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Jerry Dennis, Nature Writing and Nonfiction
2012
In the 25 years that Jerry Dennis has earned his living as an author, he has emerged as one of America’s most prominent writers about nature and the outdoors. His essays in such publications as Audubon, Smithsonian, Orion, and the New York Times have won many awards and are frequently reprinted and anthologized. His eleven books, most recently The Windward Shore: A Winter on the Great Lakes, have appeared on national bestseller lists, have been translated into five languages, and are taught in many universities and high schools. Among Jerry's awards are the Michigan Author of the Year Award, the Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award, Michigan State University's Great Lakes Culture Award, and three Best Book of the Year awards from the Outdoor Writers Association of America. Jerry lives with his wife, Gail, near the shore of Lake Michigan not far from Traverse City, Michigan.
Workshop: Making Sense of Place
Place is a central element in many great books, stories, essays, and poems, yet it is often considered mere background. In this workshop we’ll explore ways to evoke the unique sense or “character” of a place, both as a literary form of its own and as a way to build depth, texture, and authenticity in nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. Daily assignments, which will include sketching from observation and writing from memory, will be shared with the group and discussed, with the goal of completing work suitable for publication.
Jerry Dennis on the Web
