The University of Maine at Presque Isle will host Andrew Vietze – the writer and Katahdin area park ranger whose latest book explores how a 19th century Aroostook County woodsman “toughened up” future president Theodore Roosevelt – as the next speaker in its 2011-2012 University Distinguished Lecturer Series.

Vietze will talk about the adventures our 26th President had in the Maine wilderness with his mentor and lifelong friend, Maine guide William Wingate Sewall, when he delivers his talk, William Sewall and Teddy Roosevelt: How a Maine Guide Inspired a Man Who Would Be President at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 6, in the Campus Center. The public is invited to attend a reception and book-signing event to be held in the Alumni Room immediately following his lecture.

Vietze spends six months of each year working in the wilds of the Katahdin region, and the rest of his time penning everything from travel guides to magazine articles to his first novel. The author of five books, Vietze will speak about his latest publication, Becoming Teddy Roosevelt: How a Maine Guide Inspired America’s 26th President, which recently won a silver medal at the Independent Publisher Book Awards in New York and was honored by the Maine State Legislature.

The former managing editor of Down East: The Magazine of Maine, he’s written for a wide variety of magazines and online publications, including Time Out New York, The New York Times’ LifeWire, Weather.com’s Forecast Earth, Crawdaddy!, AMC Outdoors, Popmatters, Hooked on the Outdoors, Explore, Offshore, Big Sky Journal, MaineBiz, and Maine Times. Two of his pieces for Down East have won awards for feature writing from the International Regional Magazine Association.

Vietze’s other books include Insiders’ Guide to the Maine Coast, Hip Hop History of the World – Part 1: From the Dawn of Civilization through the Renaissance, Where in Maine: 50 Intriguing Places in the Pine Tree State, and Acadia Field Guide. He’s currently hard at work on the first history of the harrowing tale of Boon Island, and is finishing his debut novel, a thriller set in the North Woods of Maine during the lumbering era.

Vietze resides in Appleton, Maine, with his wife and two sons.

The University’s Distinguished Lecturer Series was established in 1999. Each year, the UDLS Committee sponsors five to six speakers who come from Maine and beyond, representing a range of disciplines and viewpoints. While the emphasis tends to be on featuring visiting academics, it is not exclusively so. The speakers typically spend two days at the University meeting with classes and presenting a community lecture.

Following Vietze’s talk, there will be a reception and book signing event. The public is invited to be a part of this free event. For more information, contact the University’s Community and Media Relations Office at 768-9452. For more information about Vietze, visit www.andrewvietze.com.