Event Partner
Author Talk: In the Range of Fire and Ice
David B. Williams in conversation with Mary Ann Gwinn
Photo: Marjorie Kittle
Photo: Marjorie Kittle
Date & Time
September 16, 2026
6:30 p.m.
This event is in the past.
Tickets
Burke members: FREE
General admission: $10
Registration coming soon.
The Burke Museum welcomes author David B. Williams for a conversation In this event, David B. Williams will be in conversation with local journalist Mary Ann Gwinn. about his new book, In the Range of Fire and Ice.
Blending human and natural history into a vivid portrait of one of North America’s most dynamic landscapes, In the Range of Fire and Ice is a lively, groundbreaking exploration of Washington’s Cascade Range. Drawing on conversations with anthropologists, park rangers, ecologists, and climate scientists, as well as firsthand experience, award-winning author David B. Williams brings readers into the mountains to uncover stories etched in the landscape over millennia.
From traditional Indigenous huckleberry harvesting grounds and ancient footpaths to erupting volcanoes, shifting glaciers, and forgotten mining camps, In the Range of Fire and Ice reveals the Cascades as a place of both deep time and constant change. While past logging, mining, and fires left lasting scars, the Cascades also tell powerful stories of recovery and resilience--returning wolverines and wolves, the remarkable rebirth of Mount St. Helens, and growing stewardship in the face of climate change. Through rich storytelling and careful research, Williams invites readers to see the Cascades not only as mountains, but as a living, evolving realm of fire, ice, and hope.
The presentation will be followed by a book signing. Copies of In the Range of Fire and Ice will be available for purchase from the Burke Store.
About the Authors
David B. Williams is an author, naturalist, and tour guide. He is the author of numerous books, including the award-winning Homewaters: A Human and Natural History of Puget Sound, plus Wild in Seattle: Stories at the Crossroads of People and Nature; Cairns: Messengers in Stone; Stories in Stone: Travels Through Urban Geology; and Waterway: The Story of Seattle’s Ship Canal and Locks, the latter two of which were finalists for the Washington State Book Award. Williams writes a free weekly Substack newsletter, the Street Smart Naturalist. He lives in Seattle. Learn more on his website.
Mary Ann Gwinn writes about books and authors for Kirkus Reviews, The Los Angeles Times and other publications. A Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist, she was the book editor of the Seattle Times from 1998 to 2017, a judge for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize in fiction and the co-host of Well Read, a national books and authors television show. She is currently on the board of the National Book Critics Circle. Mary Ann lives in West Seattle with her family.
