Elisa Korenne
Elisa Korenne, an award-winning songwriter known for her original songs about oddballs in history, left New York City in 2006 to be an artist-in-residence in rural west central Minnesota. When she fell in love with the local outdoorsman, she moved and became a fish out of water in New York Mills, Minnesota, a town of 1100 people. To survive the culture shock, she wrote and composed about herself and other oddballs. “I felt lonely and disconnected,” Korenne says. “So I channeled my loneliness the only way I knew how.”
In smooth, well-crafted prose, Korenne’s new memoir “Hundred Miles to Nowhere: An Unlikely Love Story” tells the story of finding somewhere, and someone, in the middle of nowhere. The book is an unlikely love story about a musician, intra-American culture shock, and discovering that sometimes lost is on the way. In her journey to span to rural-urban divide, Korenne describes adventures such as a three-day canoe-camping trip of a blind date, roadkill for dinner, and living through a tornado.
TEDx Gull Lake ELISA Korenne, Featured Speaker, April 22, 2017.
Advocates, innovators, entertainers, and thinkers will take the TEDxGullLake stage to present their “ideas worth spreading” on April 22 at Madden’s on Gull Lake.
Hundred Miles to Nowhere: An Unlikely Love Story by Elisa Korenne will be available at bookstores across the country, Amazon.com, and NorthStarPress.com in June of 2017.
Hundred Miles to Nowhere_ An Unlikely Love Story
Hundred Miles to Nowhere: An Unlikely Love Story explores what happens when a singer-songwriter moves from New York City to rural Minnesota for love, and finds there’s more to life than music.
When Elisa Korenne took a month’s break from New York City to be the resident singer-songwriter in middle-of-nowhere Minnesota, she didn’t intend to stay. Then she fell in love with the local outdoorsman/insurance guy. One cross-country romance later, Elisa gave up subways, theater, City Bakery cookies, and her Brooklyn apartment to become the 1,153rd resident of New York Mills, a rural town ninety miles from the nearest metropolitan area, Fargo.
She had to resort to moonshine to stay sane.
The barista knew her weekend plans before she did. The postmaster set up gigs for her behind her back. Chris expected her to eat roadkill for dinner. And you wouldn’t believe the uproar when the Finnish Lutherans in town learned she was Jewish. Despite a gun-toting Millenialist neighbor and the furnace dying at twenty-six below, Elisa moved to Minnesota and married Chris anyway. Then a tornado threatened to destroy the home she had finally made for herself.
Hundred Miles to Nowhere is A Year in Provence for the Prairie Home Companion crowd, or Coop for fans of indie music.
Blurbs:
Joe Jencks International touring performer, songwriter, entertainer, educator, and co-founder of Brother Sun
“Elisa Korenne has written an action-packed, heart-driven page turner. Each line is crafted with the focus and care of the song lyrics for which she has become known. You will want to slowly savor the reading of it, enjoying the rich nuances of Korenne’s words and brilliant storytelling. Hundred Miles to Nowhere is a narrative tale of self-discovery in which preconceived notions of identity are turned sideways, and we eventually arrive at a place where we come to believe that with a little patience and humility, love truly is enough!”
Jerry Mevissen Author of Good Shepherd
” Korenne’s memoir chronicles her odyssey from New York to New York Mills with lush texture, exquisite description, and engaging storytelling. With unflinching candor, Korenne leads us on a thoroughly enjoyable romp through her two worlds.”
Mark Oppenheimer Author of Wisenheimer: A Childhood Subject to Debate
“I’m a romantic, but even I would have given poor odds to a romance between a man and a woman with different religions, different careers, different interests and — most important — different relationships to the Minnesota wilderness. But no matter that one’s a native outdoorsman, the other a transplanted Jewish Philadelphian/New Yorker singer-songwriter! “Hundred Miles to Nowhere” makes you believe in the power of love, and of literature.”
Will Weaver Author of Sweet Land and The Last Hunter: An American Family Album
“Big city girl marries a small town guy—that story. But never more engagingly told than in Hundred Miles to Nowhere. It’s full of humor, heart, and in the end proves that love always wins. Women will love this book, and I did, too.”
Josh Axelrad Author of the memoir Repeat Until Rich: A Professional Card Counter’s Chronicle of the Blackjack Wars
“An absolutely stunning debut. Brilliant, breathtaking and hopeful. Korenne is the ideal storyteller: part enchantress, part dogged reporter, wise, studious, generous. Her book is a superbly crafted journey into the unexpected riches of the rural American wilderness, and of the heart.”
About the Author: Elisa Korenne is a writer, performer, and songwriter. She writes memoir and mysteries and composes songs about oddballs in history. Elisa lives with her family in New York Mills, Minnesota. Learn more at www.elisakorenne.com.
ISBN: 978-1-68201-064-8
Trim Size: 5.5 x 8.5
Page Count: 344
Publication Date: June 2017
Krista Rolfzen Soukup
Publicist and Owner
Blue Cottage Agency was founded by Krista Rolfzen Soukup in 2009. Krista is a literary publicist and Owner of Blue Cottage Agency.
Some Nice Words
“When I needed a publicist to help promote my book, The Lily of the West, I found there were quite a few available, but upon discovering the highly recommended Krista Rolfzen Soukup and Blue Cottage Agency, there was no need to look further. Krista is reliable, creative, ethical and well connected. She personifies that elusive quality of being a straight-shooter who is kind and non-judgmental. She’s been a tremendous help to me and I can’t recommend her highly enough. Simply the best.”
Author The Lily of the West, Five Star Publishing March 2019
Krista Rolfzen Soukup
Publicist and Owner
Blue Cottage Agency was founded by Krista Rolfzen Soukup in 2009. Krista is a literary publicist and Owner of Blue Cottage Agency.
Some Nice Words
“When I needed a publicist to help promote my book, The Lily of the West, I found there were quite a few available, but upon discovering the highly recommended Krista Rolfzen Soukup and Blue Cottage Agency, there was no need to look further. Krista is reliable, creative, ethical and well connected. She personifies that elusive quality of being a straight-shooter who is kind and non-judgmental. She’s been a tremendous help to me and I can’t recommend her highly enough. Simply the best.”
Author The Lily of the West, Five Star Publishing March 2019