A Rascal's Craft

A Rascal's Craft captures the musings of a turn of the 20th century Finnish immigrant, Eelu Kiviranta, describing his feelings about departing the old country and establishing a new home in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. A snapshot of life in Michigan's Copper Country is depicted in this series of poems, many of which are written in the Finnish storytelling tradition of arkkiveisu, describing a variety of contemporary events -- such as what it was like to work in the copper mines, to serving in the Finnish army, to the sinking of the Titanic. Published in their original Finnish and translated into English for the first time, the poems and their translations remain true to their style and enchanting rhyme, providing Finnophiles with a rare and enjoyable cultural experience. This book was made possible in part by a grant from the Finlandia Foundation National.

Introduction by Steve Lehto

Translated by Lillian Lehto

Foreword by James N. Kurtti, Director of the Finnish American Heritage Center

Momentum Books, 2010

Paperback, 114 pages, 6 x 9 inches