About the Book
Michigan's Upper Peninsula is blessed with a treasure trove of storytellers, poets, and historians, all seeking to capture a sense of Yooper Life from settler's days to the far-flung future. Since 2017, the U.P. Reader has offered a rich collection of their voices that embraces the U.P.'s natural beauty and way of life, along with a few surprises.
The seventy plus short works in this 9th annual volume take readers around the U.P. from the Keweenaw to the Soo and from Menominee to Ironwood. Every page is rich with descriptions of the characters and culture that make the Upper Peninsula worth living in and writing about. U.P. writers span genres from humor to history and from mystery to poetry. This issue also includes imaginative fiction from the Dandelion Cottage Short Story Contest winners, honoring the amazing young writers enrolled in all of the U.P.'s schools.
Featuring the words of Leslie Piastro Askwith, John Austin, Laura Barens, Nancy Besonen, Sharon Brunner, Bob Calverley, Mikel B. Classen, Thomas Ford Conlan, Grace Dee, Audrey J. Fick, Deborah K. Frontiera, Kya Gleason, J. L. Hagen, Mack Hassler, Rich Hill, Addison Hoffstrom, Kathleen Carlton Johnson, Tamara Lauder, Ellen Lord, Raymond Luczak, Jemmalee Maleport, Becky Ross Michael, R. H. Miller, Gabrielle O'Connor, Mark Nelson, A.L. Padden, M. Kelly Peach, Amy Perras, Gretchen Preston, Lisa Reitz, Andrew Riutta, Gwenyth Skoog, t. kilgore splake, Bill Sproule, Ninie Gaspariani Syarikin, Tyler Tichelaar, Pat Winton, and Pete Wurdock.
"Funny, wise, or speculative, the essays, memoirs, and poems found in the pages of these profusely illustrated annuals are windows to the history, soul, and spirit of both the exceptional land and people found in Michigan's remarkable U.P. If you seek some great writing about the northernmost of the state's two peninsulas look around for copies of the U.P. Reader. --Tom Powers, Michigan in Books
"U.P. Reader offers a wonderful mix of storytelling, poetry, and Yooper culture. Here's to many future volumes!" --Sonny Longtine, author of Murder in Michigan's Upper Peninsula
"As readers embark upon this storied landscape, they learn that the people of Michigan's Upper Peninsula offer a unique voice, a tribute to a timeless place too long silent." --Sue Harrison, international bestselling author of Mother Earth Father Sky
The U.P. Reader is sponsored by the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association (UPPAA) a non-profit corporation. A portion of proceeds from each copy sold will be donated to the UPPAA for its educational programming.
Learn more at www.UPReader.org
About the Author :
Mikel B. Classen has been writing and photographing northern Michigan in newspapers and magazines for over thirty-five years, creating feature articles about the life and culture of Michigan's north country. A journalist, historian, photographer and author with a fascination for the world around him, he enjoys researching and writing about lost stories from the past. Currently, he is managing editor of the U.P. Reader and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association. In 2020, Mikel won the Historical Society of Michigan's George Follo Award for Upper Peninsula History. He has just released a new book, True Tales: The Forgotten History of Michigan's Upper Peninsula in 2022. Classen makes his home in the oldest city in Michigan, historic Sault Ste. Marie. He is also a collector of out-of-print history books, and historical photographs and prints of Upper Michigan. At Northern Michigan University, he studied English, history, journalism and photography. His book, Au Sable Point Lighthouse, Beacon on Lake Superior's Shipwreck Coast was published in 2014 and his book, Teddy Roosevelt and the Marquette Libel Trial was published in 2015, both by the History Press. He has a book of fiction called Lake Superior Tales, published by Modern History Press, which won the 2020 U.P. Notable Book Award. His book, Points North, is a non-fiction travel book published in 2019 by Modern History Press. It has received the Historical Society of Michigan's "Outstanding Michigan History Publication," along with the 2021 U.P. Notable Book Award. To learn more about Mikel B. Classen and to see more of his work, go to his website at www.mikelbclassen.com. Deborah Kay Olson Frontiera grew up in Lake Linden, Michigan. She taught in Houston public schools from 1985 until 2008 and then taught crea¬tive writing part-time for Houston's WITS (Writers In The Schools) program. Upon retirement from teaching, she and her hus¬band moved back to her beloved U.P., but they head south during part of the winter to be with their daughters and grandchildren. She has written for children, young adults and adults, fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Several of her books have won awards. Visit her websites for more information: www.authorsden.com/deborahkfrontiera and www.SuperiorTapestry.com
Review :
"The people who live in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (the U.P.) are accustomed to being ignored. On national weather maps, it is not unusual to see this northern peninsula 'given' to Canada or labeled 'Wisconsin' or on occasion completely left off the map. Alas, Upper Peninsula writers often suffer a similar fate, ignored, overlooked, or forgotten. Yet the U.P. is a storied landscape, inspiring unique voices. The 9th edition of the U.P. Reader serves as proof of the talents of U.P. writers. Mesmerizing fiction, non-fiction, and poetry (as well as historic photos) crowd the pages and attest to the talents of those who love this wilderness area of Michigan. A publication of the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association (UPPAA), the book also showcases the six winning stories in the 8th Annual Dandelion Cottage Contest, which celebrates the writing of U.P. high school and junior high students. This book full of wisdom, joy, empathy, and delight deserves high praise. --Sue Harrison, international bestselling author of Mother Earth Father Sky
"Through the well written stories, both true and fictional, the essays, the memoirs, the local history and the poetry, there was so much here that it kept me entertained for many days. With each page I visited another place from afar. I was pleasantly surprised with this volume as the stories and poems treated me from cover to cover." -- Trisha Faye, Reader Views
"The U.P. Reader has to be the best work of its kind in the Midwest. And, thankfully, it is based in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Not only does it provide a wonderful source for readers and scholars who are interested in the most intriguing piece of real estate in North America, it also serves as a well-designed forum for Upper Peninsula writers. Great job, Mikel. Keep up the good work!" --Michael Carrier, author of Murder on Sugar Island
"Funny, wise, or speculative, the essays, memoirs, and poems found in the pages of these profusely illustrated annuals are windows to the history, soul, and spirit of both the exceptional land and people found in Michigan's remarkable U.P. If you seek some great writing about the northernmost of the state's two peninsulas look around for copies of the U.P. Reader." And over the last six editions, it has earned a reputation as an anthology with high literary standards that offers readers a unique step inside the customs and character of the Upper Peninsula. --Tom Powers, Michigan in Books
"In addition to featuring stories from the U.P.'s most famous veteran writers, including Tyler Tichelaar, Larry Buege, and Donna Winters, the U.P. Reader also showcases stories from the Dandelion Cottage Short Story Award. This contest honors the best writing from middle and high schools around the Upper Peninsula. Any child in grades 5 thru 12 living in the U.P. can enter -- including homeschooled students too. These young writers are not afraid of challenging topics, but they are also as likely to go on flights of fancy such as a rip-roaring pirate story or a sci-fi spoof. Watch these kids, they will be the U.P.'s next generation of prolific and profound writers." --Victor R. Volkman, U.P. Book Review
"I was amazed by the variety of voices in this volume. U.P. Reader offers a little of everything, from short stories to nature poetry, fantasy to reality, Yooper lore to humor. I look forward to the next issue." -- Jackie Stark, editor, Marquette Monthly
"The U.P. Reader is a great collection of regional authors. The works range across the genre of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, along with some amazing photographs. It's well worth the few minutes each story takes to experience the richness of talent the U.P. has to offer. I am looking forward to the next issue and all that follows." -- Paulette Noble, author, Virtual Reality s
