Pushing the River Launch, Tour and the Story Behind the Cover
Pushing the River Launch & Tour
Dear Friends,
In case you’re around, and want to come out and hear some canoeing stories, I’m putting a list of events below.
First and foremost is the launch of Pushing the River: An Epic Battle, a Lost History, a Near Death, and Other True Canoeing Stories:
OFFICIAL LAUNCH
The launch will be on April 9 at Magers & Quinn Booksellers in Minneapolis at 7:00 PM. I’ll be in conversation with Cary Griffith, author of Gunflint Burning and Gunflint Falling. If you’d like to come, you can register to give the store an idea of how many people will be there. There should be plenty of room. The last I heard, around 40 people had registered, and there is room for 60 or even 100. Here’s the link: Frank Bures launches Pushing the River
I’ll be showing some old photos and videos of the Paul Bunyan Canoe Derby, and answering questions and talking about the other stories in the book as well.
PUSHING THE RIVER TOUR
If you can’t make the launch, I’ll be reading and giving presentations at other bookstores and venues around the region. I’ll roll in information as I get it, so check back for updates here.
For the moment, here are the gigs:
MINNEAPOLIS & ST. PAUL, MN
The Loppet Trailhead, with Allie Rykken
Wednesday, April 23 @ 6pm.
Minnesota History Center: Northern Voices
Saturday, July 19 (Details TBA)
DULUTH, MN
Zenith Books, with Stephanie Pearson
Thursday, April 24 @ 7:00-8:30
NORTHFIELD, MN
Content Books
Thursday May 8th @ 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
LA CROSSE & LA CRESENT
Pearl Street Books, with Judd Steinback
Tuesday, April 22, @ 6:30 pm
EAU CLAIRE, WI
The Local Store/Volume One, with Michael Perry
Thursday, May 15 @ 7-9 pm
BEMIDJI, MN
Bemidji Woolen Mills
Saturday, May 24 @ 12-3 p.m.
CHAMPLAIN, MN
Minnesota Paddling Opener
Sat/Sun, June 14/15 (Details TBA)
ST. JAMES, MN
Watowan County Library Reading & Presentation
Thursday, June 12 @ 4 pm
SPOONER, WI
Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Museum
Friday, July 11th, @ 6:00 pm
BAYFIELD, WI
Honest Dog Books
Saturday, July 12, @ 4pm. (Happy Hour Reading!)
DECORAH, IA
Dragonfly Books
Tuesday Jul 15th, 2025
Pulpit Rock Brewing events room @ 7:00 PM-8:00 PM
Also in the works: Split Rock Light House, Mississippi Park Connection Members event, Winona, Minn., Madison, Wisc.
COVER STORY
They say you can’t judge a book by its cover. But you can judge a cover by its over. And when I figured out where the photo used for the cover of Pushing the River came from, I couldn’t have been happier.
The photo is from the 1947 Paul Bunyan Canoe Derby. It was taken during the final sprint of the race, which went from University Flats in Minneapolis to the Franklin Bridge between Minneapolis and St. Paul. Here’s the full photo.
In the photo you can see many of the main characters of this race, and of the derby as a whole. Ray Tibbetts And Bill Evers (#30) are way out front.). Ed King and 1951 derby champion Dick Peck (#17) are in the middle. Karl Ketter and the legendary Buzzy Peterson (#8) are on the far outside making a push. 16-year-old Billy Smith Jr. (#3) and his father are not far behind them. Here's another photo of Billy and his dad at the start of the 1947 race in Bemidji:
This photo from the Minneapolis Star was taken at a different moment. You can see the heads are the same, but turned at slightly different angles. The numbers are blurrier, but you you can still make out some other paddlers, including Mankato’s Augie Shueneman and Harvey Anderson (#10) and Sam and Dan Quincy (#29) Ojibwe paddlers from Deer River.
Karen Cooper, a local historian and chronicler of Minnehaha Falls’ wild years, sent me this colorized post card, which was taken of the same race. I can tell it’s 1947 from the wording on Billy’s Smith canoe #3 in the back to the right.
In the version that finally appeared on the cover, Dick Peck and Ed King are at the right edge, and just behind them are Billy Smith and his dad, which was perfect, since Bill Smith is the one who make this story about the Paul Bunyan Canoe Derby possible, in sharing with his memories and insights with me at age 92.
