Bookworm: Adventurous? Love dogs? ‘Four Thousand Paws’ is for you

“Four Thousand Paws: Caring for the Dogs of the Iditarod, a Veterinarian’s Story”

• By Lee Morgan
• c. 2024, Liveright
• $27.99, 304 pages

There aren’t many things worse than unintentionally sliding on the ice. You know it’s going to happen before it does, and that makes it worse. You slip, recombobulate, whirl your arms and adjust, then  boom, down you go anyhow. Slipping on ice is not fun, never mind driving on it – unless of course your ride doesn’t glide on gasoline. Unless, as in the new book “Four Thousand Paws” by Lee Morgan, it runs on salmon and dog chow.

We take travel for granted. It’s easy to jump in a car and go, forgetting that for centuries, Alaska’s Indigenous people used sleds to travel across what would become our 49th state’s terrain. We rarely consider that until 1973, their trail was just a trail.

That was when the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race officially began.

Basically, following ancient trade routes, and said to be longer than a thousand miles (but actually shorter), the first Iditarod race itself was rough, making explorers out of the inaugural thirty-four teams. The man who won the first Iditarod completed it in twenty days; today’s mushers finish the race in roughly half that, days of physical and mental endurance, brutal weather, and beautiful terrain.

Knowing that, how could a long-time veterinarian who loved dogs possibly skip a chance to care for the musher’s teams? In 2012, Morgan applied for the gig because it was a natural match: he was an outdoorsman and adventurer, and volunteering in the remote Alaskan outback seemed like a good time. Plus ... dogs.

Hundreds of dogs, huskies at 45 pounds each or less, goofy dogs that Morgan swears were smiling at him, patients that knew the drill and were impatient with him when he dared to do a required, regular-stop examination out of order. Dogs, he says, that should be considered as elite as any other high-level athletes that undertake a challenge that seems like fun. The dogs are eager to run, Morgan says, and up to fourteen of them do their jobs well. It’s exciting and hard. And sometimes, it’s dangerous ...

Before you start reading “Four Thousand Paws,” compare and consider this: your vehicle is pretty great, but when did your car ever give you a wet, sloppy kiss?

Likely never but since you also probably won’t ever get to the grocers by dogsled, you can be glad that someone will tell you about it. Author Lee Morgan shares a journey that is, like many, from the back of a sled, from a freezing tent, and neck-deep in snow, but it’s also about a ten-year love affair with the land, the Iditarod, the mushers that run it, and the dogs that make it happen. His front-of-the-line perspective is different, and the race-to-dog balance of the tale is just right.

Don’t expect to see much “MUSH!” in this book; Morgan says mushers don’t say that. They yell, “GO!” and they’re off – just as you should be, too. If you’re the adventurous type or you love dogs, “Four Thousand Paws” is a book that’s easy to slide into.

“50 Oscar Nights: Iconic Stars & Filmmakers on Their Career-Defining Wins”

• By Dave Karger
• c. 2024, Running Press
• $30, 264 pages

Studies say that the average person prefers a taller man. Height matters in many opinions and if a man’s a nice dresser, that’s even better. A pleasing comportment catches the eye, too. But if he’s stoic, just over 13 inches tall, and clad head-to-toe in gold, well, most women – and men – would do anything for him.

Those who’ve met that guy never forget him, as you’ll see in “50 Oscar Nights” by Dave Karger.

Imagine it: the lights are bright, you’re sitting in the midst of glitter and glitterati, and suddenly, everyone’s congratulating you and pushing you toward a stage and a golden statue. We cheer when our favorite stars live that dream, but what’s it really like to receive an Oscar?

As an eleven-year-old boy, Dave Karger thought about that, and other Oscar-y things. His young “obsession with the Oscars” led to questions, some of which were never answered but some were: He grew up to meet and interview Oscar winners to talk about their big honors. This book is the result.

Karger begins with Nicole Kidman, who first won the award for her role in “The Hours” in 2003. She had just gotten divorced from Tom Cruise then; after the ceremony, she told Karger, she “went to bed alone; I was in bed before midnight.”

As a child, Jennifer Hudson wanted Grammys and never dreamed of an Oscar. Jane Fonda struggled with how to leave activism out of an acceptance speech. Halle Berry gave a nod to Black women before her. Rita Moreno was so shocked to win, that she gave the briefest speech. Dustin Hoffman kept his award in the closet for years. Lee Grant wore “somebody’s old wedding dress” to accept her Oscar. Hilary Swank remembers how much her feet hurt. Michael Douglas wrote his name down in case he forgot it. Larry Hagman left neighbor Joel Grey a special award. And Octavia Spencer prayed not to fall down on her way to the stage.

Jaded fan, serious critic, or Two-Buck-Tuesday connoisseur, the facts remain that movies are special things and the awards ceremony always promises to be watercooler-fodder. Reading “50 Oscar Nights” will make you feel extra-smart on the morning after.

Yes, if you’re a movie fan, you’ve got shelves full of books like this one, but author Dave Karger adds an aura of intimacy to what you’ll read here. Of course, there’s a sense of breathlessness to each of the interviews, and some self-depreciation, but readers will also see a surprising wistfulness from some of the stars, as if the otherwise exciting presentation was eclipsed by heartache or regret. This lends a whole new aspect of the awards show that you’ll have to watch for now. New bets to lose. New gossip to collect.

Lush with color photos, delicious insight, and quality paper, “50 Oscar Nights” may make you binge-watch all the movies mentioned in here soon. Before you grab the popcorn and dim the lights, before the ceremony starts, get this book now. Don’t leave yourself short.

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The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. She has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. Terri lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books. Read past columns at marconews.com.