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Michigan Notable Books: A Program Highlighting Stories About the State

Soapy Williams, Joe Louis, Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald Among Winners

August 20, 2006       Leave a Comment
By: Dave Rogers

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Former Michigan Governor G. Mennen 'Soapy' Williams on the cover of Time Magazine
 

Who says Michigan is a cultural backwater?

After all, Nobel Prize Winner Ernest Hemingway wrote some of his famed literature in and around Petoskey and Walloon Lake.

Folks in New York might not notice much, but Michigan authors are turning out top flight books on a regular basis. And for the past few years the Library of Michigan is giving credit to selected authors.

The 2006 Michigan Notable Books list is the Library of Michigan's annual selection of up to 20 recommended books "reflecting Michigan's rich cultural heritage, featuring high-quality titles with wide public appeal that are either written by a Michigan resident or about a Michigan-related topic," states the program literature.

Particularly notable, in my opinion, are the non- fiction books on Joe Louis and Soapy Williams as well as the excellent account of "The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald."

The author of one of the notable books, Gene Scott, visited Bay City in his travels, documenting the places that have faded into only the memories of old timers in his "Michigan Shadow Towns."


Scott cites local historians Capt. Augustus Gansser, Odile Sharp and Les Arndt, Dorothy Yates of Midland, Fred Dustin of Saginaw, Calvin Ennis of AuGres, Violet Flory of Edenville, Forrest Meek of Clare, Dr. Hazen Miller of Grayling, Eugene Thwing who wrote of Averill and Sanford, Neil Thornton of Tawas, Jerry Wagner of Oscoda, and my own "Paul Bunyan: How A Terrible Timber Feller Became A Legend."

Committee members were Nancy Robertson (Chair), Kim Laird, Randy Riley and Kris Rzepczynski, all of the Library of Michigan; Dean Anderson, Michigan Historical Center; M. Christine Byron, Michigan Center for the Book; Jennifer Dean, Northland Library Cooperative; Cheryl Lyons, Capital Area District Library; Michael Rodriguez, Michigan Library Association; Denise Taylor, Schuler Books; Susan Thoms, Grand Rapids Press; Ray Walsh, Curious Books, East Lansing; and George Weeks, Detroit News.

The 2006 Michigan Notable Books (listed alphabetically by title) are:

"Beast of Never, Cat of God: The Search for the Eastern Puma" by Bob Butz. Lyons Press. Are there really cougars roaming the Michigan wilderness? The author tirelessly searches for the elusive truth that has confounded biologists, wildlife experts and nature enthusiasts alike.

"Beyond Glory: Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling, and a World on the Brink" by David Margolick. Alfred A. Knopf. Set against the politically charged 1930s and the rise of Nazi Germany, this book explores the two historic boxing matches between Detroiter Joe Louis and Max Schmeling. Louis? crushing victory in the 1938 rematch, after his stunning defeat in 1936, shattered the myth of Aryan racial supremacy, reverberated throughout the world and provided an impetus for the nascent U.S. civil rights movement.

"Booking Passage: We Irish and Americans" by Thomas Lynch. W.W. Norton & Company. While rediscovering his Irish roots in County Clare, the Milford-area writer takes us on a journey of personal discovery, glimpses into ancestral tales and traditions, and offers poignant commentary on our world, and its people, places, and institutions. Lynch is the 2001 Michigan Author Award winner.

"The Dodge Brothers: The Men, the Motor Cars and the Legacy" by Charles K. Hyde. Wayne State University Press. The critical importance of John and Horace Dodge, from their childhood in Niles to their company?s merger with the Chrysler Corporation in 1928, is illustrated in this well-researched automotive history.

"Grit, Noise & Revolution: The Birth of Detroit Rock -n- Roll" by David A. Carson. University of Michigan Press. The essence of the Detroit rock and roll sound is captured in this front-row seat look into the Motor City's rock scene.

"Harry Sue" by Sue Stauffacher. Alfred A. Knopf. Harriet Susan Clotkin aims to become a criminal and be reunited with her incarcerated mother. But Harry Sue's heart keeps moving her in a different direction, and with the help of her new friends and teachers, she learns to embrace the world around her. Set in the fictional Michigan community of Marshfield, this bittersweet young adult tale is full of eccentric characters and witty dialog.

"How Like an Angel: A Novel" by Jack Driscoll. University of Michigan Press. In this engaging novel set in northern Michigan, Archibald Angel returns to the rustic cabin of his difficult youth. There, Angel reexamines his past, ponders the future, and looks to understand and nurture the fragile relationship with his son, or risk failing him as Angel was by his own father.

"The Lake, the River & the Other Lake: A Novel" by Steve Amick. Pantheon Books. Local residents, summer tourists, and down-staters all intertwine in this entertaining novel set in the fictional Michigan resort community of Weneshkeen.

"Legends of Light: A Michigan Lighthouse Portfolio" photographs by Ed Wargin. Ann Arbor Media Group. Michigan's Great Lakes maritime heritage is vividly reflected in this spectacular photographic collection of selected lighthouses and their beautiful landscapes. Striking examples include lighthouses at Au Sable Point, Grand Haven, Granite Island and Point Iroquois.

"Made in Detroit: A South of 8 Mile Memoir" by Paul Clemens. Doubleday. In this fascinating glimpse into growing up white in the predominantly black city of Detroit, the author wrestles with the question of racism, his own personal struggles and triumphs, and offers insightful and entertaining commentary on social and racial prejudices, his car enthusiast father and the polarizing Coleman Young.

"Michigan Agricultural College: The Evolution of a Land-grant Philosophy, 1855-1925" by Keith R. Widder. Michigan State University Press. Long before it became Michigan State University, a number of progressive-thinking men forged a vision of education that would transform higher learning in Michigan and the United States.

"Michigan Shadow Towns: A Study of Vanishing and Vibrant Villages" by Gene Scott. Gene Scott. Historic small-town Michigan is illuminated in this important study of 128 Michigan towns across the Upper and Lower Peninsulas. These historical narratives capture the unique stories of the towns? founding, early growth and development, economic decline and ongoing struggles for survival. Many of these small towns are now mere shadows of their former selves, while others have rebounded to become thriving, vibrant communities.

"Mighty Fitz: The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald" by Michael Schumacher. Bloomsbury. Still one of the great unsolved mysteries of the Great Lakes, the Edmund Fitzgerald and its 29-man crew perished in Lake Superior during a November storm in 1975. The tragic story of the ship and crew are recounted here, as well as the search and rescue efforts, the official investigation and the controversial struggle over the recent recovery of the ship's bell.

"Please Don't Come Back From the Moon" by Dean Bakopoulos. Harcourt. This gritty and engaging novel is set in the fictional community of Maple Rock, an ethnic enclave in southwest Detroit.

"Singing in a Strange Land: C.L. Franklin, the Black Church and the Transformation of America" by Nick Salvatore. Little, Brown and Company. This compelling book follows the life and career of Reverend C.L. Franklin, from his dire beginnings in the Mississippi Delta to his fame as radio personality and leader of the New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit.

"Soapy: A Biography of G. Mennen Williams" by Thomas J. Noer. University of Michigan Press. With a stunning 1948 upset that reflected his unrivaled campaigning skills, G. Mennen Williams became Michigan's 41st Governor, only the second Democrat to win since the Civil War. This book charts the highs and lows of the Governor's life and distinguished political career, including the construction of the Mackinac Bridge, leading the state to financial bankruptcy, 1960 presidential aspirations, his unabashed liberalism, his time as the Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, and the origins of both his nickname and trademark bow tie.

"The Summer He Didn't Die" by Jim Harrison. Atlantic Monthly Press. This novella collection marks the triumphant return of the character Brown Dog, now with two children left in his guardianship by their imprisoned mother. Particularly attached to the youngest child, Brown Dog is consistently beleaguered by the encroachment of civilization.

"Under Michigan: The Story of Michigan's Rocks and Fossils" by Charles Ferguson Barker. Wayne State University Press. In this charming book for young readers, aspiring scientists can have fun learning about the rocks below the Michigan surface, including the mountains underneath Lake Huron, the salt beds under Detroit, and the oldest rocks in Michigan, located near Escanaba, Ishpeming and Marquette.

"Vintage Views of the Charlevoix-Petoskey Region" by M. Christine Byron and Thomas R. Wilson. Petoskey Publishing/University of Michigan Press. Take a trip back in time with this colorful history of tourism and vacationing in the Charlevoix and Emmet County region.

"Winter's Tale: An Original Pop-up Journey" by Robert Sabuda. Little Grove. Sure to enthrall young readers and adults alike, the magic and majesty of a Michigan winter is brilliantly captured in this artistic pop-up book based on the author's Michigan youth.###

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Dave Rogers

Dave Rogers is a former editorial writer for the Bay City Times and a widely read,
respected journalist/writer in and around Bay City.
(Contact Dave Via Email at carraroe@aol.com)

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