Mississippi paddlers, pooch to sign books
January 26, 2006
KOKOMO, Ind.—An ink-stained paw is the price of literary celebrity, Annie Dog Roden is finding out. AuthorHouse of Bloomington recently published
Mississippi Howl, a journal and photographic record of a 2,500-mile canoe trip on the Big Muddy made by Dianne and Allan Roden, along with their pet Annie Dog.
When acquaintances asked Dianne and Allan to autograph copies of the book, Dianne added Annie’s pawprint on the flyleaf, signifying the Australian cattle dog’s full partnership in the 2004 adventure.
A professor of finance at Indiana University Kokomo, Dianne will be signing copies of Mississippi Howl, along with Allan, at the campus bookstore 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. on Wednesday, February 8. Annie Dog will also be present. Dianne indicated they will probably have a rubber stamp made of Annie’s paw impression, to make canine autographs easier.
The Rodens built the cedar-strip canoe that took them from the Mississippi River’s source in northern Minnesota down to New Orleans over a three-month period. The book’s title is the Rodens’ name for the sustained wail Annie Dog often sounded from the canoe’s helm as the trio glided down the river. Their adventures included camping nightly on the river banks among abundant wildlife, getting lost in a large swamp, dodging massive cargo barges, and meeting a cross section of interesting Americans. Dianne Roden called the trip “an opportunity to reconnect with each other and rediscover our inner selves.”
Mississippi Howl is available at the IU Kokomo Bookstore for $19.99.
