Northern Michigan Arts & Culture

She brought us the stories of Great Girls in Michigan History. Now, writer Patricia Majher is focusing on the boys.

Her new book is Bold Boys in Michigan History.

In it, Majher tells the stories of Michigan boys who did remarkable things before they were 20. These bold young men include a filmmaker, musicians, inventors, athletes, a politician, and more.

No matter your age or your generation, the music you listened to in high school claims a special place in your heart.

Many kids use music to help overcome the trials and tribulations of adolescence. 

Michael Zadoorian’s new novel Beautiful Music centers around one of those kids. He talked to Stateside about how the music of 1970s Detroit inspired the book. 

It has been nearly 41 years since the passing of Elvis Presley, but "The King" can still draw a crowd.

Continuing Stateside's look at Michigan festivals, we headed to Ypsilanti for Michigan Elvisfest, taking place July 6 and 7 at Riverside Park. 

It is the 157^th birthday of someone whose life is proof that you shouldn't let the negative opinions of your professor get in the way of your ambitions.

William Mayo, half of the dynamic duo who went on to found the famed Mayo Clinic, was born this week in 1861.

Dr. Howard Markel, University of Michigan medical historian and PBS contributor, joined Stateside to tell us about his extraordinary life. 

The world knows her as the doctor who used science to force the state of Michigan to admit it had caused the Flint water crisis.

“When I first go on stage I’m nervous, but as I go I feel exhilarated. I feel like I am the only one out there and that’s amazing.”

New and exciting artists are cropping up around West Michigan. There are even a few moving from abroad to join the lively music scene there.

Editor and publisher of Local Spins, John Sinkevics returned to Stateside to discuss the latest music trends being crafted and performed in West Michigan.

Listen above to hear more.

Do corporations have too much power and too little oversight? That question has dominated American society since the Civil War and it does not seem to be going away any time soon.

Over the decades, the political pendulum has swung back and forth between workers’ rights and corporate power.

When you think of a mermaid story, maybe an ocean comes to mind.

But couldn’t a mermaid live in the Great Lakes? Lake Michigan maybe?

Writers Linda Nemec Foster and Anne-Marie Oomen posed that question to each other ten years ago. Their new book is called The Lake Michigan Mermaid: A Tale in Poems.

This Friday marks the 172nd anniversary of a uniquely Michigan milestone. On May 18, 1846, Michigan became the first English-speaking government in the world to vote and pass a measure to abolish the death penalty.

Mark Harvey, State Archivist with the Michigan History Center, joined Stateside to talk about Michigan’s progressive past. Judge Avern Cohn, the Senior United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, also joined the conversation.

Michigan born-and-raised actors may wind up working in New York or Hollywood, but they make sure the world knows they’re from the mitten.

Toni Trucks has been in a host of movies and TV shows, including her current roles as Lisa Davis in “SEAL Team” on CBS. Trucks began her performing career here in Manistee, and now she’s giving back to her hometown by loaning it her voice.

It’s time for another edition of Theater Talk. David Kiley, editor-in-chief of Encore Michigan, joined Stateside to preview and review plays, with a special focus on West Michigan.