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Doug Clark: Blythe Thimsen’s ‘Spokane’s Stories’ delves into local lore

Considering the sad state of print these days, I’m probably lucky that Blythe Thimsen hasn’t sued me for helping jump-start her journalism career.

Au contraire. Thimsen, editor of Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living magazine for the last 10 years, gave me an appreciative shout-out in a recent issue.

Recapping what happened over a dozen years ago, she wrote in her editor’s column …

“Intrigued by the letter I sent him, and learning of my desire to be a writer, he encouraged me to pursue a career in writing, introducing me to contacts and opportunities to gain experience.”

That’s me, Mr. Encouragement.

But it was a no-brainer to see that Thimsen is wicked smart. Now 38, she still has the same love for writing that impressed me when we first met.

On Thursday, she handed me the latest evidence: a copy of her new self-published book, “Spokane’s Stories.” It arrived the other day from the printer, just in time for Christmas.

How convenient is that?

(The yearbook-size book sells for $34.99. Copies can be ordered through www.blythethimsen.com, which has a PayPal link.)

Thimsen said she spent much of the last three years selecting, researching and writing 28 stories about “people, places and events that have shaped Spokane.”

This is a history book, of course, also loaded with many vintage photographs that are fascinating to gaze at.

Don’t, however, peg Thimsen as a “history freak.” She simply wanted to write a book that would “show that we have a great city.”

A Lewis and Clark grad (Class of ’94), Thimsen chose stories she found entertaining as well as important to her hometown.

Included in the mix are such tales as …

“Burn, Baby Burn: The History of Spokane’s Fire Department,” “How Natatorium Park Became the Heartbeat of Spokane” and “Where the Treetops Glisten: Bing Crosby and Spokane’s White Christmas.”

“I always wanted to write a book,” she said. “Now I’ve accomplished that goal.

“Next, I want to sell a book.”

At one point during our conversation, Thimsen told me that she loved “digging into the stories,” which reminded me of the yarn that started it all in 2001.

Like many story ideas, Blythe Thimsen’s “Shoe Day” pitch came to me via email.

With one big difference: It was exceptionally well written.

In short, her story was about a crazy day-after-Thanksgiving shopping tradition that centered around Thimsen’s aunt and a hideous women’s shoe that was being sold at Nordstrom.

Thimsen described the footwear in her magazine column:

“A mustard gold leather bootie, curling at the toe and gathered at the ankle with an elastic strap, this shoe looked like it could only be destined for the small foot of a seasonal display elf …”

Thimsen and her sister laughed themselves silly over the shoe and then went on with their shopping.

And then …

Hours later at another store, auntie reached into her oversized purse to discover – you guessed it – The Shoe.

Hilarity and accusations ensued.

Aunt blamed her nieces for planting the shoe. (They still deny it.) The siblings branded their aunt as a shoe-lifter. (She wasn’t.)

The mystery, alas, was never solved. The shoe was returned to Nordstrom and a quirky tradition was born.

“We’ve tortured my aunt with the holiday,” admitted Thimsen, adding that the yearly pranks ranged from shoe-imprinted T-shirts to a luncheon menu featuring shoestring potatoes, hush puppies and sole.

I got involved for Shoe Day’s 10th anniversary, surprising the aunt with an unexpected newspaper story.

Thimsen soon was working on an exit strategy from her banking job. A year or two of freelancing articles eventually paid off with a great job at a popular glossy magazine. And now she has her own book, to boot.

As for me, my goal hasn’t changed since I met her. I still want to know how the darn shoe got in the handbag.

Doug Clark is a columnist for The Spokesman-Review. He can be reached at (509) 459-5432 or by email at dougc@spokesman.com.

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