First published 1020
This anthology brings together diverse voices celebrating the Great Lakes region through multiple literary forms. JoAnn Early Macken opens with poetry about early risers, while April Pulley Sayre contributes a story about fairies washing. Susan Power reflects on Chicago waters in essay form. The collection moves between genres and perspectives, featuring work by established authors like Sandra Cisneros, who includes an excerpt from The House on Mango Street, and Margaret Atwood with her poem about apple jelly. Stories like Ellen Creager's "The Ice Deer" and Don Moser's "Evening Flight" capture regional experiences alongside essays by naturalists including Aldo Leopold and Sigurd F. Olson. The anthology spans urban and rural settings, from Milwaukee River reflections to wilderness encounters with bears and beavers. Each piece connects to the Great Lakes landscape, whether through direct geographical reference or the cultural spirit of the region. The collection offers readers a multifaceted portrait of this distinctive American landscape through the eyes of writers who know it intimately.
Genres: nature, anthologies, environment
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, lyrical
Tropes: diverse-voices, multifaceted-portrait
Setting: Chicago, Great Lakes, Milwaukee River
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
242 pages · Hardcover · Milkweed Editions