Upper LP: Region Two
Brinkman, Michael W.
February 23, 1943 -
Place of Birth: Milwaukee, WI
Place of Principal Residence: Alpena, MI
Biography:
Michael W. Brinkman was born to John and Phyllis Brinkman in Milwaukee, WI on February 23, 1943. As soon as he earned his Bachelor’s degree at Indiana State University, Brinkman began teaching. He taught Latin at Dryer Center High School, taught at Merriville High School, taught psychology, world religion, and general business in Alpena public schools. Knowing and teaching Latin fostered his love for words and sentence structures; his interests in psychology and religion provided insight into the life of the mind. Poetry combined these two loves: words and introspection. He published several works (Poetry for Peoples and Verse Diverse) before furthering his own education, earning a Master’s degree from St. Mary’s College and a PhD from the University of Michigan. Though Brinkman transitioned from the world of teaching in 1972 to act as president of Brinkman Enterprises, his work with young people continued as he and his wife Lois raised their five daughters and one son. He and Lois currently live in Alpena, MI.
Selected Works:
- Poetry for Peoples (1970)
- Verse Diverse (1973)
- In Pursuit of the Tuit (1976)
Relevance of Place to Author’s Work:
Brinkman’s experience as a teacher has greatly influenced his writing. It is evident from the titles of Brinkman’s work that he greatly enjoys his occupation. Books such as Poetry for Peoples, The Wordsmith, and My Own Busy Bee Book betray the author’s bent for poetry and instruction. He says, “I write poetry because I’m a poet, I am a lover—a lover of mankind in general and individuals specifically…I want my readers to disclose themselves first and foremost; to be honest with themselves…”
Catton, Bruce
1899—1978
Place of Birth: Petoskey, MI
Place of Principal Residence: New York, NY
Biography
Though Catton was born in Petoskey, MI, the majority of his youth was spent in Benzonia, MI since his father, a Congregationalist minister, accepted a job at Benzonia Academy. Catton’s fascination with history, especially the Civil War, stemmed from the tales of Civil War veterans he heard in his youth. In 1916 he went to Oberlin College to further his education, yet WWI prevented him from completing his degree. He ended up serving in the U.S. Navy for a short amount of time. In 1925 he married Hazel H. Cherry and together they had one child, William Bruce. Following his military service, Catton took up journalism and reported for the Cleveland News, the Boston American, and the Cleveland Plain Dealer until he accepted employment at the Newspaper Enterprise Association writing editorials, book reviews, and serving as a correspondent to D.C. Catton went on to serve as the Director of Information for the War Production Board. He also held positions at the Department of Commerce and the Department of the Interior. This government experience inspired his first book titled War Lords of Washington, which was published in 1948. Catton left the government in 1952 in order to pursue a writing career, and in 1954 he helped found the American Heritage magazine. He obtained the position of senior editor of the magazine in 1959 and continued to hold that position until he died in 1978 at his summer home in Frankfort, MI. Throughout his career as a full-time author he published numerous Civil War books and other historical novels. Gerald R. Ford presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and he was given 26 honorary college degrees, including one from Oberlin College.
Selected Works
- Mr. Lincoln’s Army (1951),
- Glory Road (1952)
- A Stillness at Appomattox (1953)
- U.S. Grant and the American Military Tradition (1954)
- Banners at Shenandoah (1955)
- The Hallowed Ground (1956)
- American Goes to War (1958)
- The Coming of Fury (1961)
- Terrible Swift Sword (1963)
- Never Call Retreat (1965)
- Grant Moves South (1960)
- Grant Takes Command (1968)
- Waiting for the Morning Train (1972)
- Michigan: A Bicentennial History (1976)
- The Bold & Magnificent Dream: America’s Founding Years, 1492-1815 (1978)
Awards
- 1954 Pulitzer prize for A Stillness at Appomattox
- 1961 Special Pulitzer citation for The American Heritage Picture History of the Civil War
- 1954 National Book Award for A Stillness at Appomattox
- 1952 Ohioana Book Award from Martha Kinney Cooper Ohioana Library Association for Mr. Lincoln’s Army and for The Coming Fury (1962)
- 1957 Fletcher Pratt Award from The Civil War Round Table of New York for This Hallowed Ground and for Grant Takes Command (1970)
- 1959 award for “meritorious service in the field of Civil War history,” presented by Harry S Truman
Critical Reception
Catton’s genius ability to vividly depict history in a historically accurate fashion brought his novels praise and recognition. According to the Evening Standard: “…Mr. Catton becomes, by right of scholarship and true literary genius, one of the great historians of our age…” Also, in referring to Catton’s Civil War Trilogy, the historian Henry Steele Commager writes, “Better than any other history of our Civil War it combines narrative vigor, literary grace, freshness of view and independence of judgment, and a kind of catholic spirit which embraces the whole vast tumultuous scene.” Catton captures his audience with his vividly colorful writing and brings them onto the battlefield so that they may experience the reality of war. The New York Times joined in praising Catton’s Civil War Trilogy as well in calling it, “… a major work by a major writer, a superb re-creation of the twelve crucial months that opened the Civil War.”
Relevance of Place to Author’s Work
The Grand Army of the Republic veterans of Michigan inspired Catton, which sent him on a lifelong study of the Civil War; his Michigan roots shaped his future writing career. Though most of his books focus on the history of the Civil War, two of his novels speak about his home state, Michigan. In Waiting for the Morning Train, Catton reminisces about the place of his youth. He describes the bygone days of the sleeper trains, clear lakes for fishing, and grand resort hotels. Catton also describes the impact of the logging industry on Michigan. In addition, Catton wrote Michigan: A Bicentennial History in which he tells the story of industrialization’s impact on the Michigan wilderness. He wrote about the changes that have occurred in this place of his youth.
Cleland, Charles E.
February 2 1936—
Place of Birth: Kane, PA
Place of Principal Residence: Charlevoix, MI
Biography
Charles E. Cleland was born to Margaret and Charles Cleland in Kane, PA on February 2, 1936. Cleland has degrees from Denison University, Arkansas University, and earned his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan in 1965. Starting in 1964, Cleland served as a professor of anthropology at Michigan State University, retiring in 2000. For all his education in community studies, anthropology, and Great Lakes history, Cleland remains devoted to letting the Ojiibwa Indians speak for themselves in his book published in 2000 The Place of the Pike (Gnoozhekaaning): a History of the Bay Mills Indian Community, relating the history, social conditions, and governmental relations of the Ojibwa Indians. The same work was selected for the 2001 “Read Michigan” List by the state of Michigan. Using oral accounts from tribal elders and photographs from the tribe’s archives, Cleland communicates the identity of the Bay Mills community using their own stories and heroes rather than the framework of federal Indian policy or academic and economic theories. Cleland has also contributed to the world of scholarship in the field of archaeology, a contribution acknowledged by the collection An Upper Great Lakes Archaeological Odyssey: Essays in Honor of Charles E. Cleland. Included essays cover both the geography and subject matter Cleland himself did, traversing from Illinois to Ontario and the Great Lakes inland shore fishery to the fur trade archeology of Fort Michilimakinac. Cleland aims, in his own words, to “make the details of the historic past interesting and accessible to the sophisticated lay public,” and his scholarly works coupled with the striking photograph collections and tribal stories have hooked both colleagues and Michigan citizens into realizing the stories and realities of their land’s people and past. Cleland lives in Charlevoix, MI and has four children: Elizabeth, Joshua, Elena, and Katherine.
Selected Works
- Rites of Conquest: The Culture and History of Michigan’s Native People (1992)
- The Place of the Pike (Gnoozhekaaning): a History of the Bay Mills Indian Community (2000)
Critical Reception
Fellow scholars such as John Robert Halsey of the Michigan Historical Society write, “Cleland is arguably one of the most important figures in American archaeology in the latter third of the twentieth century…his testimony as an expert witness in Native American land claims and fishing rights have made him a lightning rod for controversy inside and outside archaeology. The results of his activities have affected the practice of archaeology, the working lives of natural resource managers, and the activities of sport fishermen.”
Relevance of Place to Author’s Work
Cleland is an author who not only lives in Michigan but also is deeply aware of the past and people of the land itself. With thirty-five years of research and his current work in anthropology at Michigan State University, he brings a wealth of knowledge to his works about the Native Americans in Michigan and offers careful and complete analyses of the culture and history Michigan’s native people.
Dennis, Jerry
Oct. 12, 1954 -
Place of Birth: Flint, MI
Principal Place of Residence:Traverse City, MI
Biography
Jerry Dennis was born to Eva and Gerald Dennis in Flint, MI on October 12, 1954. He spent most of his childhood near Silver Lake and Long Lake (located close to Traverse City). He attended Northwestern Michigan College, Northern Michigan University, and finally the University of Louisville where he received his BA in English in 1981. Soon after his graduation, Dennis wrote for magazines as well taking on carpentry work to earn enough money. It wasn’t until 1986 before he started writing full time. Throughout the course of his writing career, he has penned two hundred essays, articles and short stories. These have been published in such publications as The New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, Audubon, Field and Stream, and Wildlife Conservation. Dennis and his wife, Gail, have two children (Aaron and Nick) and reside in Traverse City.
Selected Works
- Canoeing Michigan Rivers (1986)
- Best Bicycle Tours of Eastern Canada (1991)
- A Place on the Water (1993)
- The River Home (1998)
- The Living Great Lakes (2003)
Awards
- 1999 Michigan Author of the Year
- Sigurd Oleson Nature Writing Award for The Living Great Lakes
- Great Lakes Culture Award from Michigan State University for The Living Great Lakes
- A Place on the Water was named one of the 25 best books of the 20th century about Michigan
- 1993, 1996, and 1998 ‘Best Book of the Year,’ awarded by Outdoor Writers Association of America
Critical Response
For A Place on the Water: An Angler’s Reflections on Home:
“The collection, gathered from pieces that have appeared in the New York Times , Outdoor Life and other publications, will interest ecologists, campers and
nature lovers of any stripe or speckle.”
- Publishers Weekly
“Smooth, with a gently impressionistic touch--like easy- listening radio for anglers.”
- Kirkus Reviews
“This writer-artist team shines a bright and lovely light on nature.”
- Los Angeles Times
“Enjoyable reading with beautiful, evocative illustrations.”
- Sports Afield
Relevance of Place to Author’s Work
Dennis is well known for combining his experience growing up in Northern Michigan with his writing. One noteworthy example is his book, “A Place on the Water,” and was selected by Michigan librarians as one of twenty-five books in the 20th century that “have made significant contributions to the understanding of Michigan, its people, and its history and culture.” Dennis attributes his surroundings to playing a big role in his work, commenting that “the rivers, woods, and Great Lakes shores of Michigan infiltrate my sentences, just as does the author’s personality. It’s unavoidable. One of the best compliments I’ve received was in a review of A Place on the Water, in which the critic wrote that a reader could pick up the scent of cedars and the glint of water in the prose.”
Dickerson, Robert B.
August 22, 1955—
Place of Birth: Detroit, MI
Place of Principal Residence: Cheboygan, MI
Biography
Robert B. Dickerson Jr. was born on August 22, 1955 in Detroit, Michigan to Robert and Anne Dickerson. He graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit with a B.A in 1974 and and again from the Universitate de Valencia in Spain with a B.A in 1979. While in Spain, Dickerson was a high school teacher. Upon returning to the United States, he took various managerial/executive positions such as editor at Reference Publications in Algomac, Michigan, senior vice-president at Rand Communications in Arlington, Virginia, and as president of Saville Books in Washington, D.C. Dickerson was later appointed Director of Public Education at the George Washington University School of Medicine. Mr. Dickerson now resides in Cheboygan, Michigan.
Dickerson’s writings are non-fiction, historical and informative. He has contributed to publications such as the Concise Dictionary of Indian Tribes of North America (Reference, 1980), The Power of Prevention and The Power of Prevention Cookbook (Saville, 1988 and 1991, respectively), an article in volume three of Encyclopedia Africana (Reference, 1992), and authored two books, Final Placement(Reference, 1982) and Serpent in the Summer (Simon and Schuster, 1993). Dickerson now lives in Cheboygan, MI during the summer and in Max Meadows, VA during the winter.
Selected Works:
- Concise Dictionary of Indian Tribes of North America (1980)
- The Power of Prevention (1988)
- Serpent in the Summer (1993)
Critical Reception:
Final Placement; a Guide to Death, Funerals, and Burials of Notable Americans, a book about cemeteries and burials of 200 famous Americans, was nominated by the American Library Association for Book of the Year in the field of history in 1983. The Los Angeles Times book reviewer, Carolyn See, said of Final Placement, “This book is a pleasure to read.”