. One of the most intriguing is a traditional Kootenai tribal encampment at the mouth of the Moyie River June 19-21. Preregistration is necessary for non-Indians at this encampment, and more details will appear on the davidthompson200.org web site as soon as they are available.
September 29, 2007
Northwest Public Radio is running a series on the Columbia River this week on many of their stations across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. The first segment. scheduled for Monday, October 1, features correspondant Austin Jenkins on a canoe ride with Jack ,as the talking head and David Thompson as the focus of interest. It can be heard at the bottom of the hour after local news during Morning Edition, or you can link to it via KPLU.org or KUOW.org.On Wednesday, October 3, Jack will participate in Archaeology Days at the Wanapum Heritage Center near Beverly, Washington with Wanapum tribal member Rex Buck Jr. and archaeologist Darby Stapp.
The Glenbow Museum in Calgary, Alberta, will host a symposium titled David Thompson: New Perspectives, New Knowledge on October 26 and 27. At the Friday sessions Jack will deliver a presentation on Thompson among the Plateau People, and he will participate in a panel discussion on Saturday.
On November 9, Nisbet will present stories of the botanist David Douglas's travels in the Inland Northwest at Washington State University's Conner Museum. Specimens from both the Conner and the Ownbey Herbarium will illustrate the talk.
In the year 2008, Jack will run four elderhostel Classes on David Thompson and one on David Douglas through Whitworth College's Clearwater Lodge in Pend Oreille County, Washington. These classes include extensive presentations and exciting natural history field trips. The dates are May 13-14; June 3-4; September 9-10; and September 22-24. Details at the Elderhostel International web site.
August 12th, 2007
National Public Radio correspondant Austin Jenkins, as part of a larger series on the Columbia River, spent a day canoeing with Jack on Lake Roosevelt. Paddling from the mouth of the Colville River over the drowned Kettle Falls, they hauled out to walk the bluffs above Hayes Island. Along the way the imagined the scene when David Thompson arrive there just as the beginning of the summer salmon season in late June, 1811. Their conversation will run on NPR stations around the region this fall; we'll let you know the date and time.Jack's article about legendary North West Company clerk Finan McDonald will run in the September issue of the North Columbia Monthly
This fall Jack will deliver a series of presentations about early Northwest botanist David Douglas at six Spokane County libraries. Check the calendar for details.
May 29th, 2007
Sasquatch Books has released a new edition of Sources of the River:Tracking David Thompson Across North America. While the text is the same as the 1994 edition, the new book has an introduction by Canadian historian Ian MacLaren that places Sources in the context of Thompson studies. An expanded bibliography and extensive chapter notes provide updates and clarifications to the original material.
Sasquatch has also released a paperback version of Visible Bones:
Journeys across time in the Columbia River Country. Both book are available at bookstores or on the web.
Readers interested in obtaining Purple Flat Top; Singing Grass, Burning Sage; or the hardback edition of Visible Bones should contact Jack directly via email.
Jack’s article tracing interactions among Thomas Jefferson, David Thompson, and the Corps of Discovery, titled CONNECTIONS, is up on the National Park Service web site: www.lewis-clark.org
Upcoming articles in the Pacific Northwest Inlander include the story of the Willamette meteorite (June 7), a look at the human and natural history of the Latah Creek bluffs (June 21), and the 1860-62 travels of British Boundary Survey secretary Lt. Charles William Wilson through the Inland Northwest (later this summer).
VIA magazine will publish an interview with Jack about David Thompson in their July/August issue for the Pacific Northwest region.
