Damerow, Gail 1944–

(Gail Jane Damerow, Gail Luttmann)

PERSONAL: Born February 29, 1944, in Denver, CO; daughter of Edward V. (a photographer) and Marie Rose (Arsenault) Merrick; married Allan Damerow (a publisher). Education: University of Arizona, B.S. (cum laude), 1966. Hobbies and other interests: Gardening, raising dairy goats.

ADDRESSES: Office—Rural Heritage, 281 Dean Ridge Ln., Gainesboro, TN 38562-5039.

CAREER: R.A. Information Service, Gainesboro, TN, copywriter, beginning 1979; Rural Heritage, Gainesboro, editor, 1990–. Tennessee Technological University, lecturer in creative writing, 1988–92; self-employed book indexer.

AWARDS, HONORS: Nominations for awards from James Beard Foundation and International Association of Culinary Professionals, both for Ice Cream!: The Whole Scoop.

WRITINGS:

(Under name Gail Luttmann; with Rick Luttmann) Chickens in Your Backyard: A Beginner's Guide, Rodale Press (Emmaus, PA), 1976.

(Under name Gail Luttmann; with Rick Luttmann) Ducks and Geese in Your Backyard: A Beginner's Guide, Rodale Press (Emmaus, PA), 1978.

(Under name Gail Luttmann) Raising Milk Goats Successfully, Williamson (Charlotte, VT), 1986.

Ice Cream!: The Whole Scoop, Glenbridge (Lakewood, CO), 1991, 2nd edition, 1996.

Fences for Pasture and Garden, Storey (Pownal, VT), 1992.

Your Chickens: A Kid's Guide to Raising and Showing, Storey (Pownal, VT), 1993.

Your Goats: A Kid's Guide to Raising and Showing, Storey (Pownal, VT), 1993.

The Chicken Health Handbook, Storey (Pownal, VT), 1994.

A Guide to Raising Chickens: Care, Feeding, Facilities, Storey (Pownal, VT), 1995.

The Perfect Pumpkin, Storey (Pownal, VT), 1997, excerpt published as "Grow Giant Pumpkins," 1998.

Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens, Storey (Pownal, VT), 2000.

(Editor and contributor) Barnyard in Your Backyard: A Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Rabbits, Goats, Sheep, and Cattle, Storey (North Adams, MA), 2002.

Contributor to books, including The Writer's Hand-book, edited by Sylvia K. Burack, Writer, Inc., 1990, and Communities of Discourse: The Rhetoric of Disci-plines: edited by Gary D. Schmidt, Prentice-Hall (Englewood Cliffs, NY), 1993. Author of "Ruminations," a monthly column in Dairy Goat Journal, 1987–94; book reviewer, Bookpage, 1990–92. Contributor to other periodicals, including Acres U.S.A., Americana, Backyard Poultry, Country, Farm Family America, Gun World, Herb Quarterly, Organic Gardening, and Woman's Day. Contributing editor, Mother Earth News, 1992–94.

SIDELIGHTS: Gail Damerow once commented: "My books are inspired by my own activities, for which I document questions I have, problems encountered, solutions found. The more difficulty I have locating information, the more convinced I become that others will appreciate my findings bound in one handy source.

"I never have a problem finding subjects to write about—only finding time to write about all the things that interest me."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, December 15, 2002, Nancy Bent, review of Barnyard in Your Backyard: A Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Rabbits, Goats, Sheep, and Cattle, p. 715.