Alex Messenger is an author, photographer, and communication professional based in Duluth, Minnesota. At seventeen, he was mauled by a grizzly bear while on a canoe trip in the Canadian tundra—an experience that became the foundation of his bestselling memoir, The Twenty-Ninth Day (Blackstone, 2019). His second book and debut novel, The Ice on the Lake, was released March 10, 2026 from Blackstone Publishing.
A communication specialist with the University of Minnesota Duluth, photographer, volunteer search-and-rescue operator, and former wilderness guide, Messenger has built a career that blends storytelling, media, and adventure. His love of nature, cultures, and exploration has taken him around the world, but the Northwoods and canoe country remain his favorite places to return to and photograph.
Messenger’s debut memoir, The Twenty-Ninth Day: Surviving a Grizzly Attack in the Canadian Tundra, was a Wall Street Journal Bestseller; a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award; a Midwest Indies Bestseller; listed as a title that launched a thousand journeys by the Minnesota Star Tribune; a top bestseller for multiple years at Duluth bookstores; an Amazon #1 bestseller; and was featured in Guardian, Outside, Backpacker, MeatEater Podcast, Wondery podcasts, the BBC, CBC Radio, MPR, as well as many other broadcast and print news outlets.
In the short time since its release, Messenger’s second book and debut novel, The Ice on the Lake, received critical acclaim, and has been lauded as #1 Best Books of 2026 (So Far) by the Bookstore at Fitger’s; a Paddle and Portage and River Radio recommended read; a Rome News-Tribune Pick of 10 Notable New Books; and was nominated for the Minnesota Book Award.
Messenger was named one of 20 Under 40 by the Duluth News Tribune in 2025, in recognition of his professional achievements and public service.
His photography has appeared in The New York Times, Men’s Journal, National Parks magazine, Outside, Backpacker, National Geographic publications, North magazine, the Minnesota Star Tribune, and the Duluth News Tribune, among others.
@AMessengerPhoto on Instagram, X and Facebook.
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