top of page

Advance Praise for Canoeman Joe

Canoeman Joe profiles the best kind of hero, not because he did some amazing singular feat beyond the reach of most of us, but because he was simply more passionate about craft, the wild world, his family, and his community. He’s the best sort of friend—generous, loving, and magnanimous. The blend of story and art is stunning. True as a bright brass canoe tack, pure as the notes of a spring peeper’s call.     

–Garrett Conover, wilderness guide, author, photographer

BW66 Secret Bay.jpg
Canoe builder Joe Seliga and his impeccably crafted canoes were iconic attractions in the Ely, Minnesota region and beyond; popular with paddlers, neighbors and young campers for decades.
 
Now, thanks to this beautiful little book by author Robin Radcliffe and illustrator Consie Powell, new generations of readers, young and old, can learn about the spirit, integrity, and warmth of Joe and his wife Nora, and appreciate their love and respect for the lake country around them as expressed in the Seliga canoes.

–Jerry Stelkmok, canoe builder and author of The Art of the Canoe with Joe Seliga

Seliga canoes are a Minnesota treasure. I was fortunate to know Joe and see him work in his shop. I am a proud and lucky owner of two. One of my favorite photographs was made with the bow of his canoe on a wilderness lake. Robin Radcliffe and Consie Powell tell a wonderful story of Joe and his life's work in this fine book.

–Jim Brandenburg, National Geographic photographer and founder of the Brandenburg Prairie Foundation

The words that come to mind when I remember Joe Seliga are - Appreciation, Craftsmanship, Dedication, Beauty, and Love.  This inspirational book tells how these values shaped the life of the man who built beautiful canoes.

–Joe Smith, Camp Widjiwagan caretaker and steward of the Seliga canoe legacy

bottom of page