Up North in Michigan: A Portrait of Place in Four Seasons

by Jerry Dennis

Northern Michigan is a place, like all places, in change. Over the past half century, its landscape has been bulldozed, subdivided, and built upon. Climate change warms the water of the Great Lakes at an alarming rate—Lake Superior is now the fastest-warming large body of freshwater on the planet—creating increasingly frequent and severe storm events, altering aquatic and shoreline ecosystems, and contributing to further invasions by non-native plants and animals.

And yet the essence of this region, known to many as simply “Up North,” has proved remarkably perennial. Millions of acres of state and national forests and other public lands remain intact. Small towns peppered across the rural countryside have changed little over the decades, pushing back the machinery of progress with the help of dedicated land conservancies, conservation organizations, and other advocacy groups.

Up North in Michigan , the new collection from celebrated nature writer Jerry Dennis, captures its author’s lifelong journey to better know this place he calls home by exploring it in every season, in every kind of weather, on foot, on bicycle, in canoes and cars. The essays in this book are more than an homage to a particular region, its people, and its natural wonders. They are a reflection on the Up North that can only be experienced through your feet and fingertips, through your ears, mouth, and nose—the Up North that makes its way into your bones as surely as sand makes its way into wood grain.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Memoir, Essays

186 pages, Hardcover

Published September 14, 2021

About the author

Jerry Dennis was born in Flint in 1954, and grew up in rural northern Michigan. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Louisville in 1981, after attending Northern Michigan University and Northwestern Michigan College.

As he began his writing career, he worked as a carpenter for five years. To date, he has written for many publications. Journalistic assignments sent him to Iceland, Chile, and extensively throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Dennis married during this time to Gail. They currently live on the shores of Lake Michigan, not far from Traverse City.

Since 2000 he has been on the faculty of the University of Michigan's Bear River Writers Conference, where he teaches creative non-fiction and nature writing.

As of 2014, he is the author of ten books, his best known book is The Living Great Lakes, about his trip around the great lakes in a rickety ship. He was awarded a place on the Michigan Notable Books list for that book.

In 2014, in response to a pricing dispute between his publisher, MacMillan Press, and Amazon, Dennis set up his own publishing house, Big Maple Press, to produce books which will be sold only through independent booksellers.

His awards include: 2004 Michigan Notable Books, 2004 Sigurd Olsen Nature Writing Award, 2004 Great Lakes Culture Best Book Award Non-Fiction, 2004 The Stuart D. and Vernice M. Gross Award for Literature,
2003 Alumni Fellows Award, University of Louisville, College of Arts and Sciences,
1999 Michigan Author of the Year,
1993, 1996, 1998, and 2003 Best Book of the Year awarded by Outdoor Writers Association of America.

Reviews

[☄ · Rating 5 out of 5]

tried to make this book last as long as possible, but now it is finally due back to the library... what a treat it is to linger & dream over this man's books. he doesn't have a gift – he is the gift <3

[Keith Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of the pieces or chapters of this book have appeared in journals and magazines over many years. Dennis has rewritten them to stitch them together in a naturally but tightly structured mosaic that creates a picture of his place in the north and to highlight issues of importance in the protection of the land and water.

Full disclosure: I have a cameo in this book! And I also wrote one of the blurbs. Here's my blurb:

Northern Michigan has spawned and shaped many fine writers, and Jerry Dennis is among the very best. Not only has he created a prose style this is pure and chiseled, but he knows more about the history and natural history of his region than just about anyone else, writer or not. It is a joy, even a privilege, to read this intimate and beautiful book that celebrates its author’s place.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is my grandparents' back yard. They're sitting on the deck, drinking cocktails and eating shelled peanuts, and watching me and my cousins run wild down the lush green grass all the way to the dock (which was a tetanus-y jigsaw puzzle of splinters and nails), past the treacherous, anklebreaking rabbit holes hidden in the grass, past the tree house my grandfather built and which we turned into a "restaurant" where we served modeling clay "food" to my poor parents. The dock was the stuff of legends. We caught fish off of it, including one my cousin Patrick wanted to keep as a mascot for the "restaurant", and which I went on (successful) strike to free after my grandfather admitted it would likely die in captivity. The paddle boat, canoe, and my grandfather's sailboat "Whitecap" were all moored there, whispering of adventures to be had on lake Muskegon. When each cousin came of age, a solemn tradition was to jump off the end of the dock and swim back to shore, wading through slime, kelp, and wriggling things you hoped were kelp, as the swampy shore always resisted my grandfather's attempts to turn it into a more respectable beach. Once you made the swim, you were allowed on all the watercraft and on the dock without your life preserver, akin to godhood.

Typing this out, I'm realizing that this book is my grandfather. I love you Bops. Go Blue!

[Alyson Wills · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. We love the UP and have made several trips up there, falling in love with it more every time. I found this in a tiny book shop in Charlevoix before we ferried over to Beaver Island a few years ago. It’s broken down by season and I read each season over the year at the respective time. The short chapters were a beautiful poetic prose creating a nostalgia and a beautiful portrait of a place unknown and unappreciated by so many. Having made many trips and knowing the names and places mentioned, it added a layer of new appreciation for that area. Highly recommend for anyone who loves the UP

[John Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jerry Dennis has created a wonderful tribute divided by season to his beloved "Up North in Michigan," the region which refers to the upper LP and/or the UP. These fascinating essays about his adventures throughout the years will have you pining for a trip "up North". This book is a vivid portrait by a premier nature writer.

[Ian Roseen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the most wonderful nature writing I’ve come across, as the human aspect and sense of personality really comes through. I’d love to keep it at home but may need to donate to the bookshelf of the family cottage up in Michigan.

[Sarah Pantanella · Rating 5 out of 5]

6/5 ⭐️

Mesmerizing 😍

[Massimo Gulino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful enchanting words of birds, streams, lakes, friends and memories. I want to wander and meander through the upper Great Lakes. The book feels like a bonfire, lightning bugs and good chats.

[Nichole · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a writer! Beautiful short stories about nature that cover the essence of living in northern Michigan throughout the four seasons. This is a soothing and relaxing read.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure which is more beautiful, Jerry Dennis's writing about northern Michigan, or Up North itself. This book deserves to be read slowly as the seasons turn and savored.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps I’m a bit biased. Born in Michigan, spending my early years vacationing in upper Michigan, becoming an adult in Chicago but often returning to Michigan….
This collection of descriptive, heart-felt, charming and often informative essays filled me with nostalgia and glee. Following each of the seasons in upper Michigan, the essays take on something as whimsical as a walk through the windswept dunes or the serious topic of climate change as it affects not only this region but the planet as a whole. Who knew that the seas of baby’s breath that I marvelled at as it covered the Sleeping Bear dunes was in fact an invasive species not native to the area?
But my attitude towards a positive review may be even more tainted since the entirety of this book was read as I vacationed in a rented home in Glen Arbor, MI, situated just a stroll from Lake Michigan. Many of the places described were part of my daily excursions to explore this area during a pleasant mid-July holiday.
Biases aside, this book is more than worth-while. It captures the essence of a part of our state, our country, that we Michiganders know oh-so-well. And absolutely love. A wonderful read.

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author captures his life long journey to better know this place he calls home by exploring it in every season, in every kind of weather, on foot, on bicycle, in canoes and cars. This is a reflection on the Up North that can only be experienced through your feet and fingertips, through your ears, mouth and nose. A great book about Michigan North.

[Abigail McManus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book!! I have loved reading about people’s relationship with nature recently and this was a good one! Especially buying & starting it while in Michigan it was just perfect. I wish there was more for the fall/winter portions of the book but thats the only thing I would change. Loved it!

[John Vancil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every book or story written by Jerry Dennis resonates to my core. I want to live that life, write about it, then live it some more. I am so grateful that he shares his gift with us. Read this book... Read all of his books.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is too short to be truly boring, a series of vignettes familiar to any Michigander. Stories about nature and a sense of place, sometimes repetitive. Definitely all the chapters have an undertone of self-importance and grandiloquence.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this collection of essays a LOT more than expected. Lyrical and perceptive, Jerry Dennis writes with obvious love for the outdoors in a way that should appeal to sportsmen, hikers, and English majors alike. A delightful surprise.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book season by season and savored it. I love just about everything Jerry Dennis writes. Northern Michigan is my favorite place in the world. He is able to capture the energy and vitality of this area and put it in words.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cannot say enough good things about this book and how it describes northern lower Michigan. I would buy it again a heartbeat - and have gifted it to friends. If you live, love or know Michigan, get this book!

[Marta-Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Left off on p.76, but will come back to it. A must-read for any Michigan outdoor enthusiast. I recommend reading it while your toes are in the sand or you're bundled up by a holiday fire reminiscing about northern Michigan's beauty.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very pleasant way to spend an afternoon. A guy who is lucky and he knows it.

[Kathryn Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth the read to understand a place and a persons connection to place over time.

[Dunrie]

the hunting scenes were the most evocative for me.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book of essays about northern Michigan explored throughout the author’s life. His focus on the natural wonders and world is amazing.

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not a nonfiction fan but this book contains beautiful writing that captures the Michigan landscape and makes you want to save your money to rent a cabin in the woods for a month.

[Holly Vander Stel · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF Almost every chapter is fishing focused, I'm sure a fishing fanatic would love it, but that's just not my jam

[Randal Huber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captures the heart , soul and sense of place that is Northern Michigan!