Book Description

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 offers a rich collection of their voices that embraces the U.P.'s natural beauty and way of life, along with a few surprises. The 178 short works in this 584 page super-sized box set of volumes 1 through 5 take readers on U.P. road and boat trips from the Keweenaw to the Soo and from Menominee to Iron Mountain. 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 science fiction to poetry. This issue also includes imaginative fiction from the Dandelion Cottage Short Story Award winners, honoring the amazing young writers enrolled in all of the U.P.'s schools. Featuring the words of Karen Dionne, Kaitlin Ambuehl, John Argeropoulos, Lee Arten, Leslie Askwith, Barbara Bartel, T. Marie Bertineau, Aimée Bissonette, Don Bodey, Craig A. Brockman, Stephanie Brule, Sharon Marie Brunner, Larry Buege, Tricia Carr, Mikel Classen, Ann Dallman, Annabell Dankert, Walter Dennis, Giles Elderkin, Frank Farwell, Deborah K. Frontiera, Elizabeth Fust, Robert Grede, Charles Hand, Rich Hill, Kyra Holmgren, Kathy Johnson, Jan Stafford Kellis, Sharon Kennedy, Chris Kent, Amy Klco, Tamara Lauder, David Lehto, Emma Locknane, Teresa Locknane, Ellen Lord, Raymond Luczak, Bobby Mack, Terri Martin, Sarah Maurer, Katie McEachern, Roslyn McGrath, Becky Ross Michael, Hilton Moore, Cora Mueller, Nicholas Painter, Cyndi Perkins, Shawn Pfister, Gretchen Preston, Janeen Pergrin Rastall, Christine Saari, Terry Sanders, Gregory Saxby, Ar Schneller, Joni Scott, Donna Searight Simons, Frank Searight, May Amelia Shapton, T. Kilgore Splake, Ninie G. Syarikin, Rebecca Tavernini, Tyler Tichelaar, Brandy Thomas, Fenwood Tolonen, Donna Winters, Jan Wisniewski and Lucy Woods. "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 "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 sponsored by the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association (UPPAA) a non-profit 501(c)3 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