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.”