Almanac

FREE for Members, $25 for Not-yet Members! Thanks to a grant from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council for our "Stories Told" program, we are able to provide this summer camp workshop for free to our members, a value of $165.

Workshop runs from 1pm-4pm, June 23-27

How does a picture book evolve from an idea to a published work? Where do you start? Join author-illustrator Lindsay Moore for a week-long picture book making workshop. Learn about storyboarding, character design, page composition and other effective tools used in visual storytelling to start you on your journey. Bring your own ideas, or borrow a story provided. Students will have the opportunity to storyboard their picture books in progress, build a creative community, and leave with an insider’s knowledge of children’s publishing and a plan for moving forward with their own unique projects.

Each student will receive a sketchbook, pencils, and drawing materials to keep after the workshop.

Katherine Reay will discuss her latest novel, The English Masterpiece, set in the art world of 1970s London. It follows the dilemma faced by Lily, a young assistant at the Tate Museum, as she races against the clock to uncover the truth about a Picasso masterpiece.

Copies of the book will be available to purchase, courtesy of the Cottage Book Shop.

The National Writers Series is honored to present Lieutenant Kegan “SMURF” Gill, a decorated U.S. Navy fighter pilot, ultra-endurance athlete, and motivational speaker, to discuss his extraordinary debut memoir, Phoenix Revival: The Aftermath of Naval Aviation’s Fastest Ejection.

On January 15, 2014, during a high-intensity dogfight training exercise, Lieutenant Gill was forced to eject from his F/A-18E Super Hornet at an unprecedented speed of 695 miles per hour. It was the fastest survived ejection in naval aviation history. The explosion shattered his body, and he woke up in a hospital with catastrophic injuries, paralyzed and told he might never fly again. But that was only the beginning of his story.

Through unwavering determination, support from loved ones, and groundbreaking alternative therapies—including psychedelic-assisted treatment—Gill found his way back to health, purpose, and service. He has since become an advocate for veteran mental health, an ultra-endurance athlete, and a public speaker inspiring others to rise from their darkest moments.

Phoenix Revival is more than a military memoir—it’s a powerful story of resilience, reinvention, and the human spirit’s ability to overcome even the most overwhelming odds.

Join us for this unforgettable evening as LT Kegan Gill takes the stage to share his journey from the cockpit to the edge of survival—and back again—with courage, vulnerability, and hope.

Join local author Grace Edinger (pen name: Eloise Corvo), Brilliant Books, and Full Tilt Comedy at Silver Spruce Brewing Company for an evening of tomfoolery, murder mystery, and great company. We're celebrating the launch of the new murder mystery book, Off the Beaten Path, that takes place right here in northern Michigan.

Books: You can pre-order a copy with Brilliant Books and pick it up at the venue, or purchase a copy there. If you choose to pre-order, add a note in the Order Comments box noting you're picking up at the Launch Party. Other books will be available, too! They're bringing a bunch of murder mystery stories for our perusal.
Expect a bit of drinking, a bit of comedy, a bit of book shopping, and a whole lot of love. The event will be hosted by Full Tilt Comedy, who will have us in stitches all night with murder mystery improv, author Q&A, and an overall silliness that is unparalleled.

All ages are technically welcome, but the comedy and bar setting may not be appropriate for young children.

Get on the boat! We’re going to Lake Como! New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Adriana Trigiani is the consummate storyteller. The adored novelist, who’s also a celebrated screenwriter, producer, director, and podcast host, pays homage to her Italian roots in her fiction, consistently bringing both laughter and tears to her devoted readers ever since her debut twenty-five years ago with Big Stone Gap.

Her new novel is a fresh, contemporary, intergenerational must-read. The View From Lake Como, is everything an immersive summer read should be—funny and heart-wrenching, with perfectly imperfect characters that readers will feel deeply connected to. With its vivid depiction of the complexities of familial relationships, the novel is a love letter to big Italian American families, Old World roots, and daughters who learn to live life on their own terms. It’s for anyone who finally wants to start living the life they’ve always dreamed of.

USA Today crowned Adriana Trigiani “one of the reigning queens of women’s fiction,” and The View From Lake Como promises to earn her the title of Queen of Italian American Literature.

Date: Thursday, August 7, 2025
Time: 10 am – 2 pm
Registration Deadline: Sunday, August 3, 2024
Location: Thoreson Farm (outside only)
Why is nature writing important? When we understand more about the natural world, we will likely understand new things about ourselves. Join this one-day writing workshop to broaden your innate knowledge and writing repertoire. We’ll start by reading and reflecting on famous nature writing works, including poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.

Then, for inspiration, we’ll read and reflect on nature writing. This year we will explore works from Joy Harjo, Ted Kooser, Mary Oliver Li-Young Lee, Annie Dillard, Willa Cather, and John McPhee. Reconnect to your natural surroundings via writing. First, we will take gentle hikes in the meadow, hills, and woods surrounding Thoreson Farm. Then, using nature as our prompt, our writing will follow in whatever form seems best for you.

The National Writers Series is thrilled to welcome Robin Wall Kimmerer, a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, in conversation with Matthew L.M. Fletcher. Kimmerer is also the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Serviceberry and Braiding Sweetgrass.

This is an exceptional opportunity to hear Robin’s powerful message of a “gift economy,” a shift from capitalism and scarcity toward abundance, much like the humble serviceberry that generously distributes its fruit to the ecosystem around it. Building on the lesson of reciprocity, she writes about humanity’s inextricable relationship to the planet and the deep joy of receiving nature’s gifts and giving back to her with thanks.

Robin lives in Syracuse, New York, where she is a distinguished teaching professor at the State University of New York and the founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment.