Here: Women Writing on Michigan's Upper Peninsula

by Ronald Riekki (Editor), Alison Swan (Foreword)

How does place impact prose? Here: Women Writing on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula explores that very question, drawing on the work of Upper Peninsula authors past and present to create a vibrant kaleidoscope of voices and experiences. Bame-wa-wa-ge-zhik-aquay, Janet Loxley Lewis, Lorine Niedecker, Catie Rosemurgy, and thirty-one other authors important to the region appear in this exceptional and diverse volume. In poetry (“Spring” by Beverly Matherne, “For Those Who Dream of Cranes” by Elinor Benedict, and “Skin on Skin” by Sally Brunk), short fiction (“North Country” by Roxane Gay, “For the Healing of All Women” by April Lindala, and “Winter Mines” by Sharon Dilworth), and novel excerpts (from Once on This Island by Gloria Whelan, South of Superior by Ellen Airgood, and Dandelion Cottage by Carroll Watson Rankin), the unique character of the U.P. materializes on the page. The book also shines a spotlight on powerful emerging voices such as Lisa Fay Coutley, Charmi Keranen, and Saara Myrene Raappana. The first of its kind, this is an anthology for all seasons, an homage to the rich literary heritage of the region.

Genres: Essays

282 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2015

About the author

also known as Ron Riekki and R.A. Riekki

Reviews

[Linda Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting collection of many voices. Some of the writers live or have lived in the U.P., some have tenuous connections, some have visited and been struck creative by the people and vistas. Not sure why Anne Sexton's work is present with 3 poems. Roxane Gay has a couple of stories, quite heterosexually explicit, which is odd. The book is divided by seasons, beginning and ending with summer. These are the shortest sections as summer last year in the U.P. was on a Thursday. Winter is the longest season (there's been snow in June), this section is appropriately abundant, and here lies the finest writing. Air that can crack lungs, break hearts, create snuggle opportunities with perfect strangers. U.P. requires a strong constitution, an ability to be alone and freezing, and a longing to live with spindly tamaracks, bedrock and blowing ice. Strong, evocative writing throughout. The poetry is extraordinary; the stories a little less so, but there are authors here I will want to read in full. Eleanor Airgood owns a cafe in Grand Marais, Michigan and writes small town Yooper as a native. Brilliant.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here: Women Writing on Michigan's Upper Peninsula is a treasure of experiences by women who have writtten and write about the Upper Peninsula. Several of them I am familiar with, like best selling novelist, Bonnie Jo Campbell. And, Ellen Airgood, the only woman writer from the U.P. signed with a major publisher. I liked that the editor, Ronald Riekki, collected top three lists from a variety of distinguished Yooper authors to find out their favorite U.P. books. Catie Rosemurgy's writing appeared on those lists more than any other writer. She is an author's author, a poet's poet but not known to me! All of the poets were interesting...I read every one but only knew poet, Anne Sexton, who is from Mass. but must have experienced a winter near Lake Superior.

The stories and even the poems were describing the familiar Upper Peninsula with its good and its bad. The characters are familiar. The book is devided into the 4 seasons in the U.P. which we may have been lucky to experince. But not like many of these authors whose families have lived there for generations and who can describe, with words, feelings that we can understand.

Best of all I was introduced to many new women writers, from Bame-wa-wa-ge-zhik-aquay (Jane Johnston Schoolcraft, 1800-1842)"the first kown Indian woman writer", whose short stories were source mataerial for The Song of Hiawatha (Robert Dale Parker). Janeen Rascal who lives in Gordon, Michigan populaation 2! wrote a wonderful poem, "Imprinting". Or the unlikely, Roxanne Gay, who "moved to the edge of the world for two years" where her postdoc department colleagues at Mich Inst. of Technology are mainly civil engineers and offer bits of U.P. trivia such as the high numbers of waterfalls in the area or the three hundred inches of snow annually. "I take a long hard swallow from my flask."


A second book edited by Ronald Riekki, "And Here : 100 years of Upper Peninsula Writing, 1917-2017" is on my to read list. It includes familiar and new male authors besides some other women writers. These collections are a tribute to the U.P. and a gift for readers to discover new authors.

[Cari Noga · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost didn't check this book out from the library; from the cover I feared it would be a sappy paean to the stark isolated beauty of the UP. What a pleasant surprise to fine it was actually about the Yoopers and the nemeses that stalk them and often reinforce each other"here": isolation, alcoholism, unemployment, prejudice. A truly great book (or story) makes me run out and get another book by the same author. This collection had me doing that with two authors, Roxane Gay and Sharon Dilworth. I'll be adding it to my own library.

Disclaimer: I excluded the poetry from my reading and review.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely stunning collection of fiction and poetry about Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Each piece gives you a glimpse into some part of the lives of those who have lived and are living in the UP. It's eye-opening, inspiring, and beautiful. One of my favorite collections!

[Shanley Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will be thinking about the voices of these women for many months (and maybe years) to come. Certainly a book I’ll return to.

[Asia Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a library copy of this and I cannot wait to get my own copy.

[Sue Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here: Women Writing on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is book of poetry and short stories written by women from Michigan's Upper Peninsula. As a lower peninsula "troll", I love the idea of having a book that explores the writers of this area. Maybe it is the cold snowy winters or the typically slower pace that is uniquely U.P., but these women clearly can put their feelings to words. This book is a great collection of just that.

It is always hard to rate any book with multiple authors. Some of the poems were so thought-provoking that they needed to be pondered and read again. Others did not have that same appeal. Many of the short stories were excellent in building up strong characters and stories that kept me wishing that they were longer. Some, though, seemed like they barely got started or seemed irrelevant.

I enjoyed reading most of what what was written by the individual authors. Plus, I love the idea of getting a specific demographic of people to write since they all come from a similar environment. I was puzzled at how some were grouped but not enough that it distracted from the overall premise of this book. I would recommend it only to someone who like literature...it would be lost on a casual reader.