Menke, Kathleen M.K. 1948-

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Menke, Kathleen M.K. 1948-

PERSONAL:

Born June 5, 1948, in Orange, CA; daughter of James Edwin (a geologist) and Sylvia June (a homemaker) Kennell; children: Luke Patrick Menke, Jake Matthew Menke. Education: Attended several universities between 1966 and 1995. Hobbies and other interests: Nature, the outdoors.

ADDRESSES:

Office—Crystal Images Photography and Publishing, P.O. Box 781, Haines, AK 99827. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Crystal Images Photography and Publishing, Haines, AK, photographer, writer, and designer. Publisher of the newsletters Outdoor Singles Network, 1989—, and Idaho's Salmon Scene, 1994, 1995.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Awards for photography and environmental work.

WRITINGS:

Haines for All Seasons—Northern Exposures from Alaska Reflecting Our Bond to the Land and Each Other (photographs), Crystal Images Photography and Publishing (Haines, AK), 2005.

Alaska/Yukon/Arctic Light—Gifts of the Wild (photographs), Crystal Images Photography and Publishing (Haines, AK), 2007.

Creator of calendars, promotional materials, brochures, and trade show displays. Contributor of photographs and covers to other books. Contributor of photographic essays to periodicals, including Kid City, Alaskan Southeaster, Native People's, Pacific Fishing, Mountain Living, Alaska Outdoors, Aspen Anytime, Colorado Life, Woodman of the World, and Up Here.

SIDELIGHTS:

Kathleen M.K. Menke told CA: "I was raised on the Pacific Coast and in the Rocky Mountain West. I have been a professional photographer and writer about subjects that capture my interest and my heart for over twenty years. The journey brought me to Haines, Alaska, for the first time in the early 1980s. The friendly community and the wildness of its natural surroundings drew me back many times during various seasons until I decided it would take a lifetime to complete this northern adventure. I moved to Haines as a permanent resident in the winter of 1995-96. During the years since, I have built myself a small home on the edge of town, where I also operate my photography and publishing business, Crystal Images. I am frequently observed walking the trails and beaches of the Chilkat Valley with my golden retriever mix, Brandee Klukshu Small Tracks.

"My first book, Haines for All Seasons—Northern Exposures from Alaska Reflecting Our Bond to the Land and Each Other, is a local and regional best seller. Haines, Alaska, is a place where five runs of wild salmon still return to natural, healthy watersheds; a community of individuals with unique skills and talents, generously shared; a place with more than a hint of Northern Exposure; a place where cultural traditions endure; the beginning of the trail and the end of the trail—dei-shu. This book is a collection of images reflecting our bond to the land and each other, seen through the eyes and heart of one photographer, over a period of twenty years, throughout the seasons.

"My second book, Alaska/Yukon/Arctic Light—Gifts of the Wild, includes images of bears, wolves, snowshoe hares, porcupine, beavers, tundra wildflowers, glaciers, the aurora borealis, and more. I share my gifts of the wild in order to provide inspiration for further explorations and appreciation of the abundant natural riches of the far north. The book is a celebration of light and all that flows from it—especially the awakening, quickening light of spring in the far north that creates dramatic changes in the landscape each day."