Checking in: Jerry Dennis

Jerry Dennis is hard at work on his next Great Lakes book. We ask him how things are going.

Apr 7, 2008 Jeff Smith
One of today’s most eloquent and unflagging voices about the spirit, ecology and culture of the Great Lakes, writer Jerry Dennis has been hard at work writing the next book on his (and our) favorite topic. We asked him how the project’s coming along:

We’ve heard you’ve been something of a Great Lakes gypsy this past year.
I spent about a year living in various places around the Great Lakes, 18 destinations, all on the water. The places ranged from a primitive, two-room cabin on the Keweenaw Peninsula to a $20 million mansion. I wanted to be in other people’s homes because I wanted to see the lakes through their eyes. And when I got there, I checked out the neighborhood, went out on the lake with people, walked the shore, went to meetings with activists.

What’s the book about?
The book isn’t just about the challenges facing the Great Lakes. It’s a springboard to write about subjects that have interested me all my life. Especially our relationships with nature. They are changing now, around the world—we are in a period of great transition.

Care to share any cool findings from your research?
Well, the modern American sense of ecology was born here on the Great Lakes, down at the Indiana Dunes. Researchers from the University of Chicago went there to study forest succession, and they were amazed at the complex ecosystem they discovered. In the early 1900’s, when European botanists would come to the U.S., they had three destinations in mind: the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Indiana Dunes.

Reader Comments: 
OLD TO NEW | New to old
Jul 13, 2008 06:28 pm
 Posted by  jraakddspc

I just read Jerry Dennis' book "The Living Great Lakes" and his tale about the Malabar. I would love to tell him about another tall ship "Blanco" that sailed the great lakes. It was a three masted shcooner 130 feet in length. Its masts were 100, 95 and 90 feet tall and about three feet in diameter. Just like he sailed the Malabar out of the great lakes, so too was the Blanco. Only the Blanco was commissioned by the US Coast Guard and motored down the Missippi river and saw anti-submarine duty during WWII. My dad served on that vessel. Google "Blanco WPYc-343 Coast Guard"
How do I get in touch with Mr. Dennis
Joel Raak

Jul 15, 2008 11:21 am
 Posted by  Anonymous

Mr. Joel Raak,

If you'd care to pass your email along to me, I'd be happy to send to Mr. Dennis and ask him to contact you.

Jeff Smith
Editor
smith@traversemagazine.com

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