Dean: Biography as a License to Explore


by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

Patrick Dean’s “A Window to Heaven” tells the story of the first successful summit of Mount Denali by Episcopal priest Hudson Stuck and three other men. The brutal Alaskan cold proved to be the ultimate nemesis to the many who had failed to summit Denali, often dying in the attempt. On the one hand, “A Window to Heaven” is a biography of Stuck. But in his research for the book, Dean found a window to much more.

As a teen, Dean read William Percy’s romanticized account of an unnamed Episcopal priest climbing a formidable mountain. In his 20s, working in a Jackson, Miss., bookstore, Dean stumbled on the book “Ten Thousand Miles with a Dog Sled” by Hudson Stuck. The subject intrigued Dean, an avid outdoorsman fond of hiking and mountain biking. Dean and his wife moved to the Plateau in 1999. In All Saint’s Chapel, seeing the statue of Stuck with a dog and a plaque commemorating him, Dean made the connection between the mountain climber he’d been fascinated with since a teen and the dog sledder. “I put it together that was the guy, the same guy as the book…Stuck has been travelling with me for a while.”

Dean pursued a master’s degree at the School of Theology and titled his thesis, “The Muscular Christianity of Hudson Stuck.” After graduating, Dean joined a Sewanee writers’ group. He had an idea for a book, and at a Texas writing workshop, he learned how to craft a book proposal. Book contract in hand, Dean dug into researching Hudson Stuck and the first successful ascent of Denali, the highest peak in North America.

The pandemic frustrated Dean’s hopes of traveling to Alaska and visiting the Episcopal archives in Texas. But Dean found a treasure trove in the journals of the four men on the Denali expedition, handwritten day-by-day accounts, available online in PDF format.

“I built the chapters around the journal entries,” Dean said. “A Window to Heaven” offers four different first-hand perspectives on the ascent of Denali, bringing to life the dynamic of four men stuck in a tent in 30° below zero conditions. Walter Harper and Robert Tatum poke fun at Archdeacon Stuck, co-leader of the expedition along with Harry Karstens. Stuck, a well-read Englishman, and Karstens, a hardened Alaskan backwoodsman, clash.

In addition to probing the interpersonal dynamic at play between the four men, Dean finds in his story telling a platform for talking about Native American culture and child labor in the 1900s. “The book is about a lot of other things in addition to Stuck and the Denali climb,” Dean said. “Nonfiction today isn’t penalized if it’s not straight biography.”

Dean’s work in progress, a biography of 18th-century naturalist Mark Catesby, affords him a like opportunity to engage diverse topics. Catesby, an Englishman and member of the Royal Society, explored the wild interior of the Carolinas, Jamaica, and the Bahamas, drawing and painting the flora and fauna along the way. Long preceding Audubon, he produced the first illustrated natural history of North America. His experiences with the slave-driven rice economy, with the Native Americans he worked with on his frontier expeditions, and the outdoor allure of the natural world make Catesby an ideal subject for Dean and his knack for taking biography to a higher, richer level.

Kirkus Reviews said of “A Window to Heaven,” “Mountaineering and biography in expert hands.”

Dean is a Sewanee area writer to watch. He’s scheduled to deliver the Catesby manuscript to his publisher next June. Stay tuned.

2024 March
2024 February
2024 January
2023 December
2023 November
2023 October
2023 September
2023 August
2023 July
2023 June
2023 May
2023 April
2023 March
2023 February
2023 January
2022 December
2022 November
2022 October
2022 September
2022 August
2022 July
2022 June
2022 May
2022 April
2022 March
2022 February
2022 January
2021 December
2021 November
2021 October
2021 September
2021 August
2021 July
2021 June
2021 May
2021 April
2021 March
2021 February
2021 January
2020 December
2020 November
2020 October
2020 September
2020 August
2020 July
2020 June
2020 May
2020 April
2020 March
2020 February
2020 January
2019 December
2019 November
2019 October
2019 September
2019 August
2019 July
2019 June
2019 May
2019 April
2019 March
2019 February
2019 January
2018 December
2018 November
2018 October
2018 September
2018 August
2018 July
2018 June
2018 May
2018 April
2018 March
2018 February
2018 January
2017 December
2017 November
2017 October
2017 September
2017 August
2017 July
2017 June
2017 May
2017 April
2017 March
2017 February
2017 January
2016 December
2016 November
2016 October
2016 September
2016 August
2016 July
2016 June
2016 May
2016 April
2016 March
2016 February
2016 January
2015 December
2015 November
2015 October
2015 September
2015 August
2015 July
2015 June
2015 May
2015 April
2015 March
2015 February
2015 January
2014 December
2014 November
2014 October
2014 September
2014 August
2014 July
2014 June
2014 May
2014 April
2014 March
2014 February
2014 January
2013 December
2013 November
2013 October
2013 September
2013 August
2013 July
2013 June
2013 May
2013 April
2013 March
2013 February
2013 January
2012 December
2012 November
2012 October
2012 September
2012 August
2012 July
2012 June
2012 May
2012 April
2012 March
2012 February
2012 January
2011 December
2011 November
2011 October
2011 September
2011 August
2011 July
2011 June
2011 May
2011 April
2011 March
2011 February
2011 January
2010 December
2010 November
2010 October
2010 September
2010 August
2010 July
2010 June
2010 May