8622 N. Lombard St., Portland, OR 97203 * 503-283-0032 * info@stjohnsbooks.com * TU 10-6, WED-SAT 10-8, SUN 12-5, MON CLOSED *
Salt In Our Blood: Michele Longo Eder presents the memoir of a fisherman's wife
10/15/2011 7:00 pm
Salt In Our Blood: The Memoir of a Fisherman’s Wife is a personal account from a fisherman’s wife – from
inside this dangerous yet alluring profession. Crabbing, as an industry,
has navigated through many political, economical, and cultural changes
in the last 40 years. But the fishing industry remains a closed society.
Not many outsiders know what the workday looks like to a commercial
fisherman and his family, nor what it takes to actually harvest the
bounty of the ocean. Michele, an attorney married for 20 years to a
fisherman living in Newport, Oregon, gave herself the task of keeping a
journal to record the adventurous and dangerous life. Michele
began writing on Monday, December 11, 2000. “Fourthirty a.m. I’m awake.
The F/V Michele Ann is being loaded with the last of its crab pots,
ready to leave Newport and head north to Astoria, a port on the Columbia
River.” But in December 2001 personal tragedy struck the Eder family
and their crew, sending them on a path of hopelessness and despair, and
ultimately questioning their love of the sea. This book gives the reader
a unique insight into living and working on the edge of danger."I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea... All of us have, in our veins, the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it, we are going back from whence we came."
-President John F. Kennedy
Newport, Rhode Island
September 14, 1962
About the Author
A native of upstate New York, after graduating from The Johns Hopkins University in 1976, Michele moved to Portland, Oregon to attend law school at Lewis & Clark. She has practiced law on the Oregon Coast for almost 30 years. In her legal career, Michele has represented a wide variety of clients, including commercial fishermen and their associations.
In the world of fisheries and oceans, Michele serves on the Board of Directors of the North Pacific Research Board, and, as a two-term Presidential appointee, is a Commissioner with the U.S. Arctic Research Commission.
Michele and her husband, Bob Eder, make their home in Newport, Oregon, where they raised two sons, Ben and Dylan. Bob has been an owner-operator of commercial fishing vessels for over 30 years, catching Dungeness crab and sablefish. Michele has been an active partner in the family fishing business. Involved in both professional and community associations, Michele's interests have centered around those groups that contribute to the support of families and children, such as the YMCA and Newport Fishermen’s Wives. Currently, she serves on the Board of Directors of the Newport Library Foundation.
For fun, Michele reads, writes, cooks and eats, plays tennis and bridge, gardens, digs in junk stores for hidden treasures, and walks on the beach with her family, friends and dogs. She travels as much as she can and loves the energy of cities, an enjoyable contrast to a quiet life at home. She visits the Fishermen’s Memorial regularly, taking flowers from her garden to Ben.
Location:
- Street:
- 8622 N Lombard St
- City:
- Portland ,
- Province:
- Oregon
- Postal Code:
- 97203-3731
- Country:
- United States
