Lance Garland- Out There: Dispatches from My Personal Wilderness

Join Village Books and North Cascades Institute in welcoming veteran, firefighter, nature adventurer, and writer Lance Garland to the Readings Gallery to share his debut book, Out There: Dispatches from My Personal Wilderness!

An outsider's tale of discovering the worlds of nature and adventure, and himself along the way In an era when LGBTQ+ stories are finally finding their rightful place in mainstream media, Out There offers something uniquely powerful: a raw, authentic memoir that bridges the gap between military service, environmental healing, and queer identity.

Lance Garland's journey reads like a perfect storm of contemporary American issues: military sexual assault, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy complications, first-generation college struggles, workplace discrimination, and the healing power of nature. This isn't just another coming-out story—it's a testament to resilience that spans from Navy warships in the Pacific to the rugged wilderness of the Pacific Northwest.

Lance Garland is a veteran, firefighter, nature adventurer, and writer. His work has appeared in Outside, Travel & Leisure, Backpacker, Orion, and elsewhere. His honors include the Pathfinder Prize, a fellowship at the Banff Center's Mountain Writing Residency, and a Catalyst grant from the American Alpine Club. He lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington.

North Cascades Institute envisions healthy Northwest ecosystems where all communities and species thrive. Our mission is to inspire environmental stewardship through transformative learning experiences in nature. Since 1986, we have helped connect people, nature and community through the hands-on study of the natural and cultural history of the Pacific Northwest.

*Feel free to call Village Books and Paper Dreams for further assiantance at 360-671-2626!*

Host or Publisher Village Books