Montana author A.J. Otjen comes to the Great Falls Public Library to discuss, and sign copies of her newest book Burned Over: The Survival of Montana Fireman Dan Steffensen. The talk is from 4 to 5 pm on Wednesday, June 26th in the Cordingley Room. Otjen’s book takes the reader inside one firefighter’s solitary struggle with life and loss and how it intertwines with the job and communities he loves and serves.
Joining Otjen for our event is Dan Steffensen himself, who will answer questions and talk about his experiences. Otjen’s book covers Steffensen’s recovery in the summer of 2021, when he was badly burned while fighting the Harris Hill fire north of Joliet.
In a recent interview, Otjen said Steffensen’s struggles went far beyond what people saw, or even what the news reported.
“He was really struggling internally whether he wanted to live or die and trying to get that captured and put it on the page was very difficult,” she said.
Otjen lives in Laurel, but grew up in Oklahoma. Before becoming a writer, she spent 23 years as a corporate executive in the food, housing, and technology industries, followed by working as VP of Marketing Operations at Sprint PCS. She is now also a professor at Montana State University in Billings, where she can, “pass on my real-world experience to the next generation, coming home to my animals and peaceful canyon,” according to her website.
After writing Burned Over, she has served as a presenter or guest professor in Germany, Turkey, Austria, Egypt, Italy, Spain, and Greece. But she proclaims, “There is no place as beautiful as Montana.”
For more information, contact Jake Sorich at jsorich@greatfallslibrary.org or
406-453-0349 ex. 220.
Author: Staff
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