Book Club "Enduring Legacies: People of the 1926 Barnes-Hecker Mine Disaster" with Mary V. Tippett
2026-09-10 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Detroit) | Zoom
UP Notable Book Club presents a Q&A session with Mary V. Tippet ⛏️ author of Enduring Legacies: People of the 1926 Barnes-Hecker Mine Disaster
UP Notable Book Club: The Crystal Falls Community District Library, in partnership with the U.P. Publishers & Authors Association (UPPAA), has scheduled author events with winners of the UP Notable Book List. The 62nd event is with Mary V. Tippett, whose book Enduring Legacies tells the life stories of each and every one of the 51 men who died on November 3, 1926, when Barnes-Hecker collapsed and flooded. Tippett reaches far beyond names and dates and includes interviews of many of the families of survivors. Each story is well documented by newspaper accounts, meticulously restored photos, and after-accident reports recorded a hundred years ago. Join us for a tribute to these brave men who went down to the man-car to work one day in 1926, never knowing it would be their last on earth.
When: Thursday, September 10 at 7 pm Eastern / 6 pm Central
How: Everyone is invited to join the Book Club by using the signup form on the sidebar of www.UPNotable.com and enter your email and contact info. You’ll automatically receive an exclusive Zoom link a week prior to the event. Alternately, you can contact Shirley Frank at the Crystal Falls Library.
We recommend you borrow a copy of Enduring Legacies: People of the 1926 Barnes-Hecker Mine Disaster from your local library or purchase from your local bookseller in advance to get the most out of these events.
Mary V. Tippett
MARY V. TIPPETT is a granddaughter of Walter Tippett, who perished in the Barnes-Hecker tragedy. In 2016, she led the 90th Anniversary Barnes-Hecker Remembrance Project, and continues to manage the Facebook page with a following of more than 850 people. She currently serves on the board of the Friends of the Michigan Iron Industry Museum in Negaunee. In 1994, she conducted oral histories with underground miners of her Dad’s generation, and all materials are in the Central Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan University Archives available online. The Tippett family genealogy has been traced back to the mid-1600s in Cornwall, England, with the first documentation of mining in the 1860s. Both the Finnish and Cornish sides of Mary’s extended family including her Dad, brother, and son-in-law are among several generations of mining people. . .
“… no one is more qualified to tell this story than Mary V. Tippett—a granddaughter of Walter Tippett, who perished in the Barnes-Hecker tragedy. In 2016, she led the 90th Anniversary Barnes-Hecker Remembrance Project, and continues to manage the Facebook page with a following of more than 850 people. She currently serves on the board of the Friends of the Michigan Iron Industry Museum in Negaunee. In 1994, she conducted oral histories with underground miners of her dad’s generation, and all of those materials now reside in the Central Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan University Archives, available online.
“Tippett’s book is deeply researched and provides salient facts sourced from mine records, contemporaneous news stories, and rare documents and photographs. More than just a recitation of text, Enduring Legacies includes never-before seen family photos from the participating descendants of the fifty-one men who perished. In total, more than 150 of these photos have been meticulously restored. Of course you can see the sisu of the steely eyes of the miners but equally compelling are the tender wedding photos, family portraits, and club photos which humanize and personalize each story. The family stories were contributed by descendants from seventeen states and five countries who Tippett has reached out to either locally or through her worldwide social media network.
“Each family has its own unique story and hence its own chapter in Enduring Legacies. The book details families that lived right at the Barnes-Hecker location and in neighboring Diorite, Ishpeming, North Lake location, and West Ishpeming. The ephemera with this book is even more surprising, there are pictures of dolls that belonged to the children, employment cards, newspaper clippings, CCI issued safety fobs indicating the miners had first-aid proficiency, the pocket watch of Thomas Kirby Sr. which was found in the connecting drift between Barnes-Hecker and Morris-Lloyd Mine, and much more than I can possibly list here.”
Read the rest of the story on U.P. Book Review

More information about the U.P. Notable Book list, U.P. Book Review, and UPPAA can be found on www.UPNotable.com

“Poetry in Motion” Deaf Poet Raymond Luczak performs
2026-09-15 18:00 - 19:00 | Portage Lake District Library, 58 Huron St., Houghton, MI, 49931, United States
Raymond Luczak’s Poetry in American Sign Language (ASL)
Tuesday, September 15, 2026 at 6 p.m.
at the Portage Lake District Library
(The event will be voice-interpreted for those who don’t know ASL.)
Come see Raymond Luczak, a Deaf poet, perform his poems on growing up Yooper in ASL!
Raymond Luczak is the author and editor of over 40 books, including those that focus on the Yooper experience. His books once upon a twin and Animals Out-There W-i-l-d were selected as U.P. Notable Books respectively for the years 2021 and 2024. A proud Yooper and a graduate of Houghton High School (‘84), he lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Meet author Emilie Lancour in Hancock on September 17
2026-09-17 17:00 - 19:00 | Sunflower Books and Coffee, 528 Quincy St, Hancock, MI, 49930, United States
Sunflower Books and Coffee will be hosting yooper author Emilie Lancour on September 17 from 5pm – 7pm
A reading of her latest book “After School: A Second-Chance Widow Romance” will happen at 6pm
Attendees are welcome to bring in their own copies for autographs
Admission: Free

FEET IN THE WAVES – Book launch party in Houghton!
2026-09-25 18:00 - 19:30 | Well-Read Racoon & Curiosities, 314 Shelden Avenue, Houghton, MI, 49931, United States
FEET IN THE WAVES – Book launch party in Houghton!

Come join the editor Raymond Luczak and seven poets, from near and far, to celebrate the publication of the new anthology Feet in the Waves: Poems of Lake Superior!

Jennifer Elen Bríd | Lisa Fosmo | Deborah K. Frontiera
Sonia Goltz | Jayson Iwen | Beverly Matherne | Dana Richter
Friday, September 25th, 2026
6 p.m. (Light refreshments will follow)
The Well Read Raccoon & Curiosities
314 Shelden Avenue
Houghton, MI 49931
Phone: 906-370-0548

Writer's Workshop - Development of a Novel from a Fearless Standpoint
2026-10-01 09:30 - 2026-10-03 17:00 | Hessel School House, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hesssel, MI, 49745, United States
Joe Haske does this workshop but ONCE a year, it doesn’t matter whether you’ve written your manuscript or not, or if you’ve already published 10 books. Joe will help you break through to next-level writing. (This is my personal endorsement and not the opinion of UPPAA or its Board of Directors.)
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Join acclaimed author and educator Joseph D. Haske for an immersive 3-day writers workshop designed to help you break through creative barriers and develop your novel with fearless clarity. Whether you’re at the beginning of your writing journey, tangled in the middle, or polishing a final draft, this workshop offers the tools and inspiration to take your novel to the next level.

Dates: October 1-3, 2026 from 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: Hessel School House, 3206 W Cedar Street, Hessel, MI 49745

What to Expect:

Expert guidance from Joseph D. Haske, a seasoned author and educator
Interactive sessions to help you craft a compelling narrative, develop characters, and build a strong plot. We’ll also cover Writing routines, revisions, and publications concerns.
A supportive community of fellow writers to learn from and share ideas
Delicious lunches on all three days, so you can focus on your craft

Investment: $300 (includes professional instruction, lunch, and a wealth of writing wisdom)

Pre-Registration Required. Secure your spot today and get ready to unleash your fearless writing spirit!
Don’t miss this opportunity to take your writing to the next level. Register now and join us for an unforgettable 3-day journey of creative growth and inspiration!

Meet Jeff M. Holden - author of Dead Moose on Isle Royale: Off Trail with the Citizen Scientists of the Wolf-Moose Project
2026-10-07 17:30 - 18:30 | Ishpeming Carnegie Public Library, 317 N. Main Street, Ishpeming, MI, 49849, United States
Author Jeff M. Holden will be doing a reading/presentation about his book Dead Moose on Isle Royale: Off Trail with the Citizen Scientists of the Wolf-Moose Project
When: Wednesday, October 7, 5:30 PM
Where: Ishpeming Carnegie Public Library
317 N. Main Street
Ishpeming, MI 49849
906-486-4381

Book Club: "Straw Horse: A Kat Wilde U.P. Mystery" with Terri Martin
2026-10-08 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom
When: Thursday, October 8 at 7 pm Eastern / 6 pm Central
How: Everyone is invited to join the Book Club by using the signup form on the sidebar of www.UPNotable.com and enter your email and contact info. You’ll automatically receive an exclusive Zoom link a week prior to the event. Alternately, you can contact Shirley Frank at the Crystal Falls Library.

Carol Abrahamson presents “Essentials of Book Awards Pursuits: Everything You Need To Know Before You Begin Applying”
2026-10-15 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom
UPPAA Professional Development series continues with industry expert Carol Abrahamson on “Essentials of Book Awards Pursuits: Everything You Need To Know Before You Begin Applying”.

Join us for this free online seminar on October 15, 2026 at 7:00PM Eastern / 6:00PM Central. Contact us to get the Zoom link.
In this info-packed masterclass for newcomers and seasoned pros in the awards world alike, you will learn

The dozen benefits awards bring their winners
10 things those benefits translate into for authors
Book awards compared to bestsellers
The lay of the land of awards and awarding programs: how they work, what they include, common elements and realities, typical submission process components, the essentials to win, recent changes/changes ahead.

Carol Abrahamson

Carol Abrahamson is founder of Book Award Mastery, the only comprehensive book awards pursuit service that delivers 5 additional services beyond the awards research and submissions help the rest of the industry delivers. Also a former book awards judge, an expert about how to grow a business with a book as well as how to become an admired industry leader through leveraging a book’s expertise. She’s won a slew of quality awards for some of the 42 nonfiction books she’s written to build her businesses, consults to high-profile organizations planning their own awards programs and is writing a book about how awards led to game- and life-changing benefits for 200 authors.

Submission deadline for UP Reader #11
2026-11-10
About the U.P. Reader
The U.P. Reader is an annual publication that represents the cross-section of writers that are the membership of the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association. This annual anthology will be used as a vehicle to showcase and promote the writers of the Upper Peninsula. Each issue is released in paperback, hardcover, and eBook editions at the Spring membership meeting. Copies of the U.P. Reader will be made available to booksellers, UPPAA members, libraries, and news services. The U.P. Reader has received more media coverage this year since the inclusion of the Dandelion Cottage Award, We hope the U.P. Reader will be a great place for you to showcase original short works too!
Please read and follow the complete submission guidelines to contribute your story, poem or essay
