A Few Words from Robert Crow
Keeping Staying Alive in Bear Country alive was a no brainer quest. This was a constant thought going through my head as I sat by my dad’s bedside in summer 2025 or in the hospital waiting room as my mom, my sister, and I rotated between being with Dad and waiting in the lobby during the two weeks between the morning when Mom couldn’t get him to wake up and the day he ultimately passed in late July. Staying Alive in Bear Country is a linked collection of short stories Dad had been developing and sharing for decades. Old Joe Grady, the protagonist, was first conjured up when Dad was a young hiking counselor during his college summers. Old Joe was created to motivate campers, but became the star in a novel that, while a work of fiction, is loosely autobiographical of my dad and my family. Dad first began trying to get Old Joe’s stories published while he was still a college professor in the early 2000s. He read stories on the local public radio station. He sent stories to various publishers with no luck. During my final year of college, I had to author a thesis, and those of us in my major program were required to get our theses bound. As a Father’s Day present that year, I copied the files from Dad’s computer to an original floppy drive and compiled the stories into a document. I wrote a foreword and bound the manuscript just as I had my thesis. Decades later, Dad used this manuscript to return to his dream of publishing Old Joe’s stories. As it turns out, there aren’t many computers now that can open the original floppy drives that those of us of a certain age can remember from playing The Oregon Trail or Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? The last time I was back in North Carolina visiting, I asked Mom if I could have that first printing of Old Joe’s stories. I brought it to my home, where it’s proudly displayed with a collection of professionally published and bound Staying Alive in Bear Country prints. I don’t recall if I came up with the title of what I printed back in 2002 or whether it was Dad’s choice. Somewhere Between the Devil and Crazy wouldn’t have quite the same ring as Staying Alive in Bear Country, but it sure does give you an idea of the adventures you’ll experience while traversing the life and adventures of Old Joe Grady. Dad’s dogged determination to get Staying Alive in Bear Country published carried him through much of his later life. Dad retired at a relatively early age and was not good at sitting still and doing nothing. He learned Spanish and worked with the legal aid community in Raleigh, he worked with medical missions, and he continued to revise and rework Old Joe’s stories. I asked him once why he was doing all these activities and he said, “well, I want to keep my mind fresh and I hate crosswords.” The night before Mom couldn’t get Dad to wake up, he was working on his book. He signed his contract with Black Rose Writing in May 2025 and was working to fine tune his manuscript before its final submission. He went to bed that night having refused to give up on his dream of getting his book published and he left this world with a fresh mind. Fortunately, Black Rose Writing didn’t give up on Dad or Old Joe when Dad got sick. Dad had asked me to read the contract prior to signing it. I remembered some important things from that reading. One section stuck out to me as I sat in Dad’s hospital room. The contract was assignable with the consent of the author and publisher. I worked with a friend, who is an attorney specializing in contracts, and one of Dad’s former colleagues to get the contract assigned to her so she could finish it. When I approached Black Rose’s founder, Reagan Rothe, with the plan, he said “we don’t need to do that. You can finish your dad’s book.” Fortunately, Dad’s former colleague, Dr. Lana Whited, agreed to work with me and over the course of the next 10 or so months, we spoke, texted, and emailed often about edits, revisions, and new ideas. I’ll always treasure helping finish Dad’s book, but I’ll also keep close the friendship and I developed with Lana in finish Dad’s project. A week after the publication date of Staying Alive in Bear Country, we had a book launch event at the conference center in the town where I grew up. There were many people there who had known my dad over the years and we got a ton of great photos of everyone there celebrating Dad and Old Joe. However, I must say, I think one of the best photos of the event was Lana and me standing on the porch outside of the conference center with bear country in the background. There is so much more to say about Old Joe Grady and Staying Alive in Bear Country, but I want to pivot more to the man behind Old Joe. Pete Crow wore many hats and served many roles for many people. But, to me, first and foremost, he was Dad. He was the person I looked to for advice and guidance. He was my first call, or text, when I was excited, but also my first contact when I was down. I have no doubt that family was the most important thing to Dad. Throughout my life, I have asked myself “what would Dad do?” when choosing a course of action. Rarely has proceeding in the fashion I believed he would have led me astray. This has become even clearer in the most important role I have had, which began January 2, 2017, when I became a dad. I constantly find myself saying things to my kids, playing
“This Novel Was a Family Affair” by Ralph Ellis
Pete Crow accomplished a lot in his 82 years. Beloved professor for 35 years at Ferrum College in Virginia. Committed outdoorsman who hiked the Smokies and the Swiss Alps. Environmentalist who helped stop construction of the New River dam in the 1970s. Public health proponent who made mission trips to Honduras. An opponent of racial injustice who accompanied his wife, Beth, on a visit to South Africa, where they collaborated with Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Read the full article here: https://www.ralphellisauthor.com/home-1/this-novel-was-a-family-affair
A Few Words from Beth Crow
Pete and I shared forty-eight years together. By the time we met, he had a Ph.D. in English and was teaching at Ferrum College. Even before we married, he shared his love for the outdoors with me on backpacking adventures to Dolly Sods, West Virginia. I can remember as clearly as if it were yesterday Pete telling his mother that our three-month-old daughter, Amy, did fine camping once we covered her with leaves; his mother was not impressed. Our children, Amy and Rob, grew up around nature and storytelling. Like Pete had done with his campers years earlier, he would make up stories to distract them from complaining about the hiking. Our yellow child-carrying backpack became Big Bird, and fallen trees along the path were discarded toothpicks from area giants. Old Joe Grady was as much a part of our family as any relative. Many of the stories within Staying Alive in Bear Country were shared during soccer practice, canoe trips, or around a campfire. There were also many stories about Pete’s adventures in the wilderness, such as his own encounter with a black bear—a story we often attributed to his tall-tales. Pete was a man of honor, an individual who truly worked hard at seeing the good in all people. He was a mentor to so many, not just his students and his children. One of the young adults from Botswana with whom Pete worked during the program I coordinated in 2015–2017 recently wrote: “Thank you to you and Uncle Pete for being such a great impact in our lives, Aunty Beth. Each time I am going through it and feel like the world is closing in on me, I remember a conversation I had with Uncle Pete in Cape Town in 2016 where he told me to appreciate chaos because the character development that comes from it makes me the leader I am. This has become something akin to Philippians 4:13—a personal mantra.” I miss him beyond words, but the publication of this book has helped keep his spirit alive. I am so very proud of my children for all they have done to ensure Pete’s book would be published, from Rob working through this past year with Professor Lana Whited and Black Rose Writing, to Amy using her graphic design skills to create flyers to promote upcoming book launches. Pete would be so proud as well.
A Few Words from Amy Crow
I have always embraced the title “Daddy’s Girl” perhaps because I also always embraced being a Daddy’s Girl. Dad and I had a way of communicating that was different from anyone else I have ever known. I would listen and show interest in his interests, and he would often (at least pretend to) take interest in mine. For quite a while, my interest was shopping. It took work and a certain finesse to get my dad to buy something I wanted. I often spent more time convincing him than I ever did enjoying whatever he had bought me. So a lesson in Chaucer may be traded for new shin guards, a discussion on Macbeth translated into a new rain jacket, and a long involved discussion on Faulkner may have resulted in a new pair of pjs for college. We both knew how to work the other. This stayed true throughout my entire life. Around 45 I remember finally explaining to Mom and Dad that disappointing my dad was the worst thing I could imagine. I don’t know that this is what led me to teaching for sure, but as I approach my 17th year teaching, I know for certain that I became a teacher largely to be closer to my dad. It just turned out lucky for both of us that it was what we love and were meant to do. I remember having my dad come visit my class and being so excited to show him off. I also remember seeing him get totally snowed under by a class of third graders. One particular time I had to leave the room for a few minutes to use the bathroom or make a quick copy so I left dad in charge. When I returned literally in less than 5 minutes, the class was wild and dad looked like a matador after he had faced the bull, but he still returned the next week under the stipulation that I never leave the room again! Each new school year, dad would ask me to take pictures of my new students so he could practice their names. My students began to look forward to Mr. Pete’s weekly visits. I honestly don’t know if I will ever fully grasp dad’s impact on this world. I also have no idea HOW he did it. What I do know is that my dad was authentic and 100% himself my entire life. In doing this he was always humble, kind, and open-minded, learning, caring, growing, and living. What I now know for certain is that my admiration for my dad was not a unique sentiment I felt. Since his death, I have been blown away by the number of people throughout his entire life who admired my dad. Quite honestly, I was a little upset that I had not seen it so clearly when he was alive but that’s exactly what makes him so authentic. Praise wasn’t something he sought. He did the things he did because he felt they were the right things to do. His moral compass was forever stuck in the position of doing what was best for others. Since so many of you knew him as a great person I thought I would share a little bit of what you may not know. My dad was an amazing dad. He was not perfect, but was always authentic in this capacity as well. He put so much into being a great dad. I look back at pictures from my earliest years and I see a man ecstatic to be a dad, my dad. He was goofy and would put my tights on his head to emulate a rabbit as he read Peter Rabbit to me. He learned everything there was to know about coaching soccer because I needed someone to coach my first team. He was so creative, even if all of his creations were not a success (like green beans and peanut butter). He made mistakes but he always owned them and taught me to do the same. He was always teaching me without me even realizing I was learning. And he could do this because his enthusiasm for whatever the topic was was contagious. I hope learning continues to be contagious for the rest of my life! That will be one way I hold onto my dad! – Amy Crow