The Great Lakes are one of the world’s natural wonders, and Jerry Dennis is one of the literary wonders of the Great Lakes region. His books explore and celebrate many features of the Lakes, and none more so than his classic The Living Great Lakes, published in 2004. The combination of inland sea adventure, environmental chronicle and poetic, personal musing has made the book a perennial favorite of readers. The 20th anniversary edition, which includes a new introduction by the author, is now available. We asked Jerry to answer a few questions about the milestone.
What’s the significance of the 20th anniversary of the book? Why the new edition?
My publisher has been pleased with the book’s performance, reprinting it once or twice every year since 2003, and wanted to honor the 20-year mark. I’d been thinking about it too, especially as changes caused by the warming climate have become increasingly obvious. Also, when I wrote the book I was unaware of Enbridge’s Line 5 and its potential for catastrophe. As with many people, that and other petroleum pipelines didn’t come to my attention until the Talmadge Creek/Kalamazoo River spill in 2010. Plus so many readers have asked about the Malabar and her crew that I felt I owed them an update.
Did the book reach audiences well beyond the Great Lakes region? What kind of feedback did you get from such readers?
One of the pleasant surprises for me was the many people from outside the Great Lakes region who have reached out to me. I’ve received emails and letters from New York to California and from several countries outside the U.S. and Canada, including Korea, where a translated edition is in progress. Many of the messages were remembrances of childhood visits to the lakes or nostalgia for years lived near them, but more than a few were from readers who had never seen the lakes and wanted to tell me how surprised they were to learn how interesting—and big—they are. The majority of correspondents from everywhere expressed concern for the lakes and determination to help protect them.
Are you more or less hopeful about the health of the Great Lakes than when you wrote the book? Why?
Am I hopeful about the future of the Great Lakes? I like the distinction Jane Elder made between hope and optimism. Twenty years ago I might have said I’m optimistic, but I’m older and more battle-scarred now (as you might have noticed) and shy away from the word. I’m hopeful, however, because I’ve met so many dedicated and capable people who are working every day on important issues and am confident that the majority of the residents of the Great Lakes region want the lakes to remain healthy. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are aware of that, as well, and at least lean toward supporting legislation that is good for the lakes. One of the pleasant surprises in my writing career was on Earth Day a few years ago when a paragraph of The Living Great Lakes was read aloud on the floor of the U.S. Senate by a Republican senator from Ohio. That made me hopeful.
