Mikel Classen Archives - UPPAA

Writing North Winter Book Fest in Manistique Feb. 28 to March 1, 2026

Victor — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 19:23:12 +0000

From tipster Sara Maurer:

An amazing literary event is coming soon to Manistique. Meagan Francis, author of The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read and owner of Paper Mill Books in Manistique, is planning the first Writing North Book Fest! It will take place Saturday, Feb. 28 – Sunday, March 1 in Manistique with free community events as well as author panels and an exciting literary salon event.

Participating authors will include

Ellen Airgood
Steve Amick
T. Marie Bertineau
Mikel Classen
Karen Dionne (The Marsh King’s Daughter, The Wicked Sister)
Carol Dunbar
Megan Francis
Ann-Marie Ooman

Here is a quick description of the festival:

In the heart of winter, when the Upper Peninsula is at its quietest and most beautiful, Writing North Winter Book Fest – the first literary festival of its kind in Manistique, just off of Highway 2 in the heart of the U.P. – will gather together readers and authors for a celebration of stories and storytellers shaped by northern places, with authors who hail from the northern Great Lakes region and/or craft their work around landscapes like ours. The event will lean into the season’s beauty and coziness by offering warm spaces, close conversations, and fresh inspiration in an intimate, welcoming festival that’s rooted in place. Tickets, itinerary, and details at writingnorth.com.

You can also follow writingnorthup on Instagram for updates.

The post Writing North Winter Book Fest in Manistique Feb. 28 to March 1, 2026 appeared first on UPPAA.

Join author Mikel Classen at White Lake Township Library on March 8th

Victor — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 22:20:24 +0000

The White Lake Township Library will be hosting author Mikel Classen from the U.P. on March 8th at 6:30 pm for an In Person program.

This program is being hosted as part of our Great Michigan Read themed events and is funded in part by Michigan Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment of the Humanities. Presented with Highland Township Public Library.

Mikel Classen has been writing and photographing northern Michigan in newspapers and magazines for over thirty-five years, creating feature articles about the life and culture of Michigan’s north country. At this program he will be talking about the Copper Country and the mining life and culture that thrived in the area.

We would like to invite you and your patrons to attend this event! Registration can be found here: https://whitelakelibrary.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails?EventId=5151&ag=&et=&df=calendar&cn=0&private=0&ln=0&backTo=Calendar&startDate=2022/03/01

Please let me know if you have any questions!

—

EmmaLee Herlocher

Programming Librarian

White Lake Township Library

11005 Elizabeth Lake Road

White Lake MI 48386

248-698-4942

whitelakelibrary.org

The post Join author Mikel Classen at White Lake Township Library on March 8th appeared first on UPPAA.

Mikel Classen appearance on UP Notable Book Club

Victor — Thu, 26 Aug 2021 13:09:59 +0000

MIKEL B. CLASSEN has been writing and photographing northern Michigan in newspapers and magazines for over thirty-five years, creating feature articles about the life and culture of Michigan’s north country. A journalist, historian, photographer and author with a fascination of the world around him, he enjoys researching and writing about lost stories from the past. He is the founder of the U.P. Reader and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association. In 2020, Mikel won the Historical Society of Michigan’s, George Follo Lifetime Achievement Award for Upper Peninsula History. His book Points North: Discover Hidden Campgrounds, Natural Wonders, and Waterways of the Upper Peninsula achieved the HSM’s highest honor, The State History Award.

Classen makes his home in the oldest city in Michigan, historic Sault Ste. Marie. He is also a collector of out-of-print history books, and historical photographs and prints of Upper Michigan. At Northern Michigan University, he studied English, history, journalism and photography.

Join us for epic adventures in the U.P. on land and lakes!

Pirates, thieves, shipwrecks, sexy women, lost gold, and adventures on the Lake Superior frontier await you! In this book, you’ll sail on a ship full of gold, outwit deadly shapeshifters, battle frontier outlaws and even meet the mysterious agent that Andrew Jackson called “the meanest man” he ever knew. Packed with action, adventure, humor, and suspense, this book has something for every reader. Journey to the wilds of the Lake Superior shoreline through ten stories that span the 19^th century through present day including “The Wreck of the Marie Jenny,” “The Bigg Man,” “Wolf Killer,” and “Bullets Shine Silver in the Moonlight.”

“It’s clear that Mikel B. Classen knows and loves the Lake Superior area of Michigan and brings it to life in a delightful way. If you want frequent laughs, unusual characters who jump off the page, and the fruit of a highly creative mind, you’ve got to read this little book.”
— Bob Rich, author, Looking Through Water

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

Welcome to the UPPAA online store where you can purchase a new membership or renew your existing membership. Questions about memberships should be directed to Brandy Thomas, UPPAA recording secretary

Sort by

Filters

Clear all

Filters

Clear all

Memberships

UP Notable Books Award

Featured Products

UPPAA 1 Year membership - Business or Family

$65.00

Author participation in UPRLC Book Giveaway

$25.00

UP Notable Books -- 200 count Metallic Foil Seals

$45.00

UP Notable Books -- Digital Seal

$55.00

UPPAA 1 Year membership - Individual

$50.00

The post Mikel Classen appearance on UP Notable Book Club appeared first on UPPAA.

UPPAA’s Own Mikel Classen Nominated for Charles Follo Award

UPPAA Webmaster — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 18:52:15 +0000

The Historical Society of Michigan has nominated historian, author, and editor Mikel Bruce Classen for the next Charles Follo Award, which is presented annually at the Upper Peninsula History Conference.

Classen has literally dedicated most of his professional life as a writer to the promotion of U.P. history. His nomination for the Charles Follo Award comes as a token of appreciation by the Historical Society of Michigan for this dedication.

You can find the full article here.

The post UPPAA’s Own Mikel Classen Nominated for Charles Follo Award appeared first on UPPAA.

U.P. Reader Volume #4 includes Best Stories from U.P. Writers of All Ages

UPPAA Webmaster — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 17:52:55 +0000

The Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association (UPPAA) presents the fourth installment of the U.P. Reader. This latest and biggest ever edition of the annual anthology will feature the collected works of forty-five of the best of the authors of the Upper Peninsula. We are again thrilled to include the four winners of the Dandelion Cottage Short Story Award in our publication, including the new Junior Division just for writers in grades 5-8. This award, created by UPPAA member Larry Buege (author of the popular Chogan native American series) in 2017, showcases the best writing from young authors who are enrolled in U.P. primary and secondary public schools.

“The U.P. Reader is something I hope will put Upper Peninsula authors in touch with the readers to expand their exposure to a much greater and more effective level,” commented Committee Chair, Mikel B. Classen. “This collection will be published by the UPPAA and will showcase the multitude of talent within the membership of the organization. Furthermore, we will include all genres of writing including non-fiction and poetry”.

The U.P. Reader will be available to booksellers as well as authors for sale and promotion. This will allow the members an opportunity to participate in a project that will not only showcase their talents as writers but also to get the finished product in front of readers so they can discover the U.P. authors that interest them no matter what their reading preference.

Submissions are juried by a panel and those chosen appear in the U.P. Reader. Authors chosen to be published in the anthology will see their submission published along with an author’s bio to steer readers to more work by that author.

“This is a publication about discovery. Finding new favorites and maybe rediscovering some old ones too. I think it is underestimated how many really talented writers we have living right here in the U.P. and the Reader will be the place to find them.” said Mikel Classen.

Tyler Tichelaar, Marquette’s most prolific fiction author and former president of UPPAA, adds, “A collection of short stories, poetry, and essays will allow readers to enjoy a hodge-podge of U.P. literature from many different voices and will offer numerous visions and definitions of what it means to live here. The U.P. can be many different things to many different people and such a collection will help make that clear.”

Proceeds from the U.P. Reader will be used to support operating costs of the UPPAA and its many events to educate its members about writing and publishing, and to support educational projects like the Dandelion Cottage story contest that encourages young writers, but the main focus remains to get U.P. literature into the hands of readers. For more info, including submission guidelines please visit www.UPReader.org

The post U.P. Reader Volume #4 includes Best Stories from U.P. Writers of All Ages appeared first on UPPAA.

1st Annual U.P. Notable Books List

UPPAA Webmaster — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 18:43:35 +0000

U.P. Publishers & Authors Association Announces
1^st Annual U.P. Notable Books List

MARQUETTE, MI (March 30, 2020)— the Upper Peninsula Publishers & Authors Association (UPPAA) announces the 1^st Annual U.P. Notable Books List this week. UPPAA Publications Chair Mikel Classen (Sault Ste. Marie) initiated the effort as a response to the lack of representation of U.P. writers in other Michigan state literary circles. Classen said, “Traditionally, recognition of Michigan books has been dominated by the university presses downstate and we would like to take this opportunity to highlight literature that focuses closer to home for us.”

To build this first annual list, UPPAA consulted with Upper Michigan booksellers, book reviewers, writers, and publishers to winnow down the notable books to a bare ten titles. It must be emphasized that the list is unranked; each title deserves equal merit as U.P. Notable Book. These ten books have been deemed essential reading for every U.P. lover, and we highly recommend you ask your local librarian or booksellers for them today!

Camera Hunter: George Shiras III and the Birth of Wildlife Photography by James H. McCommons (University of New Mexico Press, 2019)
Out by John Smolens (Michigan State University Press, 2019)
Cady and the Bear Necklace by Ann Dallman (Three Towers Press, 2019)
Go Find! My Journey to Find the Lost — and Myself by Susan Purvis (Blackstone Press, 2019)
Hunter’s Moon: A Novel in Stories by Philip Caputo (Henry Holt and Co., 2019)
The Marsh King’s Daughter by Karen Dionne (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2018)
Yoopernatural Haunts Upper Peninsula Paranormal Research Society Case Files by Tim Ellis (Visionary Living, 2019)
Murder on Sugar Island (Getting to Know Jack Book 2) – Michael Carrier (Greenwich Village Ink, 2013)
Lake Superior Tales: Stories of Humor and Adventure in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, 2nd Edition by Mikel B. Classen (Modern History Press, 2018)
Three Fires Unity: The Anishnaabeg of the Lake Huron Borderlands by Phil Bellfy (University of Nebraska Press, 2019).

The U.P. Notable Books List will appear in the upcoming 4th volume of U.P. Reader, UPPAA’s own annual literary anthology featuring short stories, poetry and essays by its members. This successful publication helps spread the word about the organization, raise money for educational programming and encourages people in the Upper Peninsula and beyond to read U.P. writers. Complimentary copies of the U.P. Reader are available to all U.P. educators and media for the asking. The on-sale date is scheduled for April 15^th. Consult your local bookseller for availability or purchase at Amazon. For more information, visit www.UPReader.org.

Established in 1998 to support authors and publishers who live in or write about Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, UPPAA is a Michigan 501(c)6 nonprofit association with more than 100 members, many of whose books are featured on the organization’s website at www.uppaa.org. UPPAA welcomes membership and participation from anyone with a UP connection who is interested in writing and publishing books.

The post 1st Annual U.P. Notable Books List appeared first on UPPAA.

Meet Mikel B. Classen, editor of U.P. Reader

Victor — Sat, 19 Jan 2019 22:26:09 +0000

Learn about Mikel B. Classen, how he came to the U.P. and learned to be a writer with 906 Outdoors Video Journal!

The post Meet Mikel B. Classen, editor of U.P. Reader appeared first on UPPAA.

Upper Peninsula of MI Adventure Continues in Second Edition of ‘Lake Superior Tales’

Victor — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 17:51:06 +0000

Pirates and treasure, the timeless theme in adventurous fiction, takes center stage in Mikel B. Classen’s second edition of Lake Superior Tales: Stories of Humor and Adventure in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
Published by the Modern History Press (November 2018), the book includes ten stories that span the 19th century through present day, each tale packed with action, adventure, humor, and suspense. Written for the general adult audience, these stories have something of interest to offer every reader. For those who know or have a fondness for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, this is perhaps the perfect winter read of all.
Mikel B. Classen is a veteran writer and editor with three decades of experience in journalism, writing, and photography. But more than anything else, it’s the author’s own living experience in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that enriches his word with regional flavor. In his words:

“Many places have maritime history, logging history and mining history, but the Upper Peninsula has them all, thrown together in a cultural clash that makes the region unique.”

Classen contends that as a writer it is impossible to not be inspired by a place not only steeped in beauty, but its rich history is evident throughout the peninsula.
By its content, the second edition of Lake Superior Tales is mostly adventure and part humor. The latter, at times, draws from characters based on real residents of the region. And it has its quirky side, like the main character in the story “Bullets Shine Silver in the Moonlight” that remains unnamed throughout the story.
Of the adventurous stories, the author tells that these tales are the results of ideas that periodically popped into his head. Yet, in one way or the other, the regional history reflected in their development. For instance, he tells about the history of gold mining in the Upper Peninsula and how it influenced the narrative of story “The Wreck of the Marie Jenny.”

“I had finished writing Bullets Shine Silver in the Moonlight and I started wondering where the gold in that story came from and what the story of the shipwreck was. The only places in the U.P. where gold was actually found was north of Ishpeming and Marquette. There were two mines north of Marquette and the Ropes north of Ishpeming. If any gold was going to sail out on Lake Superior it would have come from Marquette and the Iron Bay. The real mover and shaker of those days in Marquette was Peter White, one of Marquette’s founding fathers, hence his appearance in the story.”

Classen’s ingenious weaving of history and legend creates a tapestry of folklore as varied as the peninsula itself.
To learn more about Mikel B. Classen and to see more of his work, go to his website at www.mikelclassen.com.

The post Upper Peninsula of MI Adventure Continues in Second Edition of ‘Lake Superior Tales’ appeared first on UPPAA.

U.P. Author Day Event in Marquette Michigan Oct 8 2016

Victor — Sat, 01 Oct 2016 19:04:49 +0000

Peter White Public Library

September 30, 2016
For Immediate Release:

Margaret Boyle
Programming Coordinator
Peter White Public Library
217 N. Front St.
Marquette, MI 49855
906.226.4318
mboyle@uproc.lib.mi.us

U.P. Author Day Event at PWPL

Saturday, October 8, 2016 from 10:30 am-3:30 pm
Peter White Public Library, lower level
217 N. Front St., Marquette, MI 49855
Call 906-226-4318 for more information.

Readers and writers are invited to celebrate the independent spirit of writers who live in, work in or write about Michigan’s Upper Peninsula at U.P. Author Day on Saturday, October 8 from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm on the Peter White Public Library’s lower level in the Marquette Arts and Culture Center.

Meet over 25 local authors and get some early holiday shopping done at the all-day book fair. Enjoy six different interactive breakout sessions to learn from writers of the same genre in discussions about their work and their inspirations. Genre panel topics include U.P. History, Children’s Literature, Poetry, Fiction Writing, Biographies and Mysteries.

Peter White Public Library

Authors attending the U.P. Author Day event include Karl Bohnack, Larry Buege, Michael Carrier, Mikel Classen, Vicki Fee, Kathleen Heidemann, Austin Hummell, Sharon Kennedy, Allan Koski, R. Bruce Larson, Sonny Longtine, Rosalyn McGrath, Paulette Noble, Rick Noble (pen name: R. E. Kelly), Maggie Pill (pen name: Peg Herring), Gretchen Preston, Bert Reisterer, Mike Ryan, Christine Saari, John Smolens, Russ Thorburn, Tyler Tichelaar, Jackie Winkowski and D. G. Woodworth.

At 2:00pm, a live webcast panel presentation by veterans of the literary community will be screened. Hosted by Indie Author Day, viewers will be able to hear from nationally known writers, agents and other industry leaders including: Jon Fine of Amazon, Kiera Parrott of Library Journal, Robin Cutler of IngramSpark, Jim Blanton of Louisville Free Library, American Library Association’s Black Caucus and award winning author, L. Penelope.

Visitors to the U.P. Author Day event will be eligible to enter drawings for several great door prizes and enjoy light refreshments throughout the day. Local sponsors include the Upper Peninsula Authors and Publishers Association, Marquette Arts and Culture Center, Indieauthorday.com and Peter White Public Library.

There is no admission charge to attend the event. For more information call Peter White Public Library at 906-226-4318, visit www.pwpl.info or check out U.P. Author Day though the library’s Facebook page.

###End###

The post U.P. Author Day Event in Marquette Michigan Oct 8 2016 appeared first on UPPAA.

Mikel Classen Archives - UPPAA

Writing North Winter Book Fest in Manistique Feb. 28 to March 1, 2026

Join author Mikel Classen at White Lake Township Library on March 8th

Mikel Classen appearance on UP Notable Book Club

Filters

Featured Products

UPPAA’s Own Mikel Classen Nominated for Charles Follo Award

U.P. Reader Volume #4 includes Best Stories from U.P. Writers of All Ages

1st Annual U.P. Notable Books List

U.P. Publishers & Authors Association Announces 1st Annual U.P. Notable Books List

Meet Mikel B. Classen, editor of U.P. Reader

Upper Peninsula of MI Adventure Continues in Second Edition of ‘Lake Superior Tales’

U.P. Author Day Event in Marquette Michigan Oct 8 2016

U.P. Author Day Event at PWPL

U.P. Publishers & Authors Association Announces
1^st Annual U.P. Notable Books List