Fritz Damler

Fritz opted for early retirement after high school and has since lead lives as a paramedic, ski instructor, musician and student at the University of New Mexico. He spent the '80s circumnavigating the globe in a 35 ft. classic wooden cutter and has been a guitar maker since 1972. After a near severing of the middle finger on his right hand during a sailing misadventure, he felt compelled to write about the incident. It was published by Cruising World in '84. After that, every time something went amiss he purged his negativity with another "How Not To" piece. Throughout the ten years spent circumnavigating the globe he also wrote long missives home to family and friends. These were ultimately published as a booklet cleverly entitled, Letters Home, by Tinkertown Museum near Albuquerque, New Mexico where his 80 year-old wooden cutter, Theodora R, now resides. He began writing books in 1994 and is the author of three mystery/thrillers: A Rug to Die For, Okavango, and Suvarov. He co-authored Plunge - Crafting the Uncommon Midlife, with his wife, Mari Anderson, about their radical move to a remote Bahamian island. It is written in two distinct points of view - think Venus and Mars in paradise. 'Ten Years Behind the Mast', is a travel memoir of his ten year circumnavigation - think lost at sea. Suvarov won 1st place for action/adventure at the 1996 Southwest Writers conference and Plunge received an award at the 2012 New York Book Festival. He currently lives with his wife, Mari, on Washington Island, Wisconsin, and on Crooked Island, Bahamas.