Tahoe is home to many writers. Poets, novelists, memoirists, outdoor and travel writers and journalists are inspired by the magic of the majestic cragged peaks, snowy landscapes and the deep blues of Lake Tahoe. Words are essential. They help us communicate ideas and express feelings. Writing takes a reader on a journey, fosters learning and illuminates the world around us. Books, articles and stories take us on an adventure to far-off lands, educate us and allow us to escape into a juicy novel.
There are several people in the Tahoe region that I consider stewards of the written word, people who foster the literary arts. They aren’t all writers, but each is dedicated to writing as an art form. I believe that each one embraces the belief that writing has the power to change the world.
Tahoe publishers Katherine H. Hill of Tahoe Guide (formerly Tahoe Weekly), Mayumi Peacock of Moonshine Ink and Mike Rogge of Mountain Gazette are three people dedicated to keeping words on the page.
‘Print ain’t dead’
“Print ain’t dead” is the mantra of Mike Rogge, who took a leap of faith when his company Verb Cabin purchased and revived Mountain Gazette in 2020. The long-form publication focuses on life in the outdoors.
“When it comes to the written word, I think it’s actually being used more now than ever before,” says Rogge. He points out that we use text messages, Instagram and other social-media platforms to tell stories.
“I think that what the written word, digital photography and art were missing was the right medium. I felt like a highly curated magazine was the way to do that,” Rogge says.
He believes that the unique size of Mountain Gazette, combined with its high-quality paper and long-form content, distinguishes the magazine from other publications. Rogge publishes the subscription-based magazine twice a year. Some features take nine months to develop. He loves the idea that it can be read at one’s pace and savored. It’s a collector’s item with stunning photography.
According to Rogge, he has standards for writers: “I look for gumption, confidence and fearlessness. I feel like confidence is something that many writers lack today and I’m hoping that through the gazette and my editing style, I can instill a little more confidence in some of our freelancers.” His commitment is reaching many generations of readers including actor Steve Martin and cartoonist Harry Bliss, who both contribute to Mountain Gazette. | mountaingazette.com
Telling the stories of Tahoe
Hill is committed to supporting the community through the features and columns in every edition of Tahoe Guide, which was founded in 1982. The publication is the region’s premier feature magazine for visitors and locals covering the outdoors, live music, entertainment, art, food, history and issues that impact Tahoe’s environment. Tahoe Guide illuminates remarkable people and the places that define the community.
“We tell the stories of the people and places that make Tahoe unique,” says Hill. “Whether we are covering family-friendly outings, local musicians and artists, public access to public lands, or in-depth stories on Tahoe’s fragile environment, our coverage is rooted in telling the stories of the people, the locals, that make up the backbone of our community.”
She is also committed to promoting the local arts and co-founded the Tahoe Literary Festival with Priya Hutner to highlight the region’s literary artists. The Festival will take place Oct. 11 and 12 in Tahoe City. | yourtahoeguide.com, tahoelitfest.com
Keeping Tahoe smart
Moonshine Ink is an independent newspaper lead by Peacock. The publication offers in-depth stories about Truckee and Tahoe and uncovers and investigates issues that matter to the community. Moonshine Ink is committed to keeping Tahoe smart.
“Stories make us human. Storytelling has always held a vital role for humans. They help us remember and understand ourselves that betters us and the whole earth,” says Peacock. | moonshineink.com
South Shore’s independent news
Tahoe Mountain News is celebrating its 30th anniversary as the South Shore’s independent news outlet. Owner Tyler Flynn started the publication with Vincent Hernandez in 1994. Both men wanted to create a publication that offered them the freedom to write what they wanted without the constraints they found with other publications.
Heather Gould is the current publisher and leading the helm at Tahoe Mountain News and committed to keeping print alive and covering stories about the South Lake Tahoe community. | tahoemountainnews.net
Words are art
“Words are how we communicate; they are an art form. It’s why I enjoy reading books. It has a way of transporting you into a different world. You visually read the words, but it also takes you visually into your inner mind and gets transported to where the book takes you or the words take you,” says Julia Drake, co-founder of Wildbound Book PR and Marketing, which represents authors.
Drake finds that by working with authors she gets to know the person and the writer. For her the written word is multi-dimensional and an integral part of our culture. | wildboundpr.com
Supporting writers
Brett Hall-Jones is the executive director of Community of Writers, which hosts an annual writing conference each summer in Olympic Valley. For more than 50 years, writers and poets have applied to the conference, one of the top five major writers’ conferences in the country, to work on their projects. Leading authors, editors and literary agents offer workshops and help aspiring writers hone their craft.
“National, international and local writers participate. It’s an important aspect of our mission to bring world-class literary arts to the Tahoe region,” says Hall-Jones.
“I’m not a writer, but I’ve been supporting writers my whole life. My husband’s a writer. My father, Oakley Hall, the founder of Community of Writers is a writer, and my sister, Sands Hall, is a brilliant writer,” says Hall-Jones. | communityofwriters.org
There are many people keeping words alive in the Tahoe region and for all of us who write, we are profoundly grateful to our editors, publishers and readers.
Literary Events
- Aug. 14 & Sept. 11 | Poetry at the Backyard | Tahoe Backyard, Kings Beach
- Aug. 25-Sept. 29 | James Joyce’s Ulysses | Community of Writers, virtual
- Oct. 11 & 12 | Tahoe Literary Festival | Tahoe City
