Raymond is a great presenter and I highly recommend you pass this opportunity on to your patrons, especially those who may be hearing-impaired. Raymond's charisma appeals to readers of all stripes. There is no cost, we just ask individuals to contact Evelyn in advance to obtain the Zoom link and password (details below). For Immediate Release… *Contact: Victor Volkman (734) 417-4266 President@UPPAA.org* www.UPPAA.org <https://UPPAA.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b1016c5c910959a236f2ff48f&id=f9c5e556f4&e=fd2c186103> UP Notable Book Club presents a Q&A session about Raymond Luczak's /Animals out-There W-i-l-d: A Bestiary in English and ASL Gloss / *Official Seal of the U.P. Notable Books <https://UPPAA.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b1016c5c910959a236f2ff48f&id=f417707a5b&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 for winners of the /UP Notable Book List/. The 45th event is with *Raymond Luczak*, author of /Animals out-There W-i-l-d: A Bestiary in English and ASL Gloss. /In this groundbreaking collection of sign language gloss poetry, the first of its kind to be published, Raymond Luczak explores the dynamics of written English poetry and ASL gloss by communing with the animals living in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. /*When: */Thursday, April 10th, 2025 at 7 pm Eastern / 6 pm Central /*Where: */on the Zoom platform -- please contact Evelyn Gathu in advance at egathu@crystalfallslibrary.org <mailto:egathu@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. *Portrait of Raymond Luczak <https://UPPAA.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b1016c5c910959a236f2ff48f&id=4befa6cb0d&e=fd2c186103>RAYMOND LUCZAK* (pronounced with a silent "c") is perhaps best known for his books, films, and plays. He was raised in Ironwood, a small mining town in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Number seven in a family of nine children, he lost much of his hearing due to double pneumonia at the age of eight months. After high school graduation, Luczak went on to Gallaudet University, in Washington, D.C., where he earned a B.A. in English, graduating /magna cum laude/. He learned American Sign Language (ASL) and became involved with the deaf community, and won numerous scholarships in recognition of his writing, including the Ritz-Paris Hemingway Scholarship. He took various writing courses at other schools in the area, which culminated in winning a place in the Jenny McKean Moore Fiction Workshop at the George Washington University. Recent works include /Compassion, Michigan: The Ironwood Stories, Chlorophyll: Poems About Michigan's Upper Peninsula/ and the anthology /Yooper Poetry/ which has resulted in launching the critically-acclaimed Yooper Poetry Series <https://UPPAA.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b1016c5c910959a236f2ff48f&id=79f109e26b&e=fd2c186103>, edited by Luczak Cover of Raymond Luczak's book ANIMALS OUT THERE <https://UPPAA.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b1016c5c910959a236f2ff48f&id=7b643a42bc&e=fd2c186103>"The themes that made their appearance in the book were nature’s rhythm and song; human cruelty and humans lack of connection. Nature has a rhythm and song, the order of life. A fox awaits quietly as a mouse scampers through the tall grass. The hawk watches from above and the owl knows where to hide. All dogs originated from wolves. Beavers engineer dams, robins build nests and fly south during the fall months. Human cruelty has occurred with leaps and bounds from cows lined up to be slaughtered to chickens crowded in small cages. Luczak has a point concerning human contact. Social media and cell phones have caused more separation for many humans. I remember a story about two teenagers not talking in the back seat when a parent picked them up from an event and the teenagers told the parent they were texting one another. Animals still continue to communicate. Wolves howl, birds chirp and house cats hiss when disturbed. "I recommend Animals Out-There W-i-l-d <https://UPPAA.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b1016c5c910959a236f2ff48f&id=0a0fde1f21&e=fd2c186103> for its bountiful depictions of various animals, insects and birds, because of its description of the word Yooper , its awareness of human ignorance and cruelty and its reminder of the importance of connection. A Yooper is a native or inhabitant of the U.P. Animals may outlive humans because they have maintained a rhythm of living. Nature has always held a sense of wonder, and we could learn a lot from the animals who live in the forests. Luczak has captured in his powerful use of poetry an understanding of nature’s song and the conflicting ethos of human behavior," Read Sharon Brunner's complete review at U.P. Book Review <https://UPPAA.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b1016c5c910959a236f2ff48f&id=1adb8f1ba8&e=fd2c186103> *<https://UPPAA.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b1016c5c910959a236f2ff48f&id=cd10b6afa3&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 180 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=aaef9d7bf8&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