Cousins Susie Spikol and Deborah Lee Luskin were both born in New York, both grew up on pavement, and both have been living in northern New England for decades — Susie in New Hampshire and Deborah in Vermont. Susie is an educator, naturalist, and author of three books: The Animal Adventurers Guide, Forest Magic for Kids, and The Book of Fairies. Deborah is an educator, deer hunter, and author of two books: Reviving Artemis: The Making of a Huntress, a memoir, and Into the Wilderness, a novel. Join these two wise, word-loving women as they discuss their different paths to similar ends: a deep love for language, stories, and the Northern forest.

6 to 7 p.m. at the Keene Public Library. No registration required. For more information, including questions about accessibility, contact Susie.

Co-sponsored by the Harris Center for Conservation Education and the Keene Library

About Deborah Lee Luskin

Deborah moved from New York City to Vermont in 1984 to write, keep bees, and raise daughters. She has been an editorial columnist, radio commentator, pen-for-hire, and blogger. Her first novel, Into the Wilderness, won the Independent Publishers Gold Medal for Regional Fiction. Luskin has also enjoyed a long career as an educator, teaching writing and literature-based humanities classes to gifted elementary writers, college students, new adult readers, life-long learners, healthcare workers, and prison inmates. She holds a PhD in English Literature and expected to become an academic, not a deer hunter. She lives in Vermont with her husband, their dog, usually a cat, and a variable number of chickens.

About Susie Spikol

Writer and Harris Center teacher-naturalist Susie Spikol has spent her life exploring the intersection of nature and story. Growing up in Brooklyn, she searched for fairies and gnomes, enchanted by fireflies and snails — an early love of nature that shaped her 30-year career as a naturalist and educator. She has inspired thousands through hands-on programs and public talks, earning numerous awards for her work. A regular contributor to Yankee, Northern Woodlands, and Taproot Magazine, she also writes the “Backyard Nature” column for the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript. Her first book, published in 2022,  The Animal Adventurer’s Guide: How to Prowl for Owls, Make Snail Slime, and Catch a Frog Bare-Handed, was recognized with a National Parenting Products Award. Her new book Forest Magic for Kids: How to Find for Fairies, Make a Secret Fort, and Cook Up an Elfin Picnic is filled with activities inspired by imagination, folklore, and science and an invitation to all readers to step outside and discover the beauty and magic of the world.