Edward J Martley

Ed Martley, a professional journalist, was born on the high plains of South Dakota at the tail end of the Depression. There was something about that remote, windswept country which worked its way into his bones, leading to a career spanning more than 50 years of wandering the wide open spaces, from his prairie homeland to as far south as the llano estacado, and as far north as the farthest reaches of arctic Alaska.

Although he worked all aspects of his profession — reporter, sports writer, editor, columnist, photographer — Ed’s greatest interest is exploring and writing about the outdoors. His happiest years were as outdoor editor for a daily newspaper in Alaska, where he traveled the state by bush plane, helicopter, canoe, or when there was a road, in his beloved GMC pickup, which, at this writing, is forty-four years old and still running just fine, thank you.

Some of his other books are The Practical Speech Handbook; Raucous and Rowdy Days in the Black Hills; and War Kids, the Littlest Generation. Soon to be published as an electronic book is Cocktail Hour in the Land of the Midnight Sun, a collection of usually — but not always — funny stories about life in Alaska.

Ed is retired now, and he and his wife, Suzanne, live in Rapid City, South Dakota. They spend as much time as they can at their cabin deep in the Black Hills National Forest where their three dogs can run loose during the day. At night, the dogs are kept in because of mountain lions that roam the area.