Author Talk with Mark Binelli
Grand Rapids Public Library
June 20, 7 p.m.
grpl.org/grreads, (616) 988-5400

In the midst of the recent global economic recession, artists from all over the world descended on Detroit to tell the same tale of unemployment rates, rampant home foreclosures, abandoned neighborhoods and crumbling skyscrapers. Such coverage besmirched the city's reputation to the point where it became an umbrella metaphor for everything that was wrong with America. For journalist and Detroit native Mark Binelli, destruction was only part of the story.

"I felt like a lot of these [journalists] were just coming in for a day or two and doing a somewhat superficial job," Binelli said. "Really, there [would] be no way to not do that unless you really knew the place, so I thought, 'I'm from here, I should give it a shot.' If you write for a newspaper or a magazine, you're basically only there to write about human misery."

After moving away in 1993, Binelli decided to move back to the city after being sent by Rolling Stone to cover the Auto Show in 2009. He originally intended to use Detroit as the backdrop for a novel, but ultimately decided on a journalistic approach because "the truth felt so much weirder than anything I could make up."

For the next three years, he thoroughly researched the one component of Detroit's story that always seemed to be missing from the countless images of ruin and rubble: people.

"700,000 people still live [in the city] and they have full lives," Binelli said. "There's a whole range of human emotion going on there. It was important to me to talk to as wide a range of people as possible."

The product of his research, Detroit City is the Place to Be, stands as one of the most unbiased and authentic portrayals of the city to be written yet. Alongside interviews with city officials, business leaders and members of the auto industry, the book highlights conversations with everyday men and women trying to carry on and forge ahead despite the corrosion around them. Binelli describes his most interesting encounters as "pure serendipity" and admits that getting Detroiters to trust him was a formidable challenge.

"It's hardwired in you after awhile in Detroit to not trust journalists," he said. "But then they'd just keep seeing me around, and they'd be like 'Oh, it's you again? You're still here? You weren't just saying that?' I eventually just wore them down."

Coupled with a running history of the city's epic rise and fall, the depth of Binelli's human interactions gives his book an air of cautious optimism. Through acute examination of the ways Detroit is trying to rebuild itself through small-scale economics and community cooperation, the book dares to suggest that a city that has already literally risen from ashes once can do so again.

As a part of the Grand Rapids Public Library's GR Reads program, Binelli will give a free public presentation that is designed to help readers further connect with the book, as well as stimulate discussion about the current state of affairs in Detroit and what the city's future holds.

Other Literary Events

Book Signing with Edward McClelland
Schuler Books, 28th Street
June 5, 7 p.m.
schulerbooks.com, (616) 942-2561

After getting his start in journalism at the Lansing State Journal, Edward McClelland went on to write some stellar non-fiction, winning a 2008 Great Lakes Book Award along the way. His latest release, Nothin' But Blue Skies: The Heyday, Hard Times, and Hope of America's Heartland, is a captivating mix of pure reporting and humanizing storytelling that captures the spirit of the Rust Belt and its inhabitants.

Author Talk with Matt Bell
Bookbug, Kalamazoo
June 20, 7 p.m.
bookbugkalamazoo.com, (269) 385-2847

Bookbug independent bookstore gives local readers a chance to meet and mingle with Matt Bell, one of Michigan's brightest rising literary talents, at a free event that celebrates the release of Bell's debut novel, In the House Upon the Dirt Between the Lake and the Woods. Having received significant critical acclaim for his earlier essays and short story collections, Bell is certainly a local author to take notice of.

Spoken Word Poetry Open Mic
Dr Grins in the B.O.B.
Tuesdays, 8:30 p.m.
thebob.com, (616) 356-2000

Azizi Jasper, the local poet and activist who brought spoken word poetry to Eastown with recurring Wednesday night events at The Hookah Lounge, now brings this unique fusion of free poetic verse and storytelling to the B.O.B. This weekly event aims for a similar laid-back, spiritual vibe, and language lovers of all walks of life are invited to share in the good time. Admission is $5 for 21 and up, and $10 for minors aged 18-20.

The Moth Mainstage
Kalamazoo State Theatre
May 22, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets start at $30
kazoostate.com, (269) 345-6500

Allow me to blow the collective mind of Generation Y with a history lesson. Shocking as it may seem, humans did in fact once communicate without the aid of digital technology and social media. Mocked for their lack of speed and efficiency, relics like the letter, the telegram and the fax have been effectively phased out, but for acclaimed non-profit organization The Moth, there is one antiquated form of communication that deserves preservation: the ancient art of storytelling.

Founded in 1997 by poet and novelist George Dawes Green, The Moth began as a series of small gatherings in New York City where Green and others would meet up to swap true stories. The organization has grown tremendously over time, hosting main-stage events and open mic-style story slams in a number of major cities, including Ann Arbor and Detroit. A strong media presence features regular podcasts, as well as The Moth Radio Hour, a Peabody-winning program that is broadcast on more than 200 radio stations nationwide.

"Our storytelling is very much the art of the raconteur," said Maggie Cino, The Moth's senior producer. "What we are fundamentally interested in is the person and the passion behind the story."

Through a story hotline (1-877-799-6684), story slam performances and word-of-mouth recommendations, The Moth's producers entertain every story pitch they receive. Chosen storytellers range from famous names in the arts, sciences and pop culture to everyday men and women. Each mainstage event revolves around a chosen theme (on May 22 it will be "Between Worlds"), and gives five storytellers 10 minutes each to captivate the audience with a true, personal and compelling tale.

"The time limit forces [the storyteller] to sit down and really think about exactly what it is they're trying to communicate," Cino said. "What information does the audience need to understand how important this experience was to you?"

Mainstage events allow time prior to the performance for the audience to have a few drinks, mingle and prepare themselves for a truly immersive experience. Sold-out performances everywhere, including two in Michigan last year, are proof of the communicative power of storytelling.

"Hopefully, people will encounter the opportunity to be a part of a community, to sit back and think about what it really means to connect," Cino said.

Spend an hour on The Moth's website and you'll find recordings of live stories about anything and everything, such as a wedding toast gone horribly awry, a stabbing at the hands of Latin Kings gang members or the raw experiences of an embedded wartime journalist. But it's not the surface details that resonate with the audience most, but rather the pain, joy, regret, conflict, death, discovery and rebirth that arise when the everyday and the extraordinary collide.

"[The stories] are all fundamentally about things that have been going on since people were able to talk to each other," Cino said. "Putting a frame around that in this chaotic and information-rich culture is something that people have really been responding to."

OTHER LITERARY EVENTS

Grand Rapids Writer's Exchange
Barnes and Noble – Woodland Mall
Thursdays, 7 p.m.
grwriters.org, (616) 940-0820

If you're a budding writer who's been slaving away at the computer in solitude, perhaps it's time to get out of the house and into a writer's group. The Grand Rapids Writer's Exchange provides a community of support and self-improvement for writers of all skill levels, and new members are free to join in at any time.

Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him
Grand Rapids Public Library
May 1, 7 p.m.
grpl.org, (616) 988-5400

Hear Captain Luis Carlos Montalván, a 17-year veteran of the U.S. Army, discuss his book, Until Tuesday, at this free event. The book, which chronicles both Montalván's service and his post-service rehabilitation, explores the trauma and experiences of veterans and people with disabilities, as well as the healing power of animal/human relationships. Montalván's service dog, Tuesday, will be on-hand as well.

Singing Man: Seven Sacred Directions
Black River Books
330 Kalamazoo St., South Haven
May 25, 1 p.m.
blackriverbooks.net, (269) 637-7374

Singing Man, Michael Toahty, is a man of mixed Native American descent. His father was half-Pawnee and half-Kiowa, while his mother was full-blooded Southern Arapaho. Living in the 21st century with ties to ancient Native American culture has inspired Toahty to share his unique blend of Native American teachings and modern struggles through his writing. At this free event, he will share some of the spirit contained in his book, Seven Sacred Directions: A Native American Message of Transformation.

Great Lakes Expert Loreen Niewenhuis
Portage District Library
April 23, 7 p.m.
portagelibrary.info, (269) 329-4544

Some people going through mid-life crisis buy a Corvette or join a gym. Loreen Niewenhuis hiked the perimeter of Lake Michigan. In 2009, the author and native Michigander planned a 1,019-mile, 64-day excursion to forge a more intimate connection with a place she had loved from childhood. The proposition was intimidating, but Niewenhuis knew she had to try.

"Lake Michigan has always been my favorite place, so I thought I would get to know it completely, step by step," she said. "It was so big that I thought I might fail, but I wanted something on that scale, because I knew that if I did complete it, it would change me."

Niewenhuis broke the trip up into 10 segments, each taking roughly five to seven days to hike, researching the geology and history of each area in preparation and recording her research and experiences in a blog complete with photos and videos. At the trip's end, she combined her deeper understanding of the intricacies of Lake Michigan with a moving story of personal growth in A 1000-Mile Walk on the Beach.

"Writing non-fiction for me is actually a lot easier than fiction," she said. "You know the story because you're living it. The longer hikes took me out of my day-to-day life, and they became my life. The challenge comes from having to take the reader along with you."

That Niewenhuis rose to the challenge, producing a bestseller that was both informative and personable, is unsurprising when considering how she came to be a writer. After taking a break from her medical research career to be a stay-at-home mom, she began writing to stay mentally sharp, but her hobby quickly blossomed into a passion. Earning an MFA in creative writing in 2007, she began to publish dynamic short fiction, earning a finalist nod for the Flannery O'Connor Award with her 2009 short story collection Scar Tissue.

For her latest project, A 1000-Mile Great Lakes Walk, Niewenhuis hiked 1,004 miles in month-long segments over 76 days, covering different areas of each of the five Great Lakes and focusing more on the way they work together as an ecological unit. Her speaking engagements feature an interactive and informative presentation including photos and videos, maps of the different regions she explored and fascinating hydrological, ecological and geological insights. Ideally, Niewenhuis aims to promote public awareness of the immense complexity and importance of these natural wonders.

"I think people take the Great Lakes for granted," she said. "People think that because the lakes are so large, we can't really have an influence, so we just kind of ignore them. We need a long-term plan to care for and conserve these lakes if we're going to make a difference."

A 1000-Mile Great Lakes Walk will be available everywhere June 1, but select independent bookstores will have the book on April 10, including Kazoo Books (Kalamazoo), The Nature Connection (Kalamazoo), Forever Books (St. Joseph) and Black River Books (South Haven). 

Other Literary Events

Song of the Owashtanong Release Event
Grand Rapids Public Library
April 5, 7 p.m.
grpl.org, (616) 988-5400

When David Cope was named Port Laureate of Grand Rapids, one of his goals was to assemble the first-ever anthology of Grand Rapids poetry. After an extensive editorial process, his vision will be realized with Song of the Owashtanong, a collection that features 16 of the city's finest poetic voices. A special event in honor of the achievement will feature readings and an opportunity to meet the poets and purchase signed copies of the anthology.

Cry of Freedom: World Premiere
Schuler Books, 28th Street
April 12, 7 p.m.
schulerbooks.com, (616) 942-2561

April is National Poetry Month, and Schuler Books is helping to celebrate with a special release event for Cry of Freedom, a multi-media collaboration between the award-winning poetry of Linda Nemec Foster and the compositions of acclaimed musician Laszlo Slomovits. Inspired by Nemec Foster's chapbook, Ten Songs from Bulgaria, Slomovits composed music around the poems, using them as lyrics. Don't miss this chance to see the beauty of language and song intertwined in a memorable performance.

Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series – Ed Hirsch
Knickerbocker Theatre, Downtown Holland
April 18, 7 p.m.
hope.edu, (616) 395-7403

Hope College concludes its 2013 Visiting Writers Series with a reading by poet Ed Hirsch. A Guggenheim and McArthur fellow, as well as a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets, Hirsch has authored numerous collections of poetry that have earned him a mountain of awards and critical acclaim. With no shortage of impressive material to draw from, Hirsch's reading will be a strong and fitting conclusion to what has been another successful installment of the Hope series, which began in 1982.

Write Michigan Award Ceremony wsg Wade Rouse
Grand Rapids Public Library
March 19, 7 p.m.
writemichigan.org, (616) 988-5400

Had it not been for the sage advice of a Cape Cod innkeeper, Wade Rouse may never have set foot in Michigan. After learning that Rouse and his partner had driven all the way from St. Louis for a vacation, the woman wondered why they hadn't just gone to Michigan instead.

"I said, 'Michigan has beaches?' and she almost slapped me in the face," Rouse said.

After visiting Saugatuck, the nationally recognized memoirist and humor writer decided to make The Mitten home. Rouse has since embraced the state's literary scene, appearing several times at Schuler Books and incorporating various Michigan cities into his traveling workshop, Wade's Writers. Currently, he's involved with Write Michigan, an inaugural statewide short story contest developed by the Kent District Library, Grand Rapids Public Library and Schuler Books.

"Write Michigan gives emerging writers encouragement and most importantly, community support," he said. "Like ArtPrize, it gets folks talking about writing, embracing the work, reading it and promoting it, and that's really what's so vital."

The contest challenged writers of all ages to tell their best short story in 3,000 words or less. After receiving an overwhelming number of submissions, a group of 90 volunteer reviewers whittled the pile down to the top 10 entries from each of the two age groups. Those 20 stories were then examined by both a panel of accredited judges and the general public, who were able to cast their votes online. With the winners now chosen, organizers are focused on the special night that will commemorate the winning authors and celebrate the growing vibrancy of writing culture in Michigan. Rouse's presentation will highlight the event, and all area writers (even those who didn't submit) benefit from hearing this seasoned pro share his wisdom, inspiration, humor and intimate knowledge of the publishing business

Rouse's four critically acclaimed memoirs strike the perfect balance between humor and soul-searching, tackling everything from growing up gay in the Ozarks to dealing with wealthy mothers while working for an elite private school.

"I think the best fiction is typically grounded in some sort of truth in the writer's life, and it's the same in memoir" he said. "It doesn't matter if it's fiction or non-fiction. Reading a good book is like holding a mirror in front of your face. It forces you to take a deeper look at yourself and the world, and hopefully you're changed by what you see."

It's this kind of transformative power that drew Rouse to writing, and despite his commercial success, he's committed to supporting emerging writers by encouraging them to fearlessly express their own unique voice.

"Not that much separates Sedaris from Shakespeare," he said. "We only have so many stories to tell; it's the way we tell them that sets them apart."

Other Literary Events

Book Signing with Rob Bell
Schuler Books, 28th Street
March 10, 2 p.m.
schulerbooks.com, (616) 942-2561

Whatever your religious beliefs, you can't deny that Mars Hill Bible Church founder and nationally bestselling author Rob Bell knows how to create a dialogue. Named one of the 100 most influential people by Time magazine in 2011, the native Michigander has continued to make waves and influence the conversation surrounding contemporary faith. Don't miss this opportunity to get a signed copy of one of Bell's numerous works and meet the man behind the message.

Aquinas College Contemporary Writers Series: Jaimy Gordon
Wege Ballroom, Aquinas College
March 14, 7:30 p.m.
aquinas.edu/cw, (616) 632-8900

In its first installment of 2013, the Aquinas College Contemporary Writers Series welcomes poet, novelist, essayist and Western Michigan University Professor Jaimy Gordon to the stage. With a wealth of writing and teaching experience at her disposal, Gordon will enliven audiences with a dynamic and genre-crossing reading that does justice to the breadth of her literary prowess. For those interested in a more personal interaction, a Q&A style author talk will be held at 12:30 the same day in the college's Wege Center Loutit Room.

Dr. Seuss Storytime Event
Barnes and Noble, Holland
March 9, 2 p.m.
(616) 994-6015

Admit it. You can enjoy the wonderful imagination of one Theodor Seuss Geisel as an adult. But if you're too ashamed to say that you still get inspired by "Oh the Places You'll Go," Barnes and Noble has graciously scheduled an event that provides the perfect cover. Bring your kids, or your inner child, and enjoy readings from Dr. Seuss' memorable books. As an added bonus for adults, there will also be a coffee tasting that explores flavors and styles from all over the world.