he Bones by Chris Stark is a novel-in-progress that continues the stories of the protagonists in Carnival Lights and introduces new ones. The characters’ lives intertwine around a historical event called Project Man High, a US Airforce project that sent a man into the stratosphere using a gondola the size of a phone booth…
Finding Poetry in Undermined Places MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN What do you call it when the ground collapses under a small town? In her new book of poetry, The Caving Grounds, Michigan author and environmentalist Kathleen Heideman explores the subterranean world of historic iron mines and mine subsidence. “The Caving Grounds excavates…
Reviewed by Leslie Anne Smith for Reader Views (02/2025) 5*- A cozy, nostalgic collection of stories about the Upper Peninsula I lead a simple life. I rake and I row, and, when the weather’s bad, I read and I write.- pg. 27 “Summers at the Lake: Upper Michigan Moments and…
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (02/2025) 5*- Laugh Out Loud Fun! Terri Martin’s “Roadkill Justice: Featuring Yooper Woodswoman Nettie Bramble” offers a collection of stories that take readers on a fun romp through the rugged landscape of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The tales are mainly centered around a Yooper…
The Alexandria Code Mikel B. Classen Modern History Press (2023) ISBN: 978-1615997831 Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (02/2025) 5*- Pulse-pounding and engaging “The Alexandria Code,” part of the Isabella Carter Adventure series by Mikel B. Classen, is a thrilling blend of suspense, action, and archaeological intrigue. In this…
>Widely acclaimed author Sue Harrison has published her latest novel Rescuing Crash, the Good Dog with the Modern History Press of Ann Arbor, Michigan. The book features the journey of a shelter dog who brings joy and healing to the broken hearts of a family. Sue Harrison’s Rescuing Crash, the Good Dog is a novel for…
Sue Harrison’s Rescuing Crash, the Good Dog is a novel for middle-grade readers. The book engages young readers with a heartwarming story of dog adoption from a local shelter. Crash, the eponymous Australian shepherd, is brought home to 11-year-old Britta by her single Dad as a birthday gift. As Crash becomes a…
Reviewed by Tom Powers, Michigan in Books This slim volume contains a wealth of information on a subject that seems as reluctant to reveal its history as the historical pirates of the Great Lakes who guarded their anonymity. Classen’s research and history of piracy on the Great Lakes begins with…
Exploring the History and Innovations of Snowmobiles with Larry Jorgensen In this episode of the Motorcycle Men Podcast, we dive deep into the fascinating world of snowmobiles with author Larry Jorgensen. As winter blankets much of the country, Larry shares insights from his new book, ‘Make It Go in the…
https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/72bdffmqtathc7m5/audio1529115332.m4a In this episode of ‘For the Love of Books,’ host Emma Polova speaks with poet Kathy Johnson about her journey as a writer and her new anthology, ‘Roots in Water.‘ Join them as they delve into the essence of poetry, the challenges of selection, and the profound…
An Invaluable Exploration of a Dark Moment in Native American History Sharon Marie Brunner’s Michigan Indian Boarding School Survivors Speak Out offers an intimate look into what it was like to be a child placed in an Indian boarding school in the twentieth century. Michigan had three Indian boarding schools…
Review by Tom Powers, Michigan in Books In the very first sentence of Memories of a Mackinac Island Native, the author writes he “will not attempt to cover a detailed Mackinac Island history.” By the end of the book, I wish he had covered more history and fewer personal memories…
Sparks of the Revolution Todd Harrison Otis Modern History Press 978-1-61599-787-9 $35.00 Hardcover/$21.95 Paperback/$6.95 eBook www.ModernHistoryPress.com Sparks of the Revolution: James Otis and the Birth of American Democracy is a novel that is steeped in the birth of the American democracy. It narrows its focus to a small band of…
By Ernest Dempsey Modern History Press has published works of both fiction and poetry from and about the Upper Peninsula (U.P.) of Michigan. Its latest book is an anthology of poetry by Yoopers (UPers) titled Yooper Poetry: On Experiencing Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Edited by Raymond Luczak, a proud Yooper who…
No writer in the Upper Peninsula has a better formula for mixing satire with slapstick comedy and producing grins, chuckles and laughter than Terri Martin. Much of her success is due to inventing uniquely oddball Yooper characters strong enough to feature in and become the narrator of a book of…
Off the Hook: Off-Beat Reporter’s Tales from Michigan’s U.P. by Nancy Besonen It takes a special person to write a weekly humor column year after year and decade after decade. There has to be times when life is not funny, you’re just not in the mood to be humorous, or…
Relative Sanity by Ellen Lord I’m the last person who should be allowed to review poems. Many poems simply go over my head at the altitude of a jetliner. I don’t even understand some of the glowing remarks by the authors on the back of this book. But if…
Synopsis: With the publication of “Yooper Ale Trails: Craft Breweries and Brewpubs of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula” by Jon C. Stott and Mikel B. Classen, beer and ale enthusiasts can visit the 29 unique craft breweries and brewpubs of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Choose from among eight different Ale Trails for your…
Each year it is my pleasure to nominate just six short pieces for the Pushcart Prize. Always a tough selection, but here’s my nominations for 2024. Winners would be announced in April 2024 if it comes to that. And the nominees are… Hilton Moore for “The Cell Tower” (North of…
Small Press Bookwatch: September 2023 James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief Midwest Book Review 278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575 The Native American Studies Shelf Synopsis: No less than 27 out of the 50 states’ names in the USA are based in Native American languages. Additionally, six out of 13 of Canada’s…
