JUNE 28, 2021 – I met Matt in ancient times when I worked for a large bank and in that capacity needed his outside-firm legal services (real estate; environmental law). Over the years that followed, we became good friends. Until last week, I’d last seen Matt when just before the pandemic lockdown he dropped off some books he thought I’d enjoy, and we scurried off to lunch.
Time passed. We talked once or twice by phone but fell out of more regular contact. Recently, Matt called with an invitation to sail out of his family’s summer retreat on the St. Croix River, a 45-minute drive from the Twin Cities. I readily accepted.
A splendid feature of Matt’s place is that he meets you at the Afton Marina on the Minnesota side, then ferries you across-river aboard his classic, been-in-the-family-forever, wide-bottom, Alumacraft with bow-covering and 9.9-horse Suzuki. Minutes later, you land on the unspoiled sand beach that stretches along the Wisconsin side. “Matt’s ferry” is the only access to the long, low-profile house that’s constructed on the side of the steep, wooded riverbank above the beach. Built decades ago by Matt’s parents, the veritable treehouse is now enjoyed by Matt, his wife, and their two adult kids, who live in the Twin Cities. Ostensibly, neighbors don’t exist in the thick foliage covering the riverbank. On my previous visit a couple of years ago, however, I met the next-door resident while she was strolling the beach—the late nonagenarian, Arvonne Fraser, wife of former Minneapolis mayor and Democratic Congressman extraordinaire, Don Fraser. (Their son serves as one of the finest judges before whom I’ve ever appeared.)
Upon our arrival, Matt pulled a smörgåsbord from the fridge and laid it upon the kitchen table. “Help yourself,” he said, in his inimitably pleasant manner.
As we constructed, then consumed super-sized sandwiches, we yakked as in old times. Matt can talk fluidly about family, art and architecture, law and public policy, the practical challenges of auto repair, and the finer points of sailing, all in well-organized, lucidly- formed, perfectly-paced sentences, always laced with humor, filled with insight, and soliciting feedback. He’s not only brilliant but a brilliant conversationalist. Every dialogue with Matt leaves you better off than you were before it. And he establishes quick, genuine rapport with anyone he meets—from the fisherman at the end of a sandbar to the server at the ice-cream parlor we patronized back in Afton before I headed home.
We talked about the psychological effects of the pandemic; the seriously worrying political condition of the country; obstinate and complex racism inherent in appraisal methods applied to residential housing in predominately Black neighborhoods; and Matt’s expeditions into the world of historical architecture—including a recent master’s degree in Heritage Conservation & Preservation from the University of Minnesota and adjunct teaching position at Hamline University. (Matt’s undergraduate alma mater is Yale; his law degree—University of Minnesota.)
Oh, and Matt’s an expert helmsman aboard Whisker, his Catalina 22. On mid-week waters, we owned the wind.
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© 2021 by Eric Nilsson
