I’m fortunate to have had a ringside seat as Campfire in the Basement came into being over the past fifteen years. I initially met Darrell Pedersen at a workshop and have been part of a small circle of writers as he created some of the stories included in this impressive collection. You may not know Darrell as I do—or at all—yet I’m sure you’ll feel as if you’ve gained a close friend as you read this book. His devotion to honest and empathetic writing is evident, and these are the qualities of a deep friendship after all.
Through his stories, Darrell helps us understand the dynamics of his childhood family and its heritage. He recalls his conflicted emotions as he watched his father shoot a black bear at his childhood Minnesota home. He describes the guilt he carries after taking a small polished agate from an unsuspecting merchant’s stall without paying for it.
Darrell remembers such things and more—and he cares. We readers get a sense from Campfire in the Basement that he cares for us too. He invites us to join him around a small Northwoods campfire where “even eternity comes to visit” us—if we only give it the time.
Steve Robert Simmons
Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota
Who Publishes Personal Essays Here
Somewhat shy, perhaps a little frightened, a dozen children huddled with their teacher at the back of a full sanctuary. They had just returned from
When you have a good friend, you know what makes him tick, and why. CAMPFIRE IN THE BASEMENT contains all the “whats” and the “whys:
Campfire in the Basement: Reflections from a Northwoods Lake is a captivating memoir of childhood stories supported by previous generations’ values, hard work, and life’s