Iris Graville's latest book, Writer in a Life Vest, was born of her thirty years as a Lopez islander, and her hours on the Salish Sea in her kayak, or as Writer-in-Residence on the inter-island ferry. Writer in a Life Vest: essays from the Salish Sea examines this inland sea’s lattice of beauty, wildness, fragility, and interdependence.   These vulnerable and tender essays, interspersed with poems, profiles, conversations and correspondence (real and imagined), explore climate change, endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales, and more. Shining a light on resilience, inspiration and hope, Writer in a Life Vest invites readers to ask questions, and find a personal response to the challenges ahead.   "In Writer in a Life Vest, Iris Graville pulls out all the stops to immerse us in the magnificent Salish Sea—and the crises of our time—with creativity, integrity, and grace. She jams with ukuleles, imagines conversations with Rachel Carson, writes vows of commitment, admires orcas and grieves them, and ultimately insists on hope. Equal parts wonder and urgency, Writer in a Life Vest is nature writing at its best." —Ana Maria Spagna, award-winning author of Uplake   "Witty, creative, insightful, and evocative, Writer in a Life Vest is passionate paean to the Salish Sea, ferry riding, and the creatures and people that inhabit this beautiful body of water. As the state’s first writer-in-residence on a ferry, Iris Graville opens our eyes and hearts to the importance of caring for, paying attention to, and protecting the places we love." —David B. Williams, author of Homewaters: A Human and Natural History of Puget Sound