[Michlib-l] U.P. Notable Book Club - Pete Wurdock 🐕 A Nostalgic Lens in Newberry

[Victor R. Volkman]

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      UP Notable Book Club presents a Q&A session with Pete Wurdock,
      author of "A Nostalgic Lens", reflections on living in Newberry,
      Michigan

*Official Seal of the U.P. Notable Books
<https://UPPAA.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b1016c5c910959a236f2ff48f&id=2f5b19266e&e=fd2c186103>
UP Notable Book Club:* The Crystal Falls Community District Library in
partnership with the U.P. Publishers & Authors Association (UPPAA) has
scheduled author events with winners of the /UP Notable Book List/. The
40th event is with author, photographer and journalist Pete Wurdock
whose career began in the music industry. Nowadays, he wanders both the
main street and two-tracks around Newberry, Michigan as well as his
residence in the unincorporated community of Deer Park, along both the
shores of Lake Superior and Muskallonge Lake, which is 27 miles north of
Newberry.  He has become very involved with Greyhound dog rescue in
recent years.

/*When: */Thursday, October 10th, 2024 at 7 pm Eastern / 6 pm Central
/*Where: */on the Zoom platform -- please contact Evelyn Gathu in
advance at egathu at crystalfallslibrary.org
<mailto:egathu at crystalfallslibrary.org?subject=UPNotableBooks&body=Please-send-me-the-zoom-link>,
or by phone at (906) 875-3344. We recommend you borrow a copy of these
books from your local library or purchase from your local bookseller in
advance to get the most out of these events.

*<https://UPPAA.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b1016c5c910959a236f2ff48f&id=5d6b0e7636&e=fd2c186103>PETER
WORDOCK*'s journey is a captivating blend of artistic endeavors and deep
connections to the landscapes of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. From his
roots in Royal Oak, MI, to his studies in creative writing and music at
Albion College and Berklee College of Music respectively, Wurdock's path
has been rich with diverse experiences. His career took him through the
vibrant world of music in Nashville before he rediscovered his passion
for writing later in life. Through his articles and books, Wurdock
intertwines prose and photography, offering readers a unique glimpse
into the beauty and nostalgia of the Upper Peninsula.  His accolades,
including the *Upper Peninsula Notable Book Award* and the title of
*Upper Peninsula Laureate of Luce County*, speak to the impact of his
work. Wurdock's six books showcase his versatility as a writer, blending
fiction, poetry, and non-fiction along with his beautiful photography.
His deep affection for the Upper Peninsula and his cherished greyhounds
shines through in his writing, inviting readers to embark on a journey
of reflection and discovery. Living in Newberry with his two adopted
greyhounds, Petie and Meerah, Wurdock continues to draw inspiration from
his surroundings, crafting stories that resonate with readers and
capture the essence of Michigan's rugged beauty.

"It’s almost a once-in-a-lifetime thing to pick up a book, find out it’s
by an author your exact age and find so many parallels to your life
growing up. “A Nostalgic Lens
<https://UPPAA.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b1016c5c910959a236f2ff48f&id=5c0bc3f50f&e=fd2c186103>”
by Peter Wurdock mirrors many of my own experiences growing up in the
1970s and living what I call “the summer cottage lifestyle”:  weeks of
literally unsupervised play in the woods and water.  This autobiographic
book is a seamless blend of evocative black-and-white photographs and
prose that weaves back and forth between the 1970s and today in and
around the town of Newberry, Michigan.

Wurdock’s lens wanders the landscape from main street of Newberry which
recalls the bygone era of many of Michigan’s small towns to the “old,
crumbling shacks” and “dilapidated and abandoned structures” he reaches
by Jeep on an old two-track or subsequently on foot. Wisely, he obeys an
internal shiver that warns him to keep out. Heaven knows what kind of
injury you might sustain on a solo trip from such rural explorations. 
His camera is also invariably attracted to railroad engines and
stations, logging and other industrial remnants that dot the Newberry
area and surely many other locales of the U.P.

Wurdock’s memoir roughly follows the seasons of a typical year, with
asides along the way for the glories of the U.P’s extreme seasons. Along
the way, like the reporter he is, he recounts memorable and colorful
things in the life of Newberry such as the 44^th Independence Day Parade
and its quirky traditions including the “water wars” between firemen and
teenagers with water balloons, or the demise of the proprietor of the
Tahqua Land Theater as it struggled to meet the digital age of
projection.  We learn about the importance of AM radio, such as the
local station WNBY, to knit small communities together in land where
cell service is iffy at best and people are on the move all day long.
Read the rest of Victor Volkman's review at U.P. Book Review.
<https://UPPAA.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b1016c5c910959a236f2ff48f&id=d38ba24130&e=fd2c186103>


More information about the U.P. Notable Book list, /U.P. Book Review,
/and UPPAA can be found on www.UPNotable.com
*<https://UPPAA.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b1016c5c910959a236f2ff48f&id=70e4be4efb&e=fd2c186103>About
the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association (UPPAA)*
Established in 1998 to support authors and publishers who live in or
write about Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, UPPAA is a Michigan nonprofit
association with over 100 members, many of whose books are featured on
the organization’s website at www.uppaa.org
<https://UPPAA.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b1016c5c910959a236f2ff48f&id=7cb6324c78&e=fd2c186103>.
UPPAA welcomes membership and participation from anyone with a UP
connection who is interested in writing.
# # #

--
Regards,

Victor R. Volkman, President
L H Press Inc.
www.LHPress.com
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