Michigan's Upper Peninsula is blessed with a treasure trove of storytellers, poets, and historians, all seeking to capture a sense of Yooper Life from settler's days to the far-flung future. Since 2017, the U.P. Reader has offered a rich collection of their voices that embraces the U.P.'s natural beauty and way of life, along with a few surprises. The seventy plus short works in this 9th annual volume take readers around the U.P. from the Keweenaw to the Soo and from Menominee to Ironwood. Every page is rich with descriptions of the characters and culture that make the Upper Peninsula worth living in and writing about. U.P. writers span genres from humor to history and from mystery to poetry. This issue also includes imaginative fiction from the Dandelion Cottage Short Story Contest winners, honoring the amazing young writers enrolled in all of the U.P.'s schools. Featuring the words of Leslie Piastro Askwith, John Austin, Laura Barens, Nancy Besonen, Sharon Brunner, Bob Calverley, Mikel B. Classen, Thomas Ford Conlan, Grace Dee, Audrey J. Fick, Deborah K. Frontiera, Kya Gleason, J. L. Hagen, Mack Hassler, Rich Hill, Addison Hoffstrom, Kathleen Carlton Johnson, Tamara Lauder, Ellen Lord, Raymond Luczak, Jemmalee Maleport, Becky Ross Michael, R. H. Miller, Gabrielle O'Connor, Mark Nelson, A.L. Padden, M. Kelly Peach, Amy Perras, Gretchen Preston, Lisa Reitz, Andrew Riutta, Gwenyth Skoog, t. kilgore splake, Bill Sproule, Ninie Gaspariani Syarikin, Tyler Tichelaar, Pat Winton, and Pete Wurdock. "Funny, wise, or speculative, the essays, memoirs, and poems found in the pages of these profusely illustrated annuals are windows to the history, soul, and spirit of both the exceptional land and people found in Michigan's remarkable U.P. If you seek some great writing about the northernmost of the state's two peninsulas look around for copies of the U.P. Reader . --Tom Powers, Michigan in Books " U.P. Reader offers a wonderful mix of storytelling, poetry, and Yooper culture. Here's to many future volumes!" --Sonny Longtine, author of Murder in Michigan's Upper Peninsula "As readers embark upon this storied landscape, they learn that the people of Michigan's Upper Peninsula offer a unique voice, a tribute to a timeless place too long silent." --Sue Harrison, international bestselling author of Mother Earth Father Sky The U.P. Reader is sponsored by the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association (UPPAA) a non-profit corporation. A portion of proceeds from each copy sold will be donated to the UPPAA for its educational programming. Learn more at www.UPReader.org "The people who live in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (the U.P.) are accustomed to being ignored. On national weather maps, it is not unusual to see this northern peninsula 'given' to Canada or labeled 'Wisconsin' or on occasion completely left off the map. Alas, Upper Peninsula writers often suffer a similar fate, ignored, overlooked, or forgotten. Yet the U.P. is a storied landscape, inspiring unique voices. The 9th edition of the U.P. Reader serves as proof of the talents of U.P. writers. Mesmerizing fiction, non-fiction, and poetry (as well as historic photos) crowd the pages and attest to the talents of those who love this wilderness area of Michigan. A publication of the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association (UPPAA), the book also showcases the six winning stories in the 8th Annual Dandelion Cottage Contest, which celebrates the writing of U.P. high school and junior high students. This book full of wisdom, joy, empathy, and delight deserves high praise. --Sue Harrison, international bestselling author of Mother Earth Father Sky "Through the well written stories, both true and fictional, the essays, the memoirs, the local history and the poetry, there was so much here that it kept me entertained for many days. With each page I visited another place from afar. I was pleasantly surprised with this volume as the stories and poems treated me from cover to cover." -- Trisha Faye, Reader Views "The U.P. Reader has to be the best work of its kind in the Midwest. And, thankfully, it is based in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Not only does it provide a wonderful source for readers and scholars who are interested in the most intriguing piece of real estate in North America, it also serves as a well-designed forum for Upper Peninsula writers. Great job, Mikel. Keep up the good work!" --Michael Carrier, author of Murder on Sugar Island "Funny, wise, or speculative, the essays, memoirs, and poems found in the pages of these profusely illustrated annuals are windows to the history, soul, and spirit of both the exceptional land and people found in Michigan's remarkable U.P. If you seek some great writing about the northernmost of the state's two peninsulas look around for copies of the U.P. Reader. " And over the last six editions, it has earned a reputation as an anthology with high literary standards that offers readers a unique step i