Marty Essen

Marty Essen is an American naturalist, author, photographer, and professional speaker. He has written nine books, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents, Endangered Edens: Exploring the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica, the Everglades, and Puerto Rico, Time Is Irreverent, Time Is Irreverent 2: Jesus Christ, Not Again! Time Is Irreverent 3: Gone for 16 Seconds, Hits, Heathens, and Hippos: Stories from an Agent, Activist, and Adventurer, Doctor Refurb, The Silver Squad: Rebels With Wrinkles, and The Sliver Squad Rides Again. [1][2][3][4][5]

Marty Essen in Montana

.

Early life

Essen was born in Duluth, Minnesota, United States.[6] He attended Duluth East High School and University of Minnesota Duluth.

Career

Essen worked as a radio announcer at WEBC-AM[7] and KQDS-FM.[8] In 1982, he moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he ran two music talent management agencies, National Talent Associates[7] and Twin City Talent.[9] In 1996, Essen moved to Montana to found Essen Communications Corporation, a local telephone company, and later became an author and a college speaker.[10]

His first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet, became a Minneapolis Star-Tribune Top-10 Green Book.[11] He performs a live college show, Around the World in 90 Minutes, based on Cool Creatures, Hot Planet.[12] One adventure, documented in both his first book and his live show, is surviving a hippo attack in Zimbabwe.[13][14]

Essen's nature photography is featured prominently in his books and live show. His outdoor photographs are also in Deb Essen's book, Easy Weaving with Supplemental Warps: Overshot, Velvet, Shibori, and More.[15] Magazines publishing his photos include Reptiles Magazine[16] and Handwoven Magazine.[17]

Essen's three nonfiction books advocate for protecting endangered species and the environment, and his six fiction books are comedies that advocate for the protection of human rights and the environment.[18]

Personal life

Essen resides in Montana and is married to weaving designer and author Deb Essen.[19]

Book awards

  • 2006 Foreword Reviews' INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award Winner (Bronze)[20]
  • 2007 Benjamin Franklin Award for Travel/Essay[6]
  • 2007 IPPY Bronze Medal for Travel/Essay[21]
  • 2009 Green Book Festival Award for Animals[6]
  • 2016 Nautilus Award for Animals & Nature (Silver)[22]
  • 2016 Nautilus Award for Middle Grades Non-Fiction (Silver)[22]
  • 2016 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal for Non-Fiction Environment[23]
  • 2024 Indies Today Award for Best Humor Book[24]
  • 2025 IPPY Gold Medal for Humor[25]
  • 2025 National Indie Excellence Award for Best Romantic Comedy[26]
  • 2025 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal Fiction - Humor/Comedy[27]
  • 22nd Annual Best Book Awards-Humor/Comedy/Satire[28]
  • 2025 Best Indie Book Award (BIBA)–Humor Satire[29]
  • 2025 IAN Book of the Year Award-Humor/Comedy/Satire[30]

Books

  • Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents[31]
  • Endangered Edens: Exploring the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica, the Everglades, and Puerto Rico[31]
  • Time Is Irreverent[32]
  • Time Is Irreverent 2: Jesus Christ, Not Again![33]
  • Time Is Irreverent 3: Gone for 16 Seconds[34]
  • Hits, Heathens, and Hippos: Stories from an Agent, Activist, and Adventurer[35]
  • Doctor Refurb[3]
  • The Silver Squad: Rebels With Wrinkles [4]
  • The Silver Squad Rides Again [5]

Live Shows

Essen has been touring the United States, performing Around the World in 90 Minutes, at hundreds of colleges since 2007.[36]

References

  1. ↑ Tribune, Chicago (2016-03-16) Travel “Around the World in 90 Minutes” at Oakton Community College with award-winning author. Retrieved 2016-06-03
  2. ↑ "Marty Essen". amazon.com. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  3. 1 2 "'The most frequently banned book of 2033': Local author promotes new book at Chapter One". ravallirepublic.com. 15 September 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-17.
  4. 1 2 Essen, Marty (10 January 2025). The Silver Squad: Rebels with Wrinkles. Encante Press. ISBN 978-1734430394.
  5. 1 2 "The Silver Squad Rides Again". amazon.com. Retrieved 2026-06-30.
  6. 1 2 3 "Overman Lecture 2012: Marty Essen". D.umn.edu. Archived from the original on 2018-11-21. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  7. 1 2 Ann, Mary (2007-03-10). "Running wild – Twin Cities". Twincities.com. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  8. ↑ Budgeteer, Duluth (2013-10-19). "Duluth native brings "Around the World in 90 Minutes" to UMD". Duluth Budgeteer. Archived from the original on 2017-05-10. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  9. ↑ "Successful alternative - Bitterroot telecommunications business makes it in Montana | Ravalli Republic || News". Ravallirepublic.com. 2001-05-08. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  10. ↑ McConnaha, Michelle (2016-01-01). "Marty Essen publishes new wildlife book". Ravalli Republic. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
  11. ↑ Star-Tribune, Minneapolis (2006-12-24). Being Green: From celebrations and odes to dire warnings and documented disasters, this year's environmentally oriented books sound the alarm.
  12. ↑ "Home". Marty Essen. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  13. ↑ "Living on Earth: Intrepid Travelers". Loe.org. 2007-06-22. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  14. ↑ "Hippo Canoe and Zimbabwe Too! - Around the World with Marty Essen". Marty-essen.com. 2016-05-30. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  15. ↑ Interweave Books, www.interweavestore.com/easy-weaving-with-supplemental-warps-overshot-velvet-shibori-and-more Retrieved 06-11-2016
  16. ↑ Reptiles Magazine (August 2007), "Into the Wild"
  17. ↑ Handwoven Magazine (May/June 2014) "Travel Journal Cover in Ikat. Inspired by Weaving in Borneo"
  18. ↑ "Books | MartyEssen.com". martyessen.com. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
  19. ↑ McConnaha, Michelle (2016-01-01). "Marty Essen publishes new wildlife book | Local". Ravallirepublic.com. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  20. ↑ "Cool Creatures, Hot Planet (2006 Winner) â€" Foreword Reviews' INDIEFAB Book of the Year Awards". Indiefab.forewordreviews.com. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  21. ↑ "THE Voice of the Independent Publishing Industry". Independent Publisher. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  22. 1 2 "NAUTILUS 2016 AWARD-WINNING AUTHORS AND BOOKS". Retrieved 2017-05-05.
  23. ↑ "2016 Award Contest Winners". Retrieved 2025-05-25.
  24. ↑ "2024 Indies Today Awards Contest Results". 12 February 2025. Retrieved 2025-02-26.
  25. ↑ "Congratulations to the 2025 IPPY Award Medalists!". Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  26. ↑ "19th Annual Winners National Indie Excellence Awards". Retrieved 2025-06-19.
  27. ↑ "2025 Book Award Contest Winners". Retrieved 2025-09-25.
  28. ↑ "The 22nd Annual "Best Book" Awards". Retrieved 2026-06-30.
  29. ↑ "2025 Best Indie Book Award® Winners". Retrieved 2026-06-30.
  30. ↑ "2025 IAN Book of the Year Award Winners". Retrieved 2026-06-30.
  31. 1 2 "Books – Encante Press, LLC". Encantepress.com. 2016-01-08. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  32. ↑ "Books – Encante Press, LLC". encantepress.com. Retrieved 2018-02-11.
  33. ↑ "Books – Encante Press, LLC". encantepress.com. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
  34. ↑ "Marty Essen – Time Is Irreverent 3: Gone for 16 Seconds". amazon.com. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  35. ↑ "Marty Essen – Hits, Heathens, and Hippos: Stories from an Agent, Activist, and Adventurer". amazon.com. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  36. ↑ Marty Essen website, http://martyessen.com/schedule.html, Retrieved 06-12-2016
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