Ever since her boat drifted up against the mammoth docks in Milwaukee's harbor, Leah Dobkin has been enthralled by the evolution of the port and the city so firmly moored to it. From an era when it was a "Milwaukee Miracle" to make landfall without losing luggage to a promising future powered by alternative energy, Soul of a Port is steered by that same sense of wonder. And since the port's story is not just one of nuts, bolts and cranes, Dobkin's narrative is also well crewed by the characters who have given the place such a fascinating legacy. Settle in for an entertaining passage that includes a longshoreman's poetry, the Milwaukee Clipper's recipe for prime rib, a tugboat ghost story and much, much more.
Leah Dobkin is a freelance writer on environmental, social and consumer issues. Prior to freelance writing, Ms. Dobkin was in the aging and nonprofit field for more than thirty years. She has a master's degree in gerontology and nonprofit management from Columbia University. She lives three blocks from Lake Michigan in Shorewood, Wisconsin. Being a Pisces, she naturally spends a lot of time around water. You can read some of her articles at www.leahdobkin.com.