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The Way North: Collected Upper Peninsula New Works
Michigan's Upper Peninsula is distinct from the rest of the state in geography, climate, and culture, including a unique and thriving creative writing community. In The Way North: Collected Upper Peninsula New Works, editor Ron Riekki presents poetry, fiction, and non-fiction from memorable, varied voices that are writing from and about Michigan's Upper Peninsula. In all, this unique anthology features new works from forty-two writers, including rising star Ellen Airgood, Edgar Award-winner Steve Hamilton, Rona Jaffe Award-winner Catie Rosemurgy, Jonathan Johnson of Best American Poetry, Michigan Notable Book Award-winner Keith Taylor, and Michigan Author Award-winner John Smolens.
In 49 poems and 20 stories-diverse in form, length, and content-readers are introduced to the unmistakable terrain and characters of the U.P. The book not only showcases the snow, small towns, and idiosyncratic characters that readers might expect but also introduces unexpected regions and voices. From the powerful powwow in Baraga of April Lindala's "For the Healing of All Women" to the sex-charged basement in Stambaugh of Chad Faries's "Hotel Stambaugh: Michigan, 1977" to the splendor found between Newberry and Paradise in Joseph D. Haske's "Tahquamenon," readers will delight in discovering the work of both new and established authors. The contributors range widely in age, gender, and background, as The Way North highlights the work of established writers, teachers, students, laborers, fishermen, housewives, and many others.
The Way North brings the U.P.'s literary tradition to the awareness of more readers and showcases some of the most compelling work connected to the area. It will be welcomed by readers interested in new fiction and poetry and instructors of courses on Michigan writing.
In 49 poems and 20 stories-diverse in form, length, and content-readers are introduced to the unmistakable terrain and characters of the U.P. The book not only showcases the snow, small towns, and idiosyncratic characters that readers might expect but also introduces unexpected regions and voices. From the powerful powwow in Baraga of April Lindala's "For the Healing of All Women" to the sex-charged basement in Stambaugh of Chad Faries's "Hotel Stambaugh: Michigan, 1977" to the splendor found between Newberry and Paradise in Joseph D. Haske's "Tahquamenon," readers will delight in discovering the work of both new and established authors. The contributors range widely in age, gender, and background, as The Way North highlights the work of established writers, teachers, students, laborers, fishermen, housewives, and many others.
The Way North brings the U.P.'s literary tradition to the awareness of more readers and showcases some of the most compelling work connected to the area. It will be welcomed by readers interested in new fiction and poetry and instructors of courses on Michigan writing.
- GenresShort StoriesPoetry
280 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2013
4 people are currently reading
309 people want to read
About the author
Ron Riekki
23 books14 followersRon Riekki’s books include U.P.: a novel (Ghost Road Press) and Posttraumatic: A Memoir (Hoot ‘n’ Waddle/Four Chambers Press), as well as the upcoming hybrid collection My Ancestors are Reindeer Herders and I Am Melting in Extinction (Loyola University Maryland’s Apprentice House Press, 2019) and the poetry book i have been warned not to write about this (Main Street Rag, 2020). Riekki co-edited Undocumented: Great Lakes Poets Laureate on Social Justice (Michigan State University Press) and The Many Lives of The Evil Dead: Essays on the Cult Film Franchise (McFarland), and edited And Here: 100 Years of Upper Peninsula Writing, 1917-2017 (MSU Press), Here: Women Writing on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (MSU Press, Independent Publisher Book Award), The Way North: Collected Upper Peninsula New Works (Wayne State University Press, Michigan Notable Book). He has anthologies upcoming with McFarland and WSU Press. His fiction has been published in The Threepenny Review, Bellevue Literary Review, Wigleaf, Prairie Schooner, Shenandoah, Akashic Books, Juked, New Ohio Review, Cleaver, Puerto del Sol, and many other literary journals. Riekki’s story “Accidents” received the 2016 Shenandoah Fiction Prize and “The Family Jewel” was selected for The Best Small Fictions 2015.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 12, 2013
I gave this book 4 stars for two basic reasons. As is the case with almost any collections of this type, there are some 'soft spots' among some exquisite works. Also, I found most of the poetry to be second rate. In the prose section, I found "Systematic Botany" and "The Wanderer" by Ellen Airgood, "Watching Us" by Steve Hamilton, "I Know How Lemmings Winter" by Linda Johnson, "The Hitchhiker" by Ron Johnson, "Deadfall" by L.E. Kimball and "Tug" by Janice Repka to be particularly noteworthy and reflective of life in the U.P. Being able to read this collection on a trip to the U.P. made it extra special for me. Hoping to see a second volume one of these days!
April 18, 2018
Hard to assign stars to this collection as it was very uneven, some really good, others not at all.
June 3, 2020
Finished a long time ago. But greatly enjoyed. The UP is an amazing, truly magically place that without actually spending time there, can only be described through storytelling. This book does that!!!
April 17, 2014
Recently I reviewed this collection for WKAR's Current State.
You can listen to my review here: http://wkar.org/post/book-review-way-....
The review is also included below.
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Reviewing a literary collection can feel a lot like reviewing a local talent show.
It can be hard to sum up the entire experience, since every act is unique, and it is unfair to compare the performers to each other; even though we all do it, no matter what the focus of the talent show is or the age of those involved. And like that talent show, literary collections tend to have their writers who take your breath away and make you lean forward in your chair. as well as the ones who make you wonder what you’re missing on TV.
The Way North is a collection showcasing some of the leading voices in the Upper Peninsula literary movement. This 2014 Michigan Notable Book was edited by playwright Ron Riekki and includes more than 40 Michigan poets and writers. Putting together a show like this, with this many performers, must have been quite a herculean task for our director.
My favorite short story was “The Possibility of Wolves” by Sharon Dilworth. It’s a tale so rich in possibility that it’s almost too bad it is only a short story. “The Possibility of Wolves” is about the only professional clown in the U.P. and his failing marriage. Yanick, the clown, believes he is the master of secrets,but his wife has a better secret. And her secret beats out any that he thinks he may have kept from her.
My favorite character was from the short story “Tug” by Janice Repka. Nana is a double amputee and diabetic, who still likes to stealthily eat Marshmallow Peeps when no one is looking. She makes the mistake of reading her granddaughter’s journal, which leads to an interesting moral dilemma.
The odd story in the collection is “Mezzanotte” by John Smolens about a missing college student in Italy. And while it doesn’t fit with the rest of the acts, I appreciated the change in scenery, even though it was jarring to have that shift. It must have been hard for Riekki to say no to such a story.
See, the one common theme, save that excellent escape to Italy, is the Upper Peninsula. And the focus in each of the stories and poems seems to be on creating that distinct U.P. atmosphere and vibe, as opposed to plot. Because of that choice, the audience will not be moved to tears and there will probably be no laughter up and down the aisles. It’s just not that kind of show.
In the end, the book feels almost more like something academic—a classroom assignment maybe—as compared to an evening’s entertainment built for applause. So while it is not Broadway bound, it is a fine collection, and a nice introduction to this distinct Michigan literary movement.
You can listen to my review here: http://wkar.org/post/book-review-way-....
The review is also included below.
-
Reviewing a literary collection can feel a lot like reviewing a local talent show.
It can be hard to sum up the entire experience, since every act is unique, and it is unfair to compare the performers to each other; even though we all do it, no matter what the focus of the talent show is or the age of those involved. And like that talent show, literary collections tend to have their writers who take your breath away and make you lean forward in your chair. as well as the ones who make you wonder what you’re missing on TV.
The Way North is a collection showcasing some of the leading voices in the Upper Peninsula literary movement. This 2014 Michigan Notable Book was edited by playwright Ron Riekki and includes more than 40 Michigan poets and writers. Putting together a show like this, with this many performers, must have been quite a herculean task for our director.
My favorite short story was “The Possibility of Wolves” by Sharon Dilworth. It’s a tale so rich in possibility that it’s almost too bad it is only a short story. “The Possibility of Wolves” is about the only professional clown in the U.P. and his failing marriage. Yanick, the clown, believes he is the master of secrets,but his wife has a better secret. And her secret beats out any that he thinks he may have kept from her.
My favorite character was from the short story “Tug” by Janice Repka. Nana is a double amputee and diabetic, who still likes to stealthily eat Marshmallow Peeps when no one is looking. She makes the mistake of reading her granddaughter’s journal, which leads to an interesting moral dilemma.
The odd story in the collection is “Mezzanotte” by John Smolens about a missing college student in Italy. And while it doesn’t fit with the rest of the acts, I appreciated the change in scenery, even though it was jarring to have that shift. It must have been hard for Riekki to say no to such a story.
See, the one common theme, save that excellent escape to Italy, is the Upper Peninsula. And the focus in each of the stories and poems seems to be on creating that distinct U.P. atmosphere and vibe, as opposed to plot. Because of that choice, the audience will not be moved to tears and there will probably be no laughter up and down the aisles. It’s just not that kind of show.
In the end, the book feels almost more like something academic—a classroom assignment maybe—as compared to an evening’s entertainment built for applause. So while it is not Broadway bound, it is a fine collection, and a nice introduction to this distinct Michigan literary movement.
December 22, 2020
A mixed set of stories and poems. I enjoyed a good number of them, especially the work of Ellen Airgood, April Lindala, Janice Repka, and Vincent Reusch. I think it's hard to put a collection together and have consistency in quality, especially when you've got a geographic constraint. However, what this collection does is give a consistent sense of place in most pieces, which is hard to do for such an eccentric, wonderful place as the Upper Peninsula, even in the pieces I didn't enjoy. In this regard, I think it's above average.
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February 9, 2016I only read one of the short stories; the story was by L.E. Kimball. Very quirky and imaginative, yet still, like her other works, too cryptic. Come on Lynnie let your readers in on the mystery a little bit more. You have a fine imagination. You always work on the big payoff at the end, but as a reader I need to have small victories along the way.
August 3, 2013
A great collection of short stories and poetry by UP connected authors. Wonderful discussion with a group of friends this past week after reading it.
December 30, 2013
way too depressing
i gave up and didn't finish it
i gave up and didn't finish it
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews