Category: Feature

Feature stories on the Great Lakes Den (interviews, profiles, fun stuff).

Leather Press Series: Writing for Leather

Fourth in a four-part series I’ve talked about supporting, using and creating leather press. So it just makes sense to talk about writing for it. I’m gonna focus on two types, factual and opinion. Factual will be any item about an upcoming event, a contest, a civil rights news item, etc. It’s for pure information…

Leather Press Series: Becoming the Leather Press

Third in a four-part series There are actually some good reasons to become part of the leather press. I have complained a bit about the challenges, but there are things I like about it. And I’d love for more people to join it. The first reason, it’s a way to give back. One thing the…

Renee Beckman, Women’s International Leather Legacy 2017

Renee Beckman of Alaska won this year’s Women’s International Leather Legacy title last month in Dallas. She’s become the latest Alaskan to take home an international title, one of a distinguished line.

“I’m actually the fifth,” Renee said in a phone interview with the Great Lakes Den. “We now have more international titleholders than anywhere else in the United States.”

Renee said she was actually shocked to win with the class of contestants she competed with. This year had five women competing, the largest number yet. She was taken aback by the bios of the other women and all they had done. When she was announced as the winner, she knew she had done enough.

International Bootblacks: boy Patrick ICBB 2016

Let’s take a moment to introduce you to all three of this year’s current International Bootblacks. There are three in all, International Mr. Bootblack (IMBB), International Ms Bootblack (IMsBB), and International Community Bootblack (ICBB). In this three part series the bootblacks were each asked a series of questions as well as some questions asked of…