Yes, it’s true. We’re all bloggy, electronic-book-reading, texters these days, but some of us still dig books.   Real dead-tree paper books with purty pictures.

For months now, our re-booted oral history program, called the Legacy Project, has exclusively published oral history-biographies electronically – as in posted free  on our website.  Tons of people have clicked on and some, like the one that got written up in Rolling Stone (the material on rocker-civic activist Krist Novoselic), were very popular indeed.

And yet some folks told us they prefer books.

And so, using no public dollars, we’ve published the first book version – the story of Nancy Evans.  Secretary of State Sam Reed, who’s office houses the Legacy Project, and chief historian and author John Hughes, presented Governor Gregoire with an autographed copy for the Mansion Library.  The books are $25, plus handling. Other books are forthcoming on civil rights leader Lillian Walker, former Governor Booth Gardner and tribal leader Billy Frank.

Nancy Evans partnered with her husband, Dan, when he served in the Legislature, three terms as governor, president of The Evergreen State College, and U.S. senator. Nancy Evans, while rearing three sons during the gubernatorial years, managed to save the Governors’ Mansion from the wrecking ball. She was a trustee of Whitman College and KCTS, worked for the Seattle Symphony and numerous civic, charitable and artist causes.  The University of Washington has an institute named in her honor, assisting the private non-profit world.

Plus, she’s a cool person.