The Long-Shining Waters (29 page)

Authors: Danielle Sosin

Author’s Note

The Ojibwe language is comprised of many dialects. Sounds, spelling, and grammar vary from place to place. I would like to acknowledge that for the purpose of consistency between stories in the text, I chose to use word spellings from more than one dialect.

This work was gratefully funded in part by two Arrowhead Regional Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowhip Grants (in 2004 and 2007), funded through an appropriation from the McKnight Foundation.

Acknowledgments

The writing of this book involved a great deal of research. I am inspired by and indebted to all the fieldworkers and the authors of fiction and nonfiction whose works helped to inform this book.

My gratitude to the many people—knowledgeable researchers, sailors, patient and amused scientists, program personnel, collection tenders, and librarians—who accepted office visits and phone calls at: The University of Minnesota Duluth’s American Indian Resource Center, Minnesota Sea Grant, The Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, The Minnesota Historical Society, The University of Wisconsin Superior’s Archives, The North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum, The Blue Heron Research Vessel, and The Large Lakes Observatory.

I would also like to acknowledge the dedicated and often unsung staff that keep stories alive at historical sites, parks, lighthouses, heritage centers, small museums, information centers, and tourist destinations all around Lake Superior.

My deep appreciation to those who took the time to guide me through their worlds: glassblower Anton James (Jim) Vojacek at Oulu Glass; Blaine Fenstad, son of a son of a fisherman, who kindly allowed me into his home; and to Steve Dahl who fishes the big water off Knife River today, and who took me along as he picked his nets one cold and beautiful morning.

Many places contributed to the writing of this book by providing crucial time and space to work. My gratitude to: The Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Study, The Blacklock Nature Sanctuary, The Oberholtzer Foundation, Joan Drury and her little white cabin on the shore, Norcroft, The Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and in particular, The Ragdale Foundation for its long and unwavering support.

Thank you to The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council for supplying financial support through Career Opportunity and Artist Fellowship Grants.

I’m grateful to Kurt Herke and Jane Levinson, their flexibility, good nature and support made everything run smoother. To the kind people at the Gunflint Tavern who kept me company during many long writing stints; to Claire Kirch, for the schooling; and to Emilie Buchwald, bright light and pathfinder.

I’d like to acknowledge the marvelous staff at Milkweed Editions. My sincere thank-you to each of them for their efforts on the novel’s behalf. And to Daniel Slager, who championed this book from the start, understood its essence, and worked to make it better.

I’d like to thank the many people who read drafts of the book over the years, including Deb Eagle, Sheryl Eagle, and the women who gathered at their table to discuss the manuscript and in particular the Ojibwe storyline; Jeanne Farrar, Duke Klassen, Leslie Johnson, Larry Laverk, Kathy Lewis, Jane Lund, Pat Rhoades, Mary Rockcastle, Blaise Taylor, and Alice Templeton.

This book would not have been written without my family and friends. My grateful heart for your constant support as encouragers, readers, bent ears, and merrymakers—you are the backbone of everything.

To my longtime mentor and friend Pat Francisco, for every step along the way.

To Ken Bloom, air and bedrock.

DANIELLE SOSIN
is the author of
Garden Primitives,
a collection of stories published by Coffee House Press, 2000. Her stories have been chosen for National Public Radio’s
Selected Shorts: A Celebration of the Short Story,
and for Iowa Public Radio’s
Live from Prairie Lights.
Her work has also appeared in the
Alaska Quarterly Review.
Sosin is the recipient of a Loft Mentor Series Award, a Minnesota State Arts Board Fellowship, and two Arrowhead Regional Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship Grants. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota.

More Fiction from Milkweed Editions

The Milkweed National Fiction Prize is awarded annually by the editors at Milkweed Editions. Previous recipients of the Milkweed National Fiction Prize include:

Orion You Came and You Took All My Marbles
Kira Henehan
(2010)

Driftless
David Rhodes
(2008)

The Farther Shore
Matthew Eck
(2007)

Visigoth
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(2006)

Crossing Bully Creek
Margaret Erhart
(2005)

Ordinary Wolves
Seth Kantner
(2004)

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Sosin, Danielle, 1959–

p. cm.

eISBN : 978-1-571-31834-3

1. Superior, Lake—Fiction. I. Title.

PS3569.O714L66 2011

813’.6—dc22

2011002077

This book is printed on acid-free paper.