Michigan author highlights Port Huron, mindfulness of the Great Lakes in new book

Growing up in Port Huron with memories of riding his bike and traveling along Lake Huron is part of what inspired David Zurick’s new book, “The Third Coast: America’s Great Lakes Shoreline.”

For the last two decades, Zurick has been traveling the world, photographing countries like China and Nepal. At the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Zurick, who was in India at the time, didn’t know what was going to happen. 

He decided to go back home. 

“I had this freedom of having a little adventure,” Zurick says, describing how he was able to explore spots he spent time in his childhood, and other areas across the state that were new to him during a time of social distancing. “It’s a part of who I am,” he says.

In his book, Zurick explores all five of the Great Lakes by seasons, beginning in Winter, Lake Superior, Spring, Lake Michigan, Summer, Lake Erie and Ontario, and Autumn, Lake Huron. Within the autumn section, many of the photos are near Lakeside Park, which holds a special place in Zurick’s heart. 

“I grew up a few blocks from Lakeside Park, and it was the go-to place in my youth for lakeside activities,” he says. “My interest in making images of the park was to explore how a spot from my youth, which I thought to be rather ordinary (but nice), could be rendered creatively in a photograph.”

“The Third Coast” also reflects on the relationship between humans and nature, reminding us to take a moment, look around, and appreciate what we have. It hints at how we can live thoughtfully and sustainably.

“If I’m advocating anything, I want it to be a thoughtful appraisal of the Great Lakes,” Zurick says. “If I tell someone something, they may not remember it, but if I give them bits and pieces and allow them to assemble it, that’s something they will remember for the rest of their lives.”

His book is available on Northwestern University Press, Amazon, or on the shelves of local bookstores.