Door County, Wis. (June 2, 2020) — The organizers of the Norbert Blei Memorial Scholarship have announced the 2020 winner of the group’s annual scholarship in honor of the well-known Door County writer. A graduating senior from Gibraltar Area Schools in Fish Creek, Solomon Lindenberg was presented with the award at Gibraltar’s ‘virtual senior banquet’ on Wednesday, May 27 by Chelsea Roberts, Guidance Counselor.
Unlike in previous years, when the award was presented to the winner in person, this year’s award presentation became a virtual affair due to the current coronavirus pandemic. Lindenberg plans to move to Chicago this fall to pursue a degree in Journalism from DePaul University.
The Norbert Blei Memorial Scholarship is a $1,000 scholarship offered to a graduating Gibraltar Area Schools senior in honor of the memory of well-known local writer Norbert Blei. Blei was a committed lifelong writing teacher, a talented writer and author, and a lover of words and the literary arts. His career began in Chicago, where he was a contemporary and friend of urban writers, newspaper columnists and media figures like Mike Royko, Studs Terkel, and Harry Mark Petrakis.
Blei moved to Door County in 1969 and famously wrote his many books in a converted chicken coop, including his seminal Door County non-fiction book, ‘DOOR WAY.’ After Blei’s death on April 23, 2013, his chicken coop/writing studio was moved to Write On, Door County, the writing arts nonprofit organization, in Juddville, where it is used as a meeting place for writing seminars and other gatherings.
Lindenberg has been writing for the school newspaper, The Viking Voice, since his freshman year, and was Editor-In-Chief during his senior year. The young journalist was also instrumental in helping raise the newspaper to its current award-winning standing.
“Our publication was awarded a third-place general excellence award by the Wisconsin Newspaper Association (WNA) this year,” Lindenberg said.
In collaboration with Linda Fey, a Gibraltar Schools English teacher, Lindenberg began a program that made student essays and opinion pieces eligible for publication in The Viking Voice.
“Among my contributions was to create an opinion page in the paper so students had a way to express any grievances, opinions or views that they have,” Lindenberg said.
The school newspaper experience gave him a taste of many aspects of the newspaper profession.
“I learned so much about not only writing content from scratch, but also the world of copy editing, advertising, and publishing,” Lindenberg noted.
In October, he became an intern with the Peninsula Pulse, the Door County newspaper, gaining real world experience in writing stories and columns, editing and website design.
“During my eight months with the Pulse and working under many great writers, including Myles Dannhausen, Jr., I have learned so much about creating content and telling stories that impact people,” Lindenberg said.
His desire is to provide knowledge, insight and entertainment through his writing.
“I believe that as a writer, I will be able to create work that will profoundly affect people, create awareness, and potentially bring about change,” Lindenberg wrote.
As a developing musician and writer, Lindenberg weighed the economic realities of both of these career possibilities and the costs of a college education. Ultimately, he decided to Major in Journalism and Minor in Music.
“I would have loved to study music in college, but it just came down to price,” Lindenberg said. “They are both mediums of expression, but journalism is very broad and allows you to find new interests and creates a lot of connections. Music is always going to be there.”
In the winning essay he submitted for the Norbert Blei Memorial Scholarship, Lindenberg wrote about his life growing up in Door County and his newfound appreciation for it.
“I’ve considered Door County to be the comfort zone that I needed to break out of in order to reach my standards of leading a successful life,” he wrote. “I’ve always had my eyes set on living in a big, densely populated area where the vastness of opportunities is immeasurable. As a result of putting myself in this frame of mind, I unknowingly shut out the similar vastness of opportunities Door County had to offer.”
He shared how the pandemic isolation gave him a chance at a new view of his home surroundings.
“The silver lining of the coronavirus pandemic is that it has caused me to become much more aware of myself and my surroundings,” he said. “I’ve developed a stronger relationship with Door County through getting outside and exploring its offerings outside of what is seen on travel brochures. Specifically, I’ve conducted extensive explorations of the backroads and public trails.”
The solitary journey is what brought Lindenberg to a deeper realization of the “natural artistry” that Door County provides. “Being alone is a big part of it,” Lindenberg said. “It’s been an opportunity to explore myself and explore what’s been around me all along without other people. It has allowed me to have a certain relationship with the landscape and with myself.”
Asked if he had a favorite Norbert Blei quote, Lindenberg said, “While I’ve only scratched the surface of Norb’s writing, I like his views on the Door County Advocate, (which he called The Aggravate), and his column ‘Shut the Damn Door.’ My favorite quote is, ‘You write to find out about yourself. If you’re in areas where you’re not finding out about yourself, it’s futile. You’re wasting your time.’”
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