Non-fiction Writers
Porter, Phil
January 29, 1953 -
Place of Birth: Grosse Pointe, MI
Place of Principle Residence: Cheboygan, MI
Biography:
Phil Porter was born to Lorone and William Porter in Grosse Pointe, MI. During his youth, Porter and his family spent summers at their home on Mackinac Island where Porter’s life-long interest in the region began. During his summers at college, he worked as a uniformed guide at Fort Mackinac. In 1974, Porter graduated from Kenyon College with a BA, and in 1975 he graduated from the State University of New York with a Masters in History Museum studies. Porter has worked for the Mackinac Island State Park for over thirty-one years, serving as a curator of collections, curator of interpretation, and most recently was appointed director of the Mackinac Island State Park. He is considered an authority on the history of the Mackinac region and has published several books on the subject. In addition, Porter serves on the board of trustees of the Michigan Museums Association and the City of Cheboygan Historic Resources Commission. Porter lives in Cheboygan, MI and has five children: William, Joseph, Susanna, Katherine, and Elizabeth.
Selected Works:
- The Eagle at Mackinac, the Establishment of United States Military and Civilian Authority on Mackinac Island, 1796-1802 (1991)
- View From the Veranda, the History and Architecture of the Summer Cottages on Mackinac Island (1981)
Critical Reception:
Porter is considered the authority on the history of Mackinac Island, and has received attention for his books on the subject.
Relevance of Place to Author’s Work:
Most of Porter’s life has been spent on Mackinac Island. Ever since a young boy he has involved himself in the region, and for over thirty years has worked for the Mackinac Island State Park. All of his work is revolved around the history of Mackinac Island.
Raphael, Lev
May 19, 1954 –
Place of Birth: New York, New York
Place of Principle Residence: Okemos, MI
Biography:
The son of two Holocaust survivors, Lev Raphael grew up in New York, New York surrounded by Jewish culture and his parent’s tragic past. Raphael later described his childhood experience as one being a constant fear of saying the wrong thing and sparking a horrible memory for his parents. A self-proclaimed bookworm, Raphael devoured books as a child, partly as a way to escape into different worlds. In college he was encouraged to pursue writing, which became an outlet for him to express his knowledge and experience with the Holocaust. He published his first short story about children of Holocaust survivors in 1978. Since then Raphael has written seventeen books, many of which explore the Holocaust and its effects. He earned an M.F.A. at the University of Massachusetts 1978 and a Ph.D. at Michigan State University in 1986. After getting his doctorate, Raphael worked as an assistant professor of American Thought and Language and Michigan State for two years before retiring to be a full time writer.
Selected Works:
- Dancing on Tisha B’Av (1990)
- Edith Wharton’s Prisoners of Shame (1991)
- Winter Eyes (1992)
- Journeys & Arrivals (1996)
- The German Money (2003)
Awards:
- 1990 Lambda Literary Award
- 1978 Harvey Swados Fiction Prize
- Reed Smith Fiction Prize, Amelia Magazine
- International Quarterly’s Crossing Boundaries Prize
Critical Reception:
Raphael has won several awards for his work, including the Lambda Literary Award for Dancing on Tisha B’Av. For his book German Money Raphael received rave reviews.
“What a gift for a writer to be able to sustain unflagging, sweaty-palm suspense in a novel almost through character alone. This is what the prodigious Lev Raphael pulls off in The German Money, a mystery whose shocking denouement is so organic to the whole thing that it feels as if a boiling volcano has finally let loose.”
-The Washington Post Book World
“Raphael applies his talents as a suspense writer to this unconventional Holocaust novel… The sharpness of the family portrait and the appeal of the romantic subplot make this an engaging read.”
-Publishers Weekly
Relevance of Place to Author’s Work:
Raphael attributes his move to Michigan (to get his Ph.D. at Michigan State) as an experience that brought out his enthusiasm for his Jewish heritage. According to Raphael, in New York he was simply one of the crowd, but in Michigan, a decidedly non-Jewish environment, he felt himself more tied to his roots. Before moving to Michigan, Raphael experienced a five to six year period of frustration, being unable to get anything published. This helped him again publish his work in Jewish magazines and his book Dancing on Tisha B’Av.
Rydholm, (Charles) Fred
1924—
Place of Birth: Marquette, MI
Place of Principal Residence: Marquette, MI
Biography
Fred Rydholm was born to Louise and Eber Rydholm on March 11, 1924 in Marquette, MI. He spent several years in the U.S. Navy during World War II and graduated with an A.B. degree fro Albion College in 1948. Rydholm has devoted most of his life to teaching, working at Republic High School, Vermontville Rural Agriculture Schools, and Marquette Public schools, respectively. Besides having taught for over thirty years, Rydholm is a noted author of Michigan History, writing a history of Marquette, MI with his book Superior Heartland, A Backwoods History. He is actively involved in his community, serving three terms as mayor and city commissioner in Marquette, as well as being on county and state Boards and Commissions. Rydholm continues to live and write in Marquette and has two children, Frederick and Danial.
Selected Works
- Superior Heartland, A Backwoods History (1989)
- Mystery Cave of Many Faces (1991)
- Michigan Copper: The Untold Story (2006)
Awards
- 1941 Louis G. Kaufman Character Award, Marquette High School
- 1959 Outstanding Young Man of the Year Award, City of Marquette, MI
- 1989 Citizen of the Year, Marquette Chamber of Commerce
- 1989 Helen Longyear Paul Memorial Award, Marquette County Historical Society
- 1990 Award of Merit, Historical Society of Michigan
- 1995 Victor Mosely Award - Midwestern Epigraphic Society, Columbus, Ohio
- 1999 “Outstanding Writer/Historian” 3rd Annual Marquette Arts Award
Relevance of Place to Author’s Work
Besides being intensely involved in his community, Rydholm has dedicated his writing to Michigan history. During his childhood, he developed a deeply rooted love for his state through activities like following his grandfather to logging camps and retreats in the Upper Peninsula, working in a local camp, and serving as a guide at the Huron Mountain Club.