"Frontier Madam: The Life of Dell Burke, Lady of Lusk" was not written by a local author but is about a woman of some repute (although it might be called ill-repute) who lived close by. Dell Burke was not the lady’s real name. She took that name because her profession was such that she preferred not to use her real name. She ran a well-known bordello in Lusk, Wyoming, during the first half of the twentieth century. This house of "entertainment" was known as the Yellow Hotel. Residents living in Scottsbluff and surrounding areas may still remember this landmark building.

The book’s author June Willson Read, PhD grew up on a ranch outside of Lusk and became fascinated with the tales, surrounding Dell Burke. Dr. Read will be at the Scottsbluff Public Library on Tuesday, August 26 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. to present a program on how the book came to be written and to sign copies of her books.

The following is what Dr. Read says about the writing of "Frontier Madam".

I never planned to write a book about a "lady of the evening", but it just worked out that way. Dell Burke was the very successful madam of the Yellow Hotel in Lusk, WY, and I became intrigued with her life story as I listened to tales about Dell during the sale of her estate in 1981.

After I pursued a psychotherapy career for about 20 years, I returned to Dell’s life story and was delighted that the five years of research and writing have yielded a highly readable book called "Frontier Madam: The Life of Dell Burke, Lady of Lusk."

As I talked with contributors, I was amazed and delighted by the stories told about Dell, her girls and their lives by more than a hundred people who were interviewed.

Although I was raised on a cattle ranch outside Lusk, I never saw Dell or her girls during the twelve years I attended school there. If I had seen her on the street, she would have simply appeared as one of the attractive older women in town – and there were many I did not know. But outstandingly attractive Dell was and photographs in the book attest to that.

Dr. Read encourages contributors and friends to attend the presentation and have their books autographed. Copies of "Frontier Madam" will be available for sale at the library for $13.00. The program will start at 2:00 p.m. in the Scottsbluff Public Library meeting room, 1809 3^rd Avenue. Please call the library at 308-630-6250 for more information

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