Ordinary folks describe how they know the Mississippi River and what the river means to them.
Every year, a few dozen people push off from Lake Itasca and paddle their way toward the Gulf of Mexico. As a group, the paddlers skew young and male and white. Cory Maria Dack is one of the exceptions. While Cory grew up in Duluth, Minnesota, she was born to an indigenous Ecuadoran mother. As
Some experiences leave a lasting impression. For Jamaal Hodge, a childhood trip to the Mississippi River in St. Louis and a moment, a first glimpse at striking pieces of art, catalyzed an interest in art that shapes his life to this day. That first trip to the Mississippi had nothing to do with art,
The Hawk Man of Iowa is a title that one doesn’t acquire casually. Jon Stravers earned it because of his dedication to studying and understanding the lives of Red-shouldered Hawks. That work wasn’t part of any grand plan he’d had for his life. He served in the Navy during the Vietnam War and felt
There’s a hidden world along the Mississippi River, a network of folks who live along the river who are willing—eager, even—to lend a helping hand just because they want to. We call them river angels. If you’re a long-distance paddler, you already know about them. And if you’re one of those paddlers who has made
For native New Orleanian Jorge Abadin, inspiration is just a bench in Crescent Park away. “I’d bring my maté out there (he studied in Argentina for a while). I’d bring a book and something to write with.” He’d sit on that bench and let his mind wander as he watched the Mississippi River flow.
“I stood in the sand next to the Mississippi River and wondered who had stood there before me.” Even though her family has deep roots in Wisconsin, sculptor Florence Bird knew nothing of the old Mississippi River town of Prairie du Chien until twenty years ago. During her initial trip, she went to St.
