Heidi Lee & Lee Ribich: The poet coach speaks of life, love and basketball

Heidi Lee speaks with her  former teacher Lee Ribich about how he came to Alaska, first living in the Arctic and then moving to Petersburg with his wife Gail.

He talks about the crisis of conscience that drove him out of riot-torn Detroit in the turbulent 1960’s, and how he and Gail were determined to find a place to make a difference. Lee taught English in Petersburg, and started the first high school basketball team for girls here.

In this excerpt, Heidi tells Lee how he inspired her in high school and how his encouragement led her to become interested in collecting oral histories.