One is fact. One is fiction.
One is the true story of a well-known North Okanagan artist. One is the made-up story of the author's childhood dream.
It's been a busy couple of years for Vernon author Don Klepp, 80, a retired communications consultant.
He has self-published his latest two books. The first is called Robert Kingsmill 鈥� The Man and His Art, which Klepp wrote in 2023.
The second is a novel he wrote this year about baseball, and Klepp living out his childhood dream of becoming a Major League Baseball player. It's called High and Inside 鈥� A Novel.
FACT
Kingsmill, said Klepp, is "an accomplished ceramic artist, one of the best in the country."
"He does murals, masks, pottery, tableware, but the big deal is his art," said Klepp of the man who runs his studio out of his 2.7 acre Aberdeen Road property in Coldstream. Kingsmill's works hang in a number of buildings across the country.
Kingsmill, a former newspaper reporter, originally from Winnipeg, moved to the Okanagan in 1967, specifically the Mission area in 91大黄鸭. After the city "expropriated his property," said Klepp, Kingsmill moved north to Coldstream.
He was the first artist to have a studio at Vancouver's Granville Island, and worked out of that studio once a week per month for years, but, now aged 83, he no longer does that.
Klepp struck up a friendship with Kingsmill and decided the artist deserved a book.
"He's happy to have me around, making jokes at my expense," laughed Klepp. "I started following him, watching him work, and he's immensely talented. He's so damn funny. He's 83 and still making art.
"Working with clay is not for the faint of heart."
The book Robert Kingsmill 鈥� The Man and His Art is available for sale at Kingsmill's studio at 8405 Aberdeen Rd.
FICTION
In 2024, Klepp thought back to his childhood days in Saskatchewan where, as a 10-year-old, he dreamed of playing Major League Baseball. The former catcher-first baseman, and, later, a competitive fastpitch softball pitcher, used it as inspiration for High and Inside 鈥� A Novel.
"When I was in high school, I played with a couple of fantastic players that didn't go anywhere," said Klepp. "One had to drop out and look after the family farm when his dad became ill. The other became an accountant.
"Then I had this idea about a player getting hurt when he was hit in the head by a 100-mile-an-hour fastball, recovered, but got hooked on painkillers."
The book is about fictional centre fielder August Johanson, a star player from rural Saskatchewan whose talent is spotted when he attends a Toronto Blue Jays development camp held in Saskatchewan. Johanson is named MVP of the camp.
The Seattle Mariners draft Johanson, which is one of many conflicts for the teenager.
Klepp calls the plot "a redemption story."
"He falls into a pit of despair (after getting beaned at the plate) and climbs his way back," said Klepp. "His parents don't want him to play baseball. He goes to live with his grandfather, who was a good ball player but quit for religious reasons.
"It's also a love story. His girlfriend is Lani, a college soccer player."
Klepp is trying to find a bookstore that will carry his self-published works. If you'd like to buy either book, you can phone or text Klepp at 250-307-9384.
Klepp also authored the book Vernon Hockey History 鈥� 1894-2021 and released it in 2021.
