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” 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 44th 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.
About the Upper Peninsula Publishers and
Authors Association (UPPAA)-- Regards, Victor R. Volkman, President L H Press Inc. www.LHPress.com