Local author Irene Martin

Where were you born and raised?

I was born in England and raised in Toronto, Canada.

Where do you live now?

I married an American and now live in Skamokawa, Wash.

What sparked your interest in writing and how did you become an author?

I have written since childhood, and my mother encouraged my interest in writing. She bought magazines about writing, and it just sort of evolved from there. When I moved to Skamokawa, my father-in-law used to tell stories about local history. He had a wonderful memory, and so I began writing his stories down, which pushed me in the direction of local and regional history.

Tell me about your latest book, The Family that Never Threw Anything Away.

My latest book is, in some ways, a tribute to my father-in-law, as part of the family that never threw anything away. He talked about the history of various items in what we refer to as the collection, the memorabilia of 150-plus years of my husbands family. I worked those objects, the traditions they represented, and the history of the area into poems, as well as including personal stories that I hope will get handed on.

What are some other books youve written?

My other books include Skamokawa, Sad Years, Glad Years, a local history of our village; Legacy and Testament: The Story of Columbia River Gillnetters; Beach of Heaven: A History of Wahkiakum County; Lewis and Clark in the Land of the Wahkiakums; Sea Fire: Tales of Jesus and Fishing; and The Flight of the Bumble Bee: The Columbia River Packers Association and a Century in the Pursuit of Fish. All of these are non-fiction, based on lengthy years of research, interviews and revision.

For you, how does publishing a volume of poetry differ from publishing non-fiction?

Poetry is very different. It is a much more emotional reaction to what is going on around me, the patterns I see replicated in local history, and the birth and death of people I have known and loved. It requires many hours of work and revision to create a poem, which is sort of a crystallization of ones own experience and deepest reaction to that experience. Its almost like shedding ones skin.

Where can people find your books? What is it like to get published?

My books are carried in numerous local bookstores and are available from me as well (P.O. Box 83, Skamokawa, WA 98647; imartin@iinet.com). Even though I have had hundreds of articles published, plus books, reports and other documents, it is still an exhilarating experience to see my work in print. Sometimes I reread something I wrote years ago and can hardly believe I actually did that.

What do you do when youre not writing?

When Im not writing, I like to garden, pick wild mushrooms in the fall, read, spend time with friends and family and play the piano. This last is for my own pleasure Im really not very good at it, but I do love to play.

What is something you like about living in the Columbia-Pacific?

I enjoy living in the Pacific Northwest as I like to walk, and there is plenty of opportunity to be outdoors and enjoy the spectacular scenery of the lower Columbia region.