Jason Dorsey is working on the second book in the I Remember series. This series tells stories of a boy growing up on an island (Camano), to explore sacred memories in the formation of children. Fyodor Dostoyevsky says this about sacred memories in his novel The Brothers Karamazov:
“… there’s nothing higher, stronger, more wholesome and more useful in life than some good memory, especially when it goes back to the days of your childhood, to the days of your life at home. You are told a lot about your education, but some beautiful, sacred memory, preserved since, is perhaps the best education of all.”
Jason Dorsey published I Remember Fishing with Dad in December 2015. It was well received and sold briskly.
Jason is close to completing the second book in this projected 12 book series. I Remember Running Through the Woods shows that the places we remember are part of who we are today. Jason reflects, “The woods which surrounded me in childhood are a part of me.” In this book, like the first, Jason is working with his father to do the illustrations.
“It’s been fun to go back to the woods of my childhood,” says Jason. “I’ve been trouncing through them to get photographs including photographs of a “scary stump” just like the ones I remember when I was young.
Jason and his Dad, renown Northwest artist Jack Dorsey, are collaborating on the illustrations just as they did in the first book.
“Our painting styles are similar,” Jason says. “I typically get the painting started and then bring it to Dad to finish. I’m able to get a good, fresh watercolor started; and Dad, with his eye for strong values and details is able to finish it.”
“I’m super thankful I have this opportunity to share in the painting of these illustrations with my Dad,” Jason says. “He’s super supportive. I don’t know if I could do this without him.”
I Remember Running Through The Woods is based on my own experiences in the woods that surrounded our little white home on Camano,” Jason says, “including a camping adveture with my friend Tom H. We skipped our High School Tolo to spend the night in the woods. Tom had all of this great Marine Corp gear and I guess we were more into that than girls. It turned out to be a super cold night and we had lots of adventures that night that I share in the book.”
Jason also has enjoyed tying the story all the way back to the early days on Camano Island when loggers felled massive Fir and Cedar trees. I’m enjoying sharing this beautiful place (Camano) through these stories,” Jason reflects.
He projects that I Remember Running Through The Woods will be (barely) back from the printers just in time to make it under the tree for Christmas 2018.