Announcing 2nd Annual U.P. Notable Books List

For Immediate Release…
Contact: Victor Volkman
(734) 417-4266
President@UPPAA.org
www.UPPAA.org

U.P. Publishers & Authors Association Announces 2nd Annual U.P. Notable Books List

Books by U.P. authors and about the U.P. to be honored

MARQUETTE, MI (January 25, 2021)— the Upper Peninsula Publishers & Authors Association (UPPAA) announces the 2nd Annual U.P. Notable Books List this week. UPPAA Publications Chair Mikel Classen (Sault Ste. Marie) initiated the effort as a response to the lack of representation of U.P. writers in other Michigan state literary circles. Classen said, “Traditionally, recognition of Michigan books has been dominated by the university presses downstate and we would like to take this opportunity to highlight literature that focuses closer to home for us.”

Evelyn Gathu, Director of the Crystal Falls District Community Library, has just teamed up with UPPAA to co-sponsor the U.P. Notable Book Club.  The club is available to any U.P. resident and features monthly Zoom meetups with national bestselling authors including Karen Dionne (The Marsh King’s Daughter). Members borrow the books from their local libraries or purchase at local stores prior to discussions. The next meeting is February 11th where Three Fires Unity: he Anishnaabeg of the Lake Huron Borderlands will be discussed with author Phil Bellfy.

UP Notable Books medallionTo build this second annual list, UPPAA consulted with Upper Michigan booksellers, book reviewers, writers, and publishers to winnow down the notable books to a bare ten titles. You can find reviews of many of these books on the UP Book Review. It must be emphasized that the list is unranked, each title deserves equal merit as U.P. Notable Book. These ten books have been deemed essential reading for every U.P. lover and we highly recommend you ask your local librarian or booksellers for them today!

  1. Kawbawgam: The Chief, The Legend, The Man by Tyler Tichelaar (Marquette Fiction, 2020)
  2. World War II Conscientious Objectors: Germfask, Michigan the Alcatraz Camp by Jane Kopecky (2020)
  3. Eden Waits: A Novel Based on the True Story of Michigan’s Utopian Community, Hiawatha Colony by Maryka Biaggio (Milford House, 2019)
  4. In the Night of Memory by Linda LeGarde (UMN Press, 2020)
  5. Houghton: Birthplace of Professional Hockey by William J. Sproule (2019)
  6. Michigan Flora: Upper Peninsula, 2nd Ed. By Steve W. Chadde (Orchard Innovations, 2019)
  7. Dead of November: A Novel of Lake Superior by Craig Brockman (Curve of the Earth, 2020)
  8. I Spy… Isle Royale, by Susanna Ausema (Isle Royale and Keweenaw Parks Association, 2019)
  9. Points North: Discover Hidden Campgrounds, Natural Wonders, and Waterways of the Upper Peninsula by Mikel B. Classen (Modern History Press, 2018)
  10. The Women of the Copper Country: A Novel by Mary Doria Russel (Atria Books, 2020)

The U.P. Notable Books List will appear in the upcoming 5th volume of U.P. Reader, UPPAA’s own annual literary anthology featuring short stories, poetry and essays by its members. This successful publication helps spread the word about the organization, raise money for educational programming and encourages people in the Upper Peninsula and beyond to read U.P. writers. Complimentary copies of the U.P. Reader are available to all U.P. educators and media for the asking. The on-sale date is scheduled for April 15th.  Consult your local bookseller for availability or purchase at Amazon. For more information, visit www.UPReader.org.

Established in 1998 to support authors and publishers who live in or write about Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, UPPAA is a Michigan nonprofit association with more than 100 members, many of whose books are featured on the organization’s website at www.uppaa.org. UPPAA welcomes membership and participation from anyone with a UP connection who is interested in writing and publishing books.

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