The Bark River Chronicles

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY AUG 6, 2012

Using his and his wife s journeys by canoe from Wisconsin s Bark Lake along the Bark and Rock Rivers to Lake Koshkonong as a narrative thread for this charming book, Bates meanders to and fro recounting local lore and musing on a variety of subjects from a history of the land during the last Ice Age to thoughts on the life and work of Lorine Neidecker, an immensely influential modernist poet unique for having remained a writer of the rural while participating in a decidedly urban and international artistic movement. On a quainter note, Bates details the pros of a canoe when compared to a kayak, the process by which ice was harvested from the Milwaukee River during the late 19th century for use in industries as diverse as brewing and corpse-storage, and the histories of a slew of old mills along the waterways. While Bates is clearly an expert on the Wisconsin watershed and its colorful past, and his insights often draw from curious factoids and observations, the narrative is constrained to a necessary sort of provincialism for folks familiar with the area, this is a rewarding journey. For others, even the beauty of Bates writing will likely prove insufficient to keep them on course. Photos & maps.