Pacific Flyway

About the Book

Pacific Flyway is Lee’s fifth book of poetry and follows the familiar themes found in his first four books: The Lines That Connect Us, Moments like These, Stones in a River, and Spindrift. Pacific Flyway is another book of poetry featuring the Alaskan environment that, itself, inspires poetry. Southeast Alaska is where mountains meet the Pacific Ocean shores. Lives here, above, and below the sea’s surface are codependent and call for expression in poetry. Much written herein is modest yet personal. Experiences, observations, and views, sometimes less cheerful, are a good part of most artistic pursuits.

About the Author

Eli (Lee) Ribich was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1941. He graduated from Hamtramck High School in 1958, then from Wayne State University in 1968 with a Bachelor’s and later with a Master’s Degree in Secondary Education. Throughout his formative years Lee felt a yearning for those things that a big city, midwestern life style didn’t offer: Mountains, seashore, forests-- the stuff of poetry. The city did offer to Lee one of his inspirations, however: his wife, Gail. Together, Lee and Gail found Alaska where those early yearnings were realized and exceeded. The two taught in three Yupik Eskimo communities for five enriching years, then moved to Southeast Alaska to the fishing community of Petersburg. Lee taught English and Social Studies courses at Petersburg High School, sixth grade Physical Education, and coached junior varsity boys and girls varsity basketball. After retirement, Lee taught adult creative writing courses through University of Alaska, Southeast Extension Services. These small community experiences provided depth and richness to their lives, including two children and three grandchildren. Teaching, coaching, parenting, fishing, guiding, observing, loving all done in one of the world’s more magnificent settings, Alaska--inspiration abounds.