From a Wooden Canoe: Reflections on Canoeing, Camping and Classic Equipment

A classic, said Mark Twain, is a book which people praise but don't read. If Twain was right, the latest collection of essays by Michigan's talented Jerry Dennis will never be a classic, and we should hope not. This book will be read, again and again, by anyone who covets the aroma of tent canvas, the fit of elkskin moccasins, or the crisp solitude of an October morning on a remote northern lake or stream. Jerry's new book contains 31 sparkling essays on the merits of everything from iron skillets to Union Suits, from finely honed wooden paddles to the best wood for a campfire. Reflecting on years of gentle meandering, Jerry lovingly explains how tradition and quality dovetail to make outdoor pursuits more comfortable, and more comforting to the soul. There's a yearning in these descriptive passages, a questing spirit that sings, "There's still an hour 'til dark; let's paddle the north fork to see what we find." And you do, because for Jerry and his readers, adventure invariably lies around the next bend. "From a Wooden Canoe" is superbly illustrated by Glenn Wolff. The book makes me glad there's wild country to explore and perceptive, contemplative writers like Jerry Dennis to stir the campfires of my heart.

From A Wooden Canoe wraps the classic tools of an outdoor life in a series of short essays that capture dew drops and mist, the water songs of dipping paddles and rain on granite. It offers a respite from tabloid news, cell phones, and microchips. The essays sting our eyes with woodsmoke then soothe them with starlight and wrap us safe in an old wool coat.The book brought bittersweet memories of frosty camps, my father watching a snowy tree line, the sweet smell of cedar from a hundred swamps. It is cabined on a special shelf with Harrison, McPhee, McGuane, and Abbey.

How does he do it? Jerry Dennis goes beyond the outward appearance of an object and explores far deeper realms, conjuring up the romance and resonance of pocketknives, tents... hell, even the month of October. A fine follow-up to A Place on the Water and The River Home. Nature and fishing and canoeing and watching the dawn. Go there with this one.

Jerry Dennis has accomplished a most unusual feat with his "FROM A WOODEN CANOE, Reflections on Canoeing, Camping and Classic Equipment." Dennis explores and illustrates the "why-to" of doing very many things outdoors. When it comes to feeding the soul that loves the natural world, Dennis belongs in the same category of Jim Harrison or Thomas McGuane. Turn the pages of From a Wooden Canoe and you hear campfires crackle, smell the aroma of hot, black coffee and feel the wind that makes you pull up the collar of your heavy wool coat. The writing has a way of infusing the outdoor experience complete with clear blue skies or gray scudding clouds right to the heart of anyone who enjoys being outside. This collection of essays, largely expanded columns that first appeared in Canoe and Kayak Magazine is truly a fine read.