I was honored several years ago to be on a program at the Library of Michigan honoring the 50th Anniversary of the publication of “Anatomy of a Murder”, but I was more excited to learn from one of John Voelker’s sisters that the family owned the rights to his books. The reason was “Laughing Whitefish” had been out of print for decades and I thought it would be ripe for being reissued.
At the time, I was on the Board of the MSU Press and brought the idea to them. They embraced the idea and the result is in early June a reprint of “Laughing Whitefish” with an introduction detailing the Indian rights’ issues which were the basis for the historical fiction novel will be in print once again. It’s nice when a plan comes together. The book will be released in June at the Upper Peninsula History Conference: Cuz, bourbon in a tin cup tastes better up there…to paraphrase John Voelker. Publication of this book wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts of Richard Vander Veen III and Fred Baker who were also responsible for the establishment of the John D. Voelker Foundation which raises money in Voelker’s name to fund scholarships for American Indian students wanting to pursue a law degree. Read more about the Foundation here and how to make a donation.
In today’s Dome Magazine an article appears on the book and how it came to be. As uoften is the case the back story is as interesting as the book itself. At least when John Voelker was involved.
From Dome Magazine:
John D. Voelker, former Michigan Supreme Court justice (1956-1960) and author of The New York Times bestseller Anatomy of a Murder, called his book Laughing Whitefish “the toughest job of writing I ever tackled.”
First published in 1965 and out of print for decades, Whitefish also has been one of the toughest of Voelker’s 10 books to find. Writing under his pen name, Robert Traver, Voelker wrote five novels, three books on fishing and two books of essays and short stories.
But thanks to a chance meeting between Grace Voelker Wood, one Voelker’s sisters, and a board member of the MSU Press during a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Anatomy, a new edition of Whitefish will be published in June by the Press.
The new edition also contains an introduction written by Matthew L. M. Fletcher, associate professor of law and director of the Indigenous Law & Policy Center at Michigan State University’s College of Law, that puts the seminal historical fiction novel in context by detailing how the book was based on actual Michigan Supreme Court cases regarding Indian property rights and tribal law and customs. Fletcher is a member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians.
In a presentation to the Michigan Historical Society in 1970 about the novel, Voelker called the “basic story…rather simple.” He continued, “Most simply put, it was all about iron ore, Indians and infidelity to one’s promises.”
In the book, Voelker, writing as Traver, told the story of Charlotte Kawbawgam (in real life Kobogum), whose father, Marji Gesick, had been promised a “wee fractional interest” for his assistance in leading a group of businessmen to North America’s largest iron ore deposit. Problems resulted when neither Gesick nor Gesick’s heirs were compensated as promised.
Voelker told how he had learned of the fascinating story, which involves tribal customs, including polygamy, long before he wrote his blockbuster. But he had been derailed by his successful career and the amazing success of Anatomy, which was made into a movie shot on location in Marquette and Ishpeming.
Voelker said he adopted a pen name while he was a prosecuting attorney (1935-50) in Marquette. He was often quoted as saying, “I didn’t want the voters to think I was an author on company time.”
Read the entire article in Dome Magazine.