Synopses & Reviews
Joe Upton steered his thirty-foot boat, the
Doreen, through the open channels and narrow, twisting passageways of Southeast Alaska, living the life of an itinerant commercial fisherman far from home. This is his award-winning account of that season - the lonely hours at sea as well as the close community of the fishing fleet; the sudden, violent storms and glorious days of sun; the difficult, frenzied work and quiet moments of contemplation.
In this new thrid edition from Epicenter Press, Alaska Blues remains a powerful evocation of time and place - of a people and their way of life, and haunting, beautiful shores that draw them back, season after season.
Synopsis
Upton's award-winning account of a season commercial fishing in Southeast Alaska - the lonely hours at sea aboard his 30-foot boat, the Doreen, as well as the close community of the fishing fleet; the sudden, violent storms and glorious days of sun; the difficult, frenzied work and quiet moments of contemplation.
Synopsis
"...A beautifully written book about commercial fishing in coastal waters. Joe Upton delivers both the reality and romance of Southeast Alaska."--David Guterson, author of "Snow Falling on Cedars" FOR SEVEN MONTHS Joe Upton steered his 30-foot boat, the "Doreen," through the open channels and narrow, twisting passageways of Southeast Alaska, living the life of an itinerant commercial fisherman far from home. This is Upton's award-winning account of that season--the lonely hours at sea as well as the close community of the fishing fleet; the sudden, violent storms and glorious days of sunshine; the difficult, frenzied work and quiet moments of contemplation. "Alaska Blues" endures as a powerful and enduring portrait of a time and place--of a people and their way of life and the haunting, beautiful shores that draw them back, season after season.
Synopsis
For seven months, Joe Upton steered his 32-foot boat, the Doreen, through the open channels and narrow, twisting passageways of Southeast Alaska, fishing for salmon. This is his account of that season of fishingthe lonely hours at sea as well as the close community of the fishing fleet; the sudden, violent storms and glorious days of sun; the difficult, frenzied work and quiet moments of contemplation. Alaska Blues is a classic Pacific Northwest tale of independent men and women living on the edge, surviving not only the whims of nature but also the shifting fortunes of the fishing industry itself.
About the Author
In the mid 1970s, when I wrote Alaska Blues, salmon fishing in Southeast Alaska and along the Inside Passage was truly a unique experience. In our little boats, it seemed that we had that vast and spectacular land all to ourselves. Sometimes days would pass without us seeing any other boats or people. At night we would anchor up in lonely bays with never a light or another visible soul on the horizon. When I lay in bed at night in our cabin at Point Baker, and the night was still and windless, I could hear the breathing of the humpback whales off the point. These things we took for granted.