The Substack Tribe

Not everyone loves to be hugged. I get it. I wasn’t a hugger for most of my life. Now, hell, I’ll hug a complete stranger. “Hey Chuck! Dude! Where is this going?” you may be thinking, and we are only a few short sentences into what I’m calling my Substack Love Fest!

Back on Sept 22, 2023, we dove into Substack based solely on the online advice of Seth Werkheiser. You know the Social Media Escape Club guy, the one with the fabulous frames. Yep, that guy. Seth was, and remains today, committed to the idea that there are people out there who dig what you create and that speaking directly to them is your best bet to sharing what you’ve made. In the process, you are building out a community and quite possibly making a new friend or two.

This is in contrast to shouting into the gale force winds of social media algorithms or trying to navigate King Minos’s labyrinth, also known as search engine optimization. Nothing good comes from it but a frustrating mess. As the great quote by George Bernard Shaw goes, “I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it.”

Taking Seth’s advice and avoiding wrestling with a pig, we struck out on our newsletter adventure. We dared to share the thoughts and stories from a couple of people who call Michigan home. I mentioned a few months ago that I was blown away when a complete stranger said to us that they loved what we do at Life In Michigan. However, what I failed to expound was that I’m equally blown away by the fact that what we found was not only an audience—we found friends.

The other day, out of the clear, blue, blue sky, I received a package on our doorstep. The package was in the shape of a record, causing some head scratching. I buy a lot of music, but typically on a record store run. Yet there are times when I just have to do the pre-order of, say, the new Claypool-Lennon Delirium. I sifted through my mental catalog, searching for what I’d ordered and forgotten about.

I opened the package to find a 50th anniversary edition of Robin Trower LIVE! on vinyl. I’m like, “I didn’t order this!” I turned to Brenda, who smiled and said, “Nuno.”

The source of this unexpected gift was my wonderful friend Nuno Babo. We struck up a friendship via Substack over our shared love of music. Nuno is a living encyclopedia of music knowledge, particularly in rock, progressive rock, and metal. If you really want to go deep on an album or artist, definitely check out Nuno’s Needle in a Substack.

Over time, Nuno and I have become great friends. We’ve even joined forces, sharing our thoughts on heavy music via Fans With Bands and Nuno’s YouTube channel. Hell, we just did an interview together with Shannon Larkin. Who knows, we may become the Siskel and Ebert of metal music.

This recent gift from my brother across the Atlantic prompted an idea that Brenda shared with me in the bathroom as we prepared for our morning toothbrushing ritual. She said, “You should write a Sunday Sip about all the friends you’ve made on Substack.” My immediate thought was Hell yes! We have made the acquaintance of a lot of great people here on Substack. Why not share that?

The beauty of Substack for me, and I’m sure Brenda would agree, is that it has given us a whole set of virtual friends. Some of these folks have been with us since the beginning, and we continue to grow together and share with each other here in this ecosystem. At the risk of leaving some friends out, I do want to share my thanks and give a shout-out to a few friends who make Substack special to me.

One of the very first people to like one of our posts was Jenn Woltjen. She doesn’t even live in Michigan! Although I suppose New York and Michigan do have some great outdoors to explore. Since that first reaction to our post, Jenn has shared comments, and we’ve come to love her writing on Outdoors With Jenn.

Then there is Shital Morjaria. All the way from India, she tuned into our little newsletter in its infancy and has been following along ever since. She imparts a great sense of wonder in the world around her through her photography and words. In particular, I’m a big fan of her Living Pictures.

Speaking of photographers, I’ve cultivated a nice “online” friendship with some very talented people, including Jenn and Shital (mentioned above), Perfectlight, Aminus Photography, David Concannon, Jon Pinter, and Jason Odell. Each of them has been kind enough to like, restack, and comment on my stuff. They also share not only enthusiasm for photography but actively seek to elevate other photographers. I was floored and very honored when Jason Odell invited me to talk with him on Substack Live and his Let’s Click show. See what I mean, sharing is caring.

As many of you are well aware, I love music. I love listening to, and sometimes playing, music. I’ve also been lucky enough to photograph both local and national acts. My passion for music has brought me a circle of music nerds (and I say that in the most loving way). The top nerd has to be my buddy Nuno. Other music enthusiasts who have kindly shared their thoughts on shows and bands include my friends Carl Schell, Jeff (The Feisty Dog), Chad Wakefield, Gene, Blackcatspecial, Tamara Casey, Marty Slagter, and Thea Wood. It should be noted that Tamara is a fantastic music artist in her own right, and Thea is a maverick in championing women in music through her Herizon podcast and newsletter.

Let me wrap up my love fest with some folks whose writing and ideas always intrigue me. Our friend Bree Stillwell actually lives here in Ann Arbor, and we’ve had the pleasure of meeting in-person. Her writing in her newsletter, Caravan, is thoughtful and reflective. We just missed meeting up with James Dalman and his wife, Donetta, who chronicle their lives on the road in their Road Life Adventure.

Last, but not least, is our friend Charlie Finch. He is one hell of a writer and has kindly shared comments with us. Both Brenda and I aspire to write as well as Charlie. His writing is insightful and honest. I imagine that he’s talking to me. Creating that sense of connection in your writing is a hell of a tool to have in your writer’s tool chest.

All of these wonderful connections on Substack and my observations on how so many people are seeking to lift others up brought to mind a recent open letter to Chris Best (CEO and co-founder of Substack). The letter laments the social media functions, such as Notes, and the lack of discoverability for emerging writers. While I support a feature to aid discoverability, I also felt the letter was a bit “Old Man Yells At Cloud.” I mean, take or leave the social media aspects of Substack as you like, but it remains, to me, a fantastic opportunity to share my creations and those of others I find rewarding. Side note: I hate calling what I do “work” and FUCK the word “content.”

What makes all of these friendships on Substack work is that we each are sharing our creations and lifting up the work of others we enjoy. We are looking to share what we love, and right now, befriending each other in this way allows that to happen. It may not be the panacea that I think the open letter to Chris Best would want in terms of breaking through the high-profile and high-volume works, but who cares? Seeking to break into the big time reminds me of the Sturgill Simpson lyrics in “You Can Have The Crown”, where he belts out, “Well, they call me King Turd up here on Shit Mountain. If you want it, you can have the crown.”

There will be those who say, “Substack is social media, and now it sucks.” God forbid the Substack team takes the hard turn toward the slop-heap of bullshit attention-whoring that is Facebook and Instagram. If that happens, then fuck it, you still have your subscriber list. Should you feel Substack isn’t meeting your needs, you have the option of going old school by writing an email and dashing it off to your subscribers. You can go “new-old” school and set up a Zoom meeting and see who pops up to say hello and share a beer from across the matrix. If your pen pals are game, you could even call them up and meet them in the real world!

Upcoming Events You Won’t Want to Miss

Our events calendar on Life In Michigan is a treasure trove of events we’ve scoured the interwebs to bring to you. There are a ton of great events coming up. From that list, here are a few highlights:

Get heavy with Stone Nomads, Solar Monolith, and Cleen at the Outer Limits Lounge in Detroit on June 24.

A Weekend packed with Improv at the first ever Yes, Ann Festival on June 24-27

Pride Brunch at Full Measure Brewing in Detroit on June 28.

Mic Drop - The Improvised Singing Competition Show at Hear.Say Brewing and Theater in Ann Arbor on June 28.

Laith Al-Saadi with Chris Buhalis at Sonic Lunch in Ann Arbor on July 2.

Kozy Single Release Show with Sonic Smut, Saber Tooth Gary, and Thee Evils at Smalls in Hamtramck on July 3.

In Other News

My photo in the new Chelsea Art Alley (located between 105 and 107 S. Main St., Chelsea) is currently in the top 5! Help me stay in the running with a vote (you can vote daily). Voting ends on July 23!!

We had an amazing afternoon at the Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer Fest in Ypsilanti that included not only awesome Michigan beer, but big time wrestling as well.

The kickoff of Chelsea Sounds & Sights on Thursday Nights was marvelous especially given that our psych rock friends in Sonic Smut were on hand.

Over at the Sun Times News, they have the story on the ribbon cutting for the new Chelsea Art Alley.

A cool story about Oak Park and its Rooted In Community quilting program.

Life In Michigan Podcast

It was a real honor to meet and talk with Kate Milligan of 1 Girl Revolution. She is a phenomenal storyteller, and her work to share the voices of others is very inspiring.

Substack Restack Attack

Substack is where it’s at. Check out these other superb publications:

Don’t lose your sense of wonder. Thanks, !

Super Ordinary Life

feed it to your children

Never lose your sense of wonder…

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7 days ago · 62 likes · 10 comments · Yasumi Toyoda

nailed it with some great tips geared toward travel writing, but it can apply to any story

The Housesitter's Guide

I can usually tell within 3 sentences if a travel story will work - what to do and what to avoid as a writer

A travel story might begin with the trip, but it lives or dies in the first few lines…

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2 months ago · 151 likes · 38 comments · Jessica Holmes

shares a dandy reflection on the Thumb of Michigan during a recent wander through the landscape with his camera.

Justin Allen- Photographer

A Million Acres of Ash

Nobody accidentally ends up in the Thumb of Michigan, and very few people seem to deliberately go there either. It exists in a strange middle ground. Most Michigan residents know it’s there, they’ve probably driven through parts of it. They might even have family there, but ask someone when the last time they spent a day exploring the Thumb was and you…

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4 days ago · 34 likes · 10 comments · Justin Allen- Photographer

Adventures Yet To Print

Yesterday we were in Dowagiac for the Sisters Lake Brewing 10th Anniversary festival. Be on the lookout for a review and photos coming soon. This week, Brenda is taking a rug hooking class in Manistee, and I’m tagging along to do some hiking and birdwatching. I’m sure we’ll have some stories to share from that adventure.

Sunday Sip Flashback

Now that we have a couple of years of Sunday Sips under our belt, I thought it was time to dip into the archives for a Sunday Sip Flashback.

What Are You Reading?

I just wrapped up Ghost Rider by Neil Peart. I cannot fathom trying to cope with the loss he endured, losing both his daughter and his wife in less than a year. Neil’s answer was to take to the road on his motorcycle. The places he visits and the experiences are interesting. I can’t imagine being on the road for that long and that many miles. Neil shares his feelings about working through the loss while on the road in open and reflective writing. You get a real sense that he was a fairly private and reserved person, yet he was willing to share all that through his writing. I suppose I’m the same way in that I’m not much of a conversationalist, but I’ll spill it all on the page.

Quite a bit of the book is taken from letters to his friend and riding partner, Brutus, who got busted for drugs not long after Neil takes to the road. Part of what Neil shares in the letters and journals are also observations about the people he meets. Many of these are entertaining and insightful. I was particularly interested in his trip to Waterton Lake National Park in Canada. So much so that we are planning a road trip out that way for 2027.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but I must admit it did become a bit dull. The letters have a fair amount of repetition at points, which slows the whole book down. There is also a bit of monotony to the entire journey. But I guess, riding for 55,000 miles on a motorcycle could be a bit boring, no matter how much beautiful scenery you pass.

What Are You Spinning?

As mentioned earlier, my brother Nuno hooked me up with the 50th anniversary edition of Robin Trower LIVE!. I have the original 1976 release and had no idea what I was missing until I received this gift. The album sleeve of the 50th anniversary edition provides the story. Evidently, Chrysalis cut down the original 12-song set, played at the Stockholm Concert Hall in Sweden, to 7 in order to jam it all into a single disc. During the cutting process, they also rearranged the order of the music. The disjointed nature of the original becomes evident when listening to this new and complete edition.

You get to experience this superb performance in its entirety in the order it was played. This includes brief song introductions and thank yous to the crowd. The sound is excellent with Trower’s guitar soaring throughout. Let’s not forget James Dewar’s incredible soulful vocals and Bill Lordan’s freight train drums. As with the original version, the tempo on many of these tunes is quick. Makes you wonder how much coke these dudes were doing back in the day.

If you love the guitar greatness of Robin Trower, I highly recommend picking up this 50th anniversary edition. It is Trower at his best live, and the packaging and liner notes are a real treat. Thank you so much, Nuno, for this awesome gift.

That’s A Wrap

As my buddy Sturgill once said:

“Keep your head out of the clouds

And remember to be kind

And just stay in school

Stay off the drugs

And keep between the lines.”

Thank you for reading. Seriously, thank you! I hope your week is excellent! Don’t forget to kick out the jams!

Now, here is your moment of zen:

Around my fiftieth birthday, I started noticing that, occasionally, word finding was an issue, especially during meetings. Back in the pre-COVID days, when we still gathered in physical conference rooms, I’d start to reply to a question, only to find the word I needed—usually a name—had escaped, hanging on the fringes of memory, just out of reach. I’d laugh and say, “Word finding is hard today.” I was mostly surrounded by speech pathologists, mental health professionals, and women my age. They promised me that as soon as I stopped trying to remember the word, it would materialize. And they were right.

I blamed it on menopause and stress.

Now that I’m approaching sixty, the problem persists, though the circumstances have shifted. It happens most often when Chuck and I are out at community events or parties. I’ll be deep into a story, stumble on a name, and Chuck is right there, ready with the missing piece. It’s become a dance, a shared waltz through our conversations.

Psychologists call this “cross-cueing,” where couples rely on each other to retrieve shared memories, with one person starting the story and the other filling in the blanks. I even came across an article about how our brains effectively intertwine with our partners over time—a concept called a Transactive Memory System (TMS), first introduced back in 1985 by psychologist Daniel Wegner. Whether or not the theory has held up since 1985, I can’t say (though I suspect it has!). But I can confidently say that Chuck and I seem to have developed a shared memory system.

Naturally, that made me wonder: Is this a problem? Am I just getting lazy? Is my brain atrophying? I did manage to solve the Wordle in just two attempts today, and I breezed through the hard level of Pips—another one of those NYT games I’ve grown fond of—in under three minutes. So there are some neurons still working.

I couldn’t help but remember when my youngest was about three and didn’t use many words. It was a stressful time—the family doctor was concerned, which meant I spent my days documenting every word, trying to encourage them to speak. Conversations were almost entirely one-sided, with me pointing at things and asking, “Which one do you want?” only for my oldest to yell from another room, “He wants juice, Mom.”

“Grrr, let him talk!” I’d plead. Eventually, I got my oldest to stop swooping in, and my youngest found his words. He hasn’t stopped talking since. It’s shocking to think how worried I was back then.

I mentioned my idea for this week’s Sunday Sip to Chuck, and he said immediately, “I’m sorry. Should I stop?” I thought about it for a bit and finally decided no, I liked the shared conversation waltz. It wasn’t like my oldest becoming the voice for my youngest.

Naturally, all this reflecting led me down a rabbit hole concerning the various other ways I prop up my memory these days.

• Everything in its place: It is imperative that I put my fanny pack, sunglasses, and earbuds on the chair by the front door. Otherwise, I’d spend a good half-hour looking for them every time we leave.

• The Apple Watch Ping: Pro tip alert for those of us who constantly misplace our phones: The Apple Watch is a lifesaver. Hit the side button next to the Digital Crown to pull up the Control Center, tap the glowing phone icon, and follow the ping. (Huge thank-you to Dianne for that one!)

• The Mighty AirTag: Genius. Yes, I have one on my keyring.

• The Photographic Memory: I’m also the person who takes a picture of the parking structure level. In fact, I take pictures of many things to jog my memory, and I even text myself book, movie, and restaurant recommendations so they don’t vanish into the ether.

I’m curious—what about you? Do you have any clever tricks or digital lifesavers you rely on to keep your memory sharp? And what about that “shared memory system” with your partner? Do you find yourselves “cross-cueing” too? (I know, it sounds a little like Dirty Dancing!)

The latest Life Michigan Podcast episode is out!

If you have an idea for a guest, email me (info@lifeinmichigan.com). We are looking for anyone who is creative, passionate, and has a story to share about their Life In Michigan. Don’t be shy.

The latest episode of Fans with Bands just dropped!

Fans With Bands

Shannon Larkin

In this special crossover episode, Chuck and Nuno (Needle in a Substack and Nuno Babo Youtube) sit down with legendary drummer Shannon Larkin. In a highly candid conversation, Shannon takes us through his incredible 40-year journey in the music industry. From the early club days with Wrathchild America and the label bidding wars of the 1980s, to findin…

Listen now

11 days ago · 3 likes · Chuck Marshall and Nuno Babo

LifeInMichigan.com covers the stories, community life, and cultural experiences that mainstream media often overlooks. Click on the image to read the whole article.

🗓️ Never Miss an Event: Chuck has been hard at work on our public Google Events Calendar. From book launches to local gigs, it’s all there. Subscribe to the Calendar

You’ll find things like this on the calendar! (Click on image for more information.)

I’ve got two fresh Substacks to entertain you this week!

’s Substack “Beauty is Truth” just dropped this!

Beauty is truth

This Will Change How You See Time

The documentary photographer Dorothea Lange once said that “photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still…

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17 days ago · 3690 likes · 164 comments · James Lucas

’s Substack “Absence of Certainty” dropped this at the end of May.

Absence of Certainty by Julie

Against Sober Culture (Respectfully)

Before I get into this week’s essay, let me clarify something: this is not me advocating for alcoholism, excess, or numbing yourself through life. I have seen firsthand what addiction does to people and to the people around them. I’ve seen what happens when something meant to bring pleasure begins taking away someone’s essence instead. That’s not what I…

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a month ago · 1081 likes · 155 comments · Julie

Plus a few old ones of ours.

Cozy Nook

Have you read “Better Living Through Birding” by Christian Cooper? If you are into birds, you’ll definitely want to read it. If you aren’t, read it just for his perspective on his now-infamous encounter with a racist in Central Park. It’s part memoir and part introduction to birding.

Additionally, I finished Caro Claire Burke’s “Yesteryear.” It had been suggested as a possibility for our book club. I started reading before our meeting and shared that I hated the main character. We ultimately decided to pass on it for our upcoming selection.

It’s a dark tale about an online influencer who finds herself trapped in the 19th century. I didn’t find it funny as the various online descriptions suggest, but I was curious, and the writing was incredible, so I kept reading. I ended up telling my book club I was revising my take on it. It’s a clever book. And I’d recommend it if you like a twisty plot line. The author makes you see the world a bit differently. Even Lauren Jackson from the New York Times makes a case for why you should read it.

Have a great week!

In this conversation, Kate discusses:

• The Heart of 1 Girl Revolution: How the platform expanded from a simple podcast into an Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaking operation.

• National Recognition: Her recent experience on The Kelly Clarkson Show and the power of bringing youth advocate Ruby Kate Chitsey into the national spotlight.

• Documentary Filmmaking: The emotional and healing biology behind her films, including the Emmy-nominated short The Girl Inside and the community-focused film In Tandem.

• Community Impact: A look back at the success of the 2nd Annual “The Power of Her” event in Detroit, which featured local women-owned marketplaces.

• The Michigan Quick-Fire Round: Kate’s personal favorites, including her absolute love for Port Sanilac and her go-to summer drink.

Links to Organizations Mentioned

• 1 Girl Revolution: Watch Kate’s documentaries and listen to her podcast. You can also subscribe to her video work directly on the 1 Girl Revolution YouTube Channel.

• Sixftover.org: Learn more about the mental health and suicide-prevention advocacy work at Six Ft Over.

• The Kelly Clarkson Show: Check out clips and past segments from the national broadcast.

• The Dre Project: Explore the local emergency food relief program running pop-up pantries across Detroit.

• Two James Spirits: Discover this Detroit-based craft distillery located in Corktown.

• Little Saints: Check out this woman-owned, non-alcoholic mocktail company.

• The Congregation Detroit: Visit this unique community hub, cafe, and bar operating out of a historic Detroit church.

The Wandering Mind of a Writer

I was inside my head again at the start of this week. A place I visit quite often. Not for long extended vacations, more like a quick pop into the fun factory to watch the wheels whirl. It was Sunday, and Brenda’s wonderful Sunday Sip was out in the wild, pollinating hearts and minds. I was thinking, I’m on deck for the Sunday Sip. What the hell am I going to share with you? As I started to imagine the conversation, it seemed to be going swimmingly. The sentences sounded wonderful, and the thoughts to be shared sounded fun and engaging. I thought, “Hell, this may have some legs!” Then I immediately realized that I hadn’t written any of this fabulous prose that was pouring out of me. Oh no! I panicked and opened a document to try to capture these darling phrases that felt ordained by a higher order. Bordering on magic, you might say.

Document open, my hands finding their home upon the keyboard, ready for telepathic transformation, and then—nothing. I missed the muse’s whispers inside my head. The yawning chasm of white space, the beating heart of the cursor, and my empty head. No dazzling prose, no words of infinite wisdom, no charming quips. Just a blank page and the ringing reminder of my hearing, lost so many years ago.

I probably should be physically jotting down thoughts and ideas for my Sunday Sip as they pop up. However, it seems like I’m either in bed searching for sleep or I’m out on a walk, listening to a book, and wandering away from the narration to focus on my own inner dialogue. The bedtime Sunday Sip idea factory dilemma is problematic. I don’t want to disturb Brenda, even though she is a champion sleeper, by getting up to make a note. And let’s face it, I’m comfortable, damn it, I don’t want to get out of bed.

Same deal with the ideas blossoming on a walk. I’m miles from home, and I don’t carry a notebook. I’ve tried saving a voice memo, but I feel like an idiot talking into my phone while walking. Also, the stupid voice memo app seems to shut down as I’m talking. I’m sure it’s operator error, but I’m too lazy to try to address it.

No, instead, my solution has been to try to burn the ideas into my hippocampus through repetition. You see, while I’m 62, my brain is still tack-sharp. Or at least I think it is. Since I was a kid, I’ve had a great capacity to keep a lot of stuff in my head. This came in handy when I was a big cheese at U of M running meetings. Right after the meeting, I’d be able to recall all the notes and whip them up to send out to attendees. I think of it as my superpower.

Despite my incredible ability to remember action items and notes from a meeting, I’ll be damned if I can tuck away a sweet sentence or a nifty thought that would be perfect for a Sunday Sip. Or for that matter, anything else I may be working on, such as a Life In Michigan story or a concert review. I’ll repeat the phrase or thought, over and over and over. As if I’m carefully stowing these gems in my mental footlocker. Later, in my office, I’ll open the footlocker to find only a fuzz bunny and half a blanched peanut from the night before.

Once in a blue moon, the ideas will stick, but more often than not, they sail on the river of thoughts, drifting like lost ships into the minds of others. There are probably people who wake up from sleep thinking, “Why on Earth was I dreaming about a long hike on a sunny afternoon near a cornfield in Pinckney, Michigan?” Or there are folks in their homes, just doing their thing, who suddenly have a flash of the psychotic staccato stabbing of a death metal guitar solo, and they don’t even listen to metal. My conjured sentences have eluded capture and found purchase inside some innocent soul.

Back in my office, staring at the page and willing the words, the flycatcher in my brain will snag a thought and begin to chew. The taste is tantalizing. I can’t help but get jacked up on that buzz that only a stream of consciousness ready to hit the page can give. This is when I need to interrupt the process and tempt fate.

You see, this is something else I do when I’m trying to write just about anything, from the Sunday Sip to a concert review, to a Life In Michigan experience. I’ll start writing, and then within minutes my brain says, “Let’s stop and check the email,” or “Tunes! I need tunes! Let’s get an album going,” or “Oh shit! I’ve been sitting for half an hour thinking about what to write. Time to stand up and do some stretching.”

Strangely, I do this “take a break” thing when I actually have some ideas to write about. It is as if I’m so excited by the act of writing that I need to stop and marvel at the thoughts. That high of finding something worth writing becomes overwhelming. This is probably some weird psychological trait that is only shared by people named Chuck Marshall.

Side note: It also feels really bizarre to write out my full name in the context of a conversation. I imagine a future historian stumbling upon this and going, “There it is, Roger! The clue to his madness! Right there, Bob. He’s referring to himself in the third person. Clearly a psycho!” Of course, now, I’m thinking of that Seinfeld episode with Jimmy, aren’t you?

Back to my writing idiosyncrasies, let me share one more tidbit: backward writing. Not that I spell words completely backward or put them in reverse order. No, I tend to come up with a few sentences in a paragraph or a fragment that actually need to go at the end rather than the beginning. Essentially, I’m writing the ending before I flesh out the lead, if that makes any sense. As I sit here trying to summon a concrete example, of course, things are flowing along as you’d expect, so I don’t have an illustration. Take my word for it, when I’m rolling, I can get ahead of myself quickly.

I suppose that everyone who writes has these same foibles. It is fascinating and perhaps mystifying how we go about turning thoughts into words, words into sentences, sentences into paragraphs, and on and on. Building something completely out of nothing, even with all the little traps and stumbling blocks we erect on our journey to sharing our stories. There you have it, there it is, folks. If you were curious about what it’s like in the Wild West of my head, now you have a taste. For those of you who write, I’d love to hear about your weirdisms and habits.

Upcoming Events You Won’t Want to Miss

Our events calendar on Life In Michigan is a treasure trove of events we’ve scoured the interwebs to bring to you. There are a ton of great events coming up. From that list, here are a few highlights:

Sound & Sights on Thursday Nights with Kate Hinote Trio and more in Chelsea on June 11.

Hard Candy at Inverness Tavern in Chelsea on Friday, June 12.

Finality with Voyag3r, Centenary, and more at The Token Lounge in Westland on June 13.

Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer Fest is happening on a new date: Saturday, June 13, at Riverside Park in Ypsilanti.

Jennifer Westwood and the Handsome Devils at The Rumpus Room in Chelsea on June 20.

Come help Brenda, and I celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Sister Lakes Brewing Company out in Dowagiac on June 20th

Enjoy a weekend packed with Improv at the Yes, Ann Festival on June 25-27

In Other News

First off, I have a photo that was selected by a blind jury to be included in the new Chelsea Art Alley (located between 105 and 107 S. Main St., Chelsea). You can see my photo on the Geek Brush Studio website and in person! If you dig the photo and find it worthy, you can vote for it too.

We had a fantastic Full Moon Paddle with Eclipse Yoga out at Bruin Lake near Gregory.

I had the good fortune to cover the Decibel Magazine tour featuring Cryptopsy at the Crofoot in Pontiac.

Got an RV or Campervan and looking for a safe place to park while on your next adventure? Check out this story about Michigan-based Vanly by Natalie Platte for Rural Innovation Exchange.

Life In Michigan Podcast

We had a fun talk with Kristin Danko (Artistic & Executive Director) and Greg Pizzino (Technical Director) from The Neighborhood Theatre Group (NTG). For over a decade, this scrappy, award-winning ensemble has been doing something incredibly rare: producing 100% original theater, written by locals, for locals.

Substack Restack Attack

Substack is where it’s at. Check out these other superb publications:

shares some of the angst that I’m sure we all feel about the assault on public lands as well as some wonderful images.

ishootmi aka Bryan Mitchell Photography

Photo a Day Project Update 3

Hey everyone, I wanted to post another update on my landscape/nature photography photo-a-day project. Here are some of my favorite images since my last update on April 1st. Over the last few weeks, my motivation has been waning. Not because I don’t like getting out in nature, since that is t…

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17 days ago · 7 likes · 1 comment · Bryan Mitchell

I’ve got to be honest, most of the music that recommends in is not my cup of tea. But I dig the writing, and it does push me to step outside of my typical listening.

No Expectations

The 40 Best Albums of 2026 So Far

Note to subscribers: It’s an unusually long newsletter this week. You’ll have to click a button to read the whole thing if you’re using email. Sorry…

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16 days ago · 110 likes · 9 comments · josh terry

I love that my buddy is all about the ordinary photos that capture the moments of our lives. Fuck the algorithms and fuck perfect.

Justin Allen- Photographer

The Death of the Ordinary Photograph

Photographers have developed a strange habit. We spend years learning how to use cameras, studying light, obsessing over composition, and talking endlessly about photography, only to become afraid of sharing most of the photographs we actually make. Not because they’re bad, but because they aren’t extraordinary. Somewhere along the way, we decided that …

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19 days ago · 115 likes · 29 comments · Justin Allen- Photographer

shared this terrific photo essay of a trip to the Nordic lands of Sweden, Norway, Estonia, and Denmark. I’ve wanted to go to Sweden for a while, as it is the birthplace of one of my favorite bands, At The Gates. These images make us want to go there soon!

Outdoors with Jenn

The Nordics revealed: stories behind the photos

Why I pressed the shutter…

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10 months ago · 25 likes · 21 comments · Jenn Woltjen

Adventures Yet To Print

The beauty of Life In Michigan is that there is never a shortage of adventures to share. In other words, Brenda has a recap on some of our recent birding adventures, including a quick trip to Grayling in search of Kirtland’s Warbler. This past week, we experienced a bounty of music as the summer outdoor concert series kicked off. First, we had Sonic Lunch in Ann Arbor with our friend Kate Peterson opening for bluegrass sensation Lindsay Lou (a Michigan native). Then we were in Chelsea for the start of Sounds & Sights, which features tons of great music, including our friends from Detroit, Sonic Smut! We also managed to stop by the Ypsi Alehouse to talk with head brewer Taylor for an upcoming story about the brewery, which recently won.

Sunday Sip Flashback

Now that we have a couple of years of Sunday Sips under our belt, I thought it was time to dip into the archives for a Sunday Sip Flashback.

What Are You Reading?

My latest read was a panic-inducing onslaught called Angel Down by Daniel Kraus. The book is set in the trenches of the Western Front during World War I’s Meuse-Argonne Offensive. A con-man named Bagger and the squad of ne’er-do-wells he is part of are sent on a mission to deal with someone outside the trench who is screaming. They discover that the screamer is, in fact, an angel who is trapped in razor wire. From here, a battle to determine what to do with the angel ensues.

This book, which won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, is written as one long, jagged, and overwhelmingly descriptive sentence. The pacing is frantic at the start, lags in the middle, and finishes with shock and awe. The brutality and filth of war are described in vicious detail that taps all the senses. You can see, smell, and most importantly, hear the war and its effects on the people involved.

I won’t give away the plot, but the primary theme is of a man, Bagger, coming to grips with his past, present, and future. The Hero’s Journey is very much present in this story. While the artillery-fire pacing and graphic imagery made for a tense and enthralling start to the book, this eventually became tiresome. The lack of dimension in the surrounding cast, as well as their clichéd actions, misses the mark for me. Then there is the use of repetition or cataloging (a la Moby Dick) to create an exhausting listing. The end was especially flat and left me annoyed. I guess I’m not high-brow enough to see the Pulitzer-worthiness of repetition and flat supporting characters.

What Are You Spinning?

Not so much a spin as an advance listen to the upcoming Prosthetic Memories by Coyote Man. I plan to write a more in-depth review for Fans With Bands on this album, but I couldn’t let an opportunity pass to share my deep joy after listening to this remarkable recording.

I stumbled upon Coyote Man (from Chicago) during Oigs Fest in Kalamazoo in 2024. I was enthralled with their brand of instrumental progressive rock that leans toward metal. I immediately heard elements of Porcupine Tree and Mastodon with traces of The Mars Volta and Deftones. While these and other influences can be heard, the music of Coyote Man is uniquely their own.

What I love about the new album is its cinematic feel and amplified intensity of the music. They have always had a movie-soundtrack quality to their tunes, but this album makes me conjure vivid visual scenes with each track. Plus, in this release, they include a beautiful song with vocals! I promise I’ll go into this in more detail, with a full review coming soon.

In the meantime, mark your calendars for June 10th, as Coyote Man drops their first single from Prosthetic Memories, “War Hatchet.” A couple of weeks later, on June 24th, you can check out a new music video for “Zealotry.” Finally, be sure to get your very own copy of this majestic album on August 14th.

That’s A Wrap

As my buddy Sturgill once said:

“Keep your head out of the clouds

And remember to be kind

And just stay in school

Stay off the drugs

And keep between the lines.”

Thank you for reading. Seriously, thank you! I hope your week is excellent! Don’t forget to kick out the jams!

Now, here is your moment of zen:

https://youtube.com/shorts/jj9j40hMGlk?feature=share

But before all that, every hero gets a wake-up call, the Inciting Incident (or the Call to Adventure) that bursts into our everyday lives and forces us to make a move. I can’t help but picture poor Luke Skywalker returning to find his home in ruins, realizing there is simply no going back to the way things were.

Our own Hero’s Journeys never look or feel like a Star Wars movie, well, at least mine haven’t.

Mine, although physical, have been much tamer. One Inciting Incident was a simple 5K invitation that led me to find my running partner and mentor and eventually to finish over a dozen marathons. To say running changed my life is a massive understatement. Or my sister suggesting a pilgrimage on “The Way of St. Francis” for my 60th birthday. It is still a developing adventure. I’ll let you know if it changes me.

Creatively, however, my journey has been stuck. For almost a decade, I’ve been working on a novel. No, not every day, and I even lost the damn thing for several years. It is currently titled Molly’s Misadventure in 1816. I’ve kept it close to my chest, rarely sharing more than a tiny snippet with the outside world.

Well, you guessed it, friends, I’ve recently experienced an Inciting Incident, finally moving my creative journey forward. I barely recognized it for what it was. Now, I can’t unsee it.

A few weeks ago, I was sitting in on ’s keynote at the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association (UPPAA) Spring Conference. She described her own path in crafting her debut novel, A Good Animal. Hearing her story left me with a nagging question playing over and over in my head. “Could I get my novel to the finish line?”

Naturally, I did the next step in the Hero’s Journey: the Refusal of the Call. Who was I to try to publish a novel? Or better yet, finish writing one? But that nagging question wouldn’t go away, “Could I finally finish my novel?” Clearly, I needed help. I would need my own Mentors and a lot of Magic on this journey.

Yes, my friends, I Crossed the Threshold. I stepped out of my comfort zone and crossed my own Rubicon—metaphorically naked, of course. There was no going back: I shared my 20,000-word manuscript (the first 8 chapters) with a talented writer friend.

Immediately, I entered the Road of Trials. I found myself impulsively checking my computer, fretting, and consumed by fear. What if she hated it? Or worse, what if she offered a tactful, “Nice,” rather than the honest feedback I desperately needed? The trial wasn’t just waiting; it was also battling my own imposter syndrome.

Then, the Magic arrived. Her comments began to stream across the screen in the Google Doc. They were constructive, encouraging, and exactly the push I needed. “I’m loving it so far!!” she said in a text. (There were 2 exclamation points! OMG) By surviving the trial of feedback, I gained my Reward: a newfound confidence.

I have returned to my Ordinary World, my cozy nook, changed. I am slightly less afraid to share my novel. And more Helpers are already appearing—a friend I recently ran into at Hear.Say Brewing invited me to a local writers’ group, and I’ve found a non-profit dedicated to writing support, Ypsi Writes.

Our own Hero’s Journeys will never look like Luke Skywalker’s. That would be a bit freaky to find Yoda in my cozy nook. But all the same, the transformation is just as real. What about you? Have you experienced a Hero’s Journey that completely flipped your ordinary world upside down?

The latest Life Michigan Podcast episode is out!

If you have an idea for a guest, email me (info@lifeinmichigan.com). We are looking for anyone who is creative, passionate, and has a story to share about their Life In Michigan. Don’t be shy.

The latest episode of Fans with Bands just dropped!

Fans With Bands

Chuck Billy - Holding My Breath

In this episode, Chuck sits down with the legendary Chuck Billy of Testament to discuss his upcoming autobiography, Holding My Breath: The Two Testaments of Chuck Billy, dropping November 10th. We dive into the process of translating a Chuck’s fiercely private life into an open book, and how his journey is split cleanly into the “Old Testament” (his ear…

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25 days ago · 3 likes · Chuck Marshall

LifeInMichigan.com covers the stories, community life, and cultural experiences that mainstream media often overlooks. Click on the image to read the whole article.

🗓️ Never Miss an Event: Chuck has been hard at work on our public Google Events Calendar. From book launches to local gigs, it’s all there. Subscribe to the Calendar

You’ll find things like this on the calendar! (Click on image for more information.)

I’ve got two fresh Substacks to entertain you this week!

ShālahBPookie - TheRebelCrone

From Scratch: A Slightly Obsessive Guide to Making Sourdough Bread at Home

Join me on the Kitchen Witchery journey of making your own sourdough bread. I’m releasing this article in three parts: “The Starter”, “The Loaf”, and “Keeping Your Starter Alive”. If you begin your starter this week, let me know how it goes and if you have any questions…

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a month ago · 4 likes · 4 comments · ShālahBPookie - TheRebelCrone

Easy By Nature

On the Boardwalk at Magee Marsh

We approached Magee Marsh in a long line of slow-moving vehicles that came to a halt for no apparent reason. Mercy, Randie, and I could see our destination off in the distance. We started slowly rolling along and we eventually came to the source of the traffic jam. Three families of Canada Geese were foraging on the roadside and they fel…

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a month ago · 117 likes · 22 comments · Bill Davison

Plus a few old ones of ours.

Movie Recommendation

While I was out birding, desperately hoping to add the elusive Kirtland’s Warbler to my “Life List,” I experienced a minor Inciting Incident. (Yes, I know the whole Hero’s Journey is getting old.) I crossed paths with a fellow birder who suggested I check out the documentary “Listers”. It is a film about the wild world of extreme birding. Naturally, I did the usual Refusal of the Call and was a bit skeptical, but I made a note to check it out.

“Two brothers learn about competitive birdwatching by becoming birdwatchers—spending a year living in a used minivan, traveling the country to compete in a ‘Big Year’.”

Well, you guessed it, friends, it is absolutely hilarious! It’s the perfect Magic to brighten your week. Do yourself a favor and watch it tonight—or, better yet, right now. It definitely pairs well with a cold beer, so perhaps save it for a relaxing evening? It’s currently on YouTube and, amazingly, has no ads.

Have a great week!

In this fun and conversational episode, Kristin shares her journey from the Chicago theater scene to finding an unexpected artistic home in Ypsilanti. Greg pulls back the curtain on the logistical magic required to run a theater company out of The Back Office Studio—a local co-working space on North Washington Street. You’ll hear how a team of volunteers transforms a functional daytime conference room into an intimate, 44-seat black-box theater by night, and why Greg had to use a hammer and a prayer to invent a “flaming wedding arch” that wouldn’t set off the building’s sprinkler system.

They also talk about creative world-building that sets NTG apart. Learn about the Huron Valley Universe—a fictional Michigan college town inspired by Ypsi and East Lansing, where many of their plays are set—and get a sneak peek into their upcoming daytime soap opera parody, San Diego Sunsets, set in the equally mysterious Tree County.

Stick around for our Lightning Round to find out where to get the best custom, theater-themed cocktails in town, and meet Winnie, the official NTG dog who sleeps right through live performances!

Connect with The Neighborhood Theatre Group

• Official Website: ntgypsi.org

• Facebook: @neighborhoodtheatregroup

• Instagram: Neighborhood Theatre Group (@neighborhoodtheatregroup) · Ypsilanti, MI

• Location Partner: The Back Office Studio

• Patreon Link: patreon.com/ntgypsi

Oh, You Are a Writer?

We spent last weekend up in Marquette. That’s right, we were back at our home away from home. Our friend and author, Dianna Higgs Stampfler, was speaking at the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association (UPPAA) Spring Conference. We thought we’d come up to show our support as well as check out the conference. You never know, we might meet someone who wants to be on the Life In Michigan podcast.

In the elevator at the Landmark Inn on our way to our room for the weekend, we chatted with the barback who was taking some dinner up to one of the bartenders at the Crow’s Nest, a dandy little cocktail bar at the top of the hotel. The barback asked us what brought us into town, and I told him that we were here for the UPPAA Spring Conference. The young man’s eyebrows shot up, and he exclaimed, “Oh! You are writers?!”

In less than a beat, I replied, “Oh no, I’m not a writer.” Brenda shot me a look and said, “Yes, you are!” I’m sure this kid was flummoxed.

I’m fine with saying I’m a photographer. I grimace inwardly when someone asks if I’m a professional. But a writer? An artist? I struggle to say that out loud.

After checking into our room with a super view of the ore dock in the harbor, we met up with our wonderfully talented friend and baker extraordinaire, Janelle, for a short stroll amongst the beautiful old homes in Marquette before sitting down at the Northland Pub (inside the Landmark Inn). We caught up on happenings since we last saw each other in April. I didn’t even think about being a writer.

On Friday, we drove west to Michigamme, where Brenda did a little shopping, and I snapped a few photos in town. Afterward, we took a fantastic walk along Nestoria Road near Craig Lake State Park. Under a delightfully warm sun, we spotted moose and wolf tracks. The Merlin app assured us there were warblers, grosbeaks, wood thrushes, and flycatchers in the trees, but I only developed a case of “warbler neck” and a couple of photos of some elusive little dudes. I still wasn’t thinking about being an artist.

That changed on Friday evening. The UPPAA hosted a pre-conference mixer at The Crib, an old Victorian-era home transformed into a coffee shop and bar. We grabbed a couple of beverages and spent some time listening to a series of U.P. writers who shared readings from their poetry, short stories, and excerpts from their novels. I couldn’t help but be amazed at the number of artists actively sharing their art with us. I definitely did not feel that I was in the same league, let alone be considered a writer.

The next day brought the start of the UPPAA Spring Conference. Over 100 authors gathered in the Community Room at the Peter White Public Library, which would be the conference’s home. In addition to a general meeting for the association, the conference featured a number of educational sessions covering topics ranging from self-publishing and troubleshooting your plotline to character development and more. Dianna’s session provided a treasure trove of resources for writers doing historical research with real-world examples of how she has used each method in the books and stories she has written.

The sessions provided great insights from seasoned writers, but one of the most impactful parts of the conference was the keynote speaker, Sara Maurer’s story. Her debut novel, A Good Animal, a coming-of-age story set on a rural Michigan sheep farm, was released earlier this year on St. Martin’s Press.

Sara shared the story of how she became an author. While always a writer at heart, much of her life up until now had been spent raising a family and excelling in her career in technical writing. Eventually, the call to write grew stronger and stronger, yet the ferocity of the blank page was daunting.

Step by fateful step, Sara pushed past the weight of the empty page. She honed her skills as a storyteller through workshops and classes where truthful, constructive criticism was paramount rather than the empty words of “This is great!” She used every nugget of feedback given to revise, rewrite, revise, rewrite, and rewrite yet again. She survived the rejection of an early children’s book manuscript as well as the rejection of her debut novel on its first pass to publishing editors. Tenacity, perseverance, and talent led Sara to realize her ambition to become a published author.

Since I was a kid, I’ve loved reading and have dreamed of being a writer. I wrote a couple of things for a high school publication. Yet I wasn’t someone who wrote all the time. I also didn’t journal. While at Eastern Michigan, I took a Creative Writing class and received some punishing feedback from the professor, who told me that I wasn’t a writer and probably never would be one.

I was inspired by Sara and all the other writers at the UPPAA who were embracing their craft and making it their own. However, the question remained: was I really a writer? Don’t I need to put pen to paper, crafting riveting novels or lush poetry to be considered “A Writer”?

Brenda tried to set me straight. She mentioned that on a weekly basis, I’m writing stories for Life In Michigan. I may not think of that as being “A Writer,” but it actually is writing. At a core level, I know that I’m a writer, a photographer, a musician, an artist. But those labels feel foreign. It is as if I haven’t done enough or can’t claim the expertise to assume those titles.

I’m thinking that, at this point, a good writer of personal essays would show how these experiences, the words of others, and their own internal pondering have led them to a profound or fundamental leap. In terms of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, you might say they hit the “Magic Flight” step, where the hero returns with enlightenment.

However, I’m here to tell you that I don’t have a pivotal enlightenment on my status as a writer. I suppose I write, therefore I am a writer, and that is enough. I did come away from the UPPAA Spring Conference feeling inspired to keep working. Who knows, maybe I’ll finally get around to writing a book and become overwhelmed with doubts all over again.

Upcoming Events You Won’t Want to Miss

Our events calendar on Life In Michigan is a treasure trove of events we’ve scoured the interwebs to bring to you. There are a ton of great events coming up. From that list, here are a few highlights:

Disco Behemoth with ICK and Domain Master at Shakespeares in Kalamazoo on May 27.

Our wonderful and super talented friends in the Dirk Kroll Band are playing at Goldner Walsh in Pontiac on May 28.

Geoff & Jon’s Record Show takes to the air at the Landmark Inn in Marquette on May 29-31.

Super talented and extraordinary friends Annie and Rod Capps with Jason Dennie, will be at Michigan Friends Center in Chelsea on June 3.

Our bestie, Kate Peterson, opens Sonic Lunch music series in downtown Ann Arbor with Lindsay Lou!

Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer Fest is happening on a new date: Saturday, June 13, at Riverside Park in Ypsilanti.

Come help Brenda, and I celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Sister Lakes Brewing Company out in Dowagiac on June 20th

Enjoy a weekend packed with Improv at the Yes, Ann Festival on June 25-27

In Other News

Did our first photowalk, organized by Justin at Negative Influence in Detroit. It was so cool hanging out with a great bunch of people in the city.

We toured one of the most unique houses in Michigan— The Honolulu House Museum in Marshall.

Our improv journey continues with the completion of Improv 201 at Hear.Say Brewing and Theater.

I’ve never been to Houghton-Douglass Falls! Clearly, this needs to be rectified.

Life In Michigan Podcast

An excellent chat with our friend Roo about her Eclipse Yoga, Stand Up Paddleboarding, and more.

Substack Restack Attack

Substack is where it’s at. Check out these other superb publications:

Many thanks to for sharing this excellent look at the early years of Hank Williams Jr. by

The Country Music Book of the Dead

Bocephus Before the Fall: The Making (and Near-Unmaking) of Hank Williams Jr.

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2 months ago · 44 likes · 8 comments · Zachariah Malachi

I wasn’t aware of The Jam. Thanks to , I’ve got some insight into some fun punk jams.

Recent photos of Elvis from !

A Photographer's Newsletter

A Photographer's News letter

OK. You asked for it. Here are some additional Elvis sightings I have seen since the “Everywhere” book came out 13 years ago…

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a month ago · 8 likes · 4 comments · Rowland Scherman

I’m not alone (I knew I wasn’t, but needed to say it anyway). does it again with another great essay. Thankfully, my inner voice isn’t so damn cruel.

Charlie Finch

Locked Groove

Friday starts with the phone. Really, every day starts with the phone…

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a month ago · 23 likes · 46 comments · Charlie Finch

Adventures Yet To Print

I’ll be back in the pit at a death metal show later today with Cryptopsy in Pontiac (assuming I get approved). We head up to Hartwick Pines near Grayling for another Michigan Audubon tour in search of the Kirkland’s Warbler. I’m going to guess we’ll have some stories to share from those adventures. Plus, I chatted with Chuck Billy about his new book called Holding My Breath. The podcast on Fans With Bands will be out on Wednesday!

Sunday Sip Flashback

Now that we have a couple of years of Sunday Sips under our belt, I thought it was time to dip into the archives for a Sunday Sip Flashback.

What Are You Reading?

Talk about talented writers! Erik Larson is a master storyteller. In this non-fiction account of the start of the Civil War and the Battle of Fort Sumter, called The Demon of Unrest, he keeps you gripped and engaged. I felt like I was in the meeting rooms, the train cars, on the streets of Charleston, and in the fort with Major Anderson.

Far from a dry historical rehash, Larson uses letters, slave records, government archives, and newspaper articles of the time to weave a narrative that truly comes alive. In particular, Larson shows how the people of the North and the South had no real understanding of one another. The South felt dishonored by the North as a result of being challenged on the issue of slavery. They believed it was their God-given right to enslave other people. Calling that immoral and unjust was an affront to their code of honor. The North had no understanding of this fierce pride within the aristocracy of the South and could not understand their resentment and hate.

I found myself disgusted with the southern aristocrats, and in particular those of Charleston. This book solidified my belief that the Civil War was always about slavery and that “states’ rights” was a way for the South to justify starting a war to protect their wealth, which had been built by the suffering of other human beings. I highly recommend this book as it tells a story that many people should hear.

What Are You Spinning?

I can still remember cruising down the road in the back of my buddy John’s army green Barracuda, getting stoned, and jamming to High ‘n’ Dry by Def Leppard. From the snarling opening chords of “Let It Go” to the muscle car burn-out on “No No No,” this album rips. Even the ballad, “Bringin’ On The Heartbreak”, isn’t too bad. The production on High ‘n’ Dry is raw and intense, with guitars taking center stage. I love the razor-sharp attack and bluesy bite of the solos by Pete Willis. In my mind, Steve Clark is fine, but Pete was the riff lord in Def Leppard.

High ‘n’ Dry is, by far, the best Def Leppard album. After this, it was all downhill. Pyromania and the sappy pop-rock schlock were soon to follow. If you ask me, Pete dodged a bullet by getting canned as the band worked on Pyromania.

Sadly, I only caught one song by this version of the band in concert. They opened for Ozzy Osbourne on the Blizzard Of Ozz tour at Pine Knob. We got in just in time to catch the last song of their set before they rolled off stage. Oh well, I can still say I saw them when they were awesome, and I have this bad-ass album to spin today.

That’s A Wrap

As my buddy Sturgill once said:

“Keep your head out of the clouds

And remember to be kind

And just stay in school

Stay off the drugs

And keep between the lines.”

Thank you for reading. Seriously, thank you! I hope your week is excellent! Don’t forget to kick out the jams!

Now, here is your moment of zen:

These tiny, beautiful birds are not much bigger than a mouse, with moves that rival those of a hummingbird. They prefer the upper branches of the canopy, at least 50-80 feet up, where it seems all the choice bugs have decided to congregate. Spotting them is a real challenge, so having a knowledgeable guide is key.

We met up with our expert birding guides for the Michigan Audubon Cerulean Warbler tour, Anne and Doug Klein from the Barry County Bird Club, at the Otis Farm Bird Sanctuary in Hastings, Michigan. Our rendezvous point was the Fen parking area, which offers a stunning view overlooking a marsh.

There are plenty of birds to spot here, but we were searching for the Cerulean Warbler, which is known to nest in Barry State Game Area, adjacent to Otis Farm Bird Sanctuary.

The parking area was packed with an unusually high volume of Subarus. I’d be willing to bet at least 40% of the cars were Subarus. I can’t help but feel there’s a direct correlation between birding and Subaru ownership. It makes me wonder—does Amy Tan drive a Subaru? But I totally digress.

Before long, the check-in was complete, and we were all vigorously rubbing our hands together for warmth. It can definitely be mitten weather in May in Michigan.

The Kleins asked if anyone was binocular-less. I had a pair and said no thanks. I soon regretted that decision when I discovered mine are better for spotting large turkeys than tiny warblers. That was the first lesson: “Buy the best birding binoculars you can afford.”

Someone asked about ticks. Yes, they are everywhere, but they shouldn’t be a problem since we’ll mostly be walking along the side of a gravel road. The tour instructions mentioned that we would caravan between birding locations. Before leaving, we went over safety instructions and our general route.

Leaving the Otis Farm Sanctuary on Heaves Rd (1), we do a slow-motion caravan through the backroads, pulling over at the woodsy corner of Goodwill and Whitmore Rd (2), where Cerulean Warblers are known to nest. From there, we would head north to Gun Lake Rd and hang a right onto Otis Lake Rd (3), and make several more stops along the way to see what else we could find.

Learning your bird calls is key if you want to be a serious birder. Both Anne and Doug are experts. For us newbies, Anne played the Cerulean Warbler’s call on her phone. Merlin describes it as “starting with 3 buzzy notes, followed by 4 fast warbles, and ends with a higher pitched buzzy trill.”

Anne put words to the song, “Poor, poor, poor, pitiful me. Drawing out the pitiful me.” This helped pick out their call amid the barrage of tweets floating around us. The Kleins use the Sibley app, which is not free and is really for the serious birder. I use the free Merlin Bird App.

I noticed another birder using the Merlin Bird app, but she was taking it to the next level. She had her phone on a cord around her neck, with the Merlin sound record running. When she’d hear a bird, she’d look down to see what Merlin was suggesting and then, with her “birding binoculars,” look for a bird to flutter in the trees above.

She’d point and say, “Here,” pointing and giving instructions to find it, “30 feet up, to the left of the Maple, on the branch pointing down, near the clump of leaves.” My brain almost exploded trying to decipher her instructions. I looked around to see if it was just me. And it was. The other birders had their binoculars all pointed at the bird. (Which brings me to another lesson: get to know your trees!)

The Kleins had light pointers, thank God. They use it to point to the tree, usually a few feet below the bird.

If a bird call didn’t identify a bird, the birders called out stuff like, “It has a black beak, or small head, white belly plumage,” or a myriad of other bird characteristics that also had my head swimming. It was like a scavenger hunt, and the reward was adding birds to your life list.

New additions to my Life List:

• Cerulean Warbler

• Indigo Bunting

• Red-headed Woodpecker

• Northern Yellow Warbler

• American Redstart

There were many more that the Merlin app heard and identified, but I personally didn’t see, like the Gnatcatcher or the Pileated Woodpecker. These were not added to my Life List; you’ve got to have some rules.

I headed home from Hastings with “warbler neck,” a few more birds on my life list, and a wish for a pair of high-end binoculars. Have you ever tried your hand at birding, or do you keep a life list of your own? I’d love to hear about your favorite local nature spots or any binocular gear recommendations you might have. And seriously—if anyone can confirm whether Amy Tan drives a Subaru, please let me know.

The latest Life Michigan Podcast episode is out!

If you have an idea for a guest, email me (info@lifeinmichigan.com). We are looking for anyone who is creative, passionate, and has a story to share about their Life In Michigan. Don’t be shy.

The latest episode of Fans with Bands just dropped!

Fans With Bands

Drift

In this episode, I had the fellas in Drift. Thanks to my old friend Bill Fitzpatrick for sharing the music of this new metalcore band from Detroit. They are playing powerful music that will definitely appeal to fans of War Within, I Prevail, and Misery Index. We talked about how these guys got together, their prolific songwriting, and plans for the futu…

Listen now

a month ago · 3 likes · Chuck Marshall

LifeInMichigan.com covers the stories, community life, and cultural experiences that mainstream media often overlooks. Click on the image to read the whole article.

Photo courtesy of Michael Hovitch

🗓️ Never Miss an Event: Chuck has been hard at work on our public Google Events Calendar. From book launches to local gigs, it’s all there. Subscribe to the Calendar

You’ll find things like this on the calendar! (Click on the image for more information!)

I’ve got two fresh Substacks to entertain you this week!

The Little Detroit History Letter

"This particular collection of the dead"

A quick note that I forgot to include in last week’s letter: I’m giving a talk about cemeteries this Friday, April 10 at the Royal Oak Historical Society at 7 p.m. — would love to see some of you there! Get more details and sign up here…

Read more

2 months ago · 13 likes

Charlie Finch

The Daiquiri: A Bartending Benchmark

Some drinks are easy to make. You can get sloppy with an Old Fashioned because whiskey carries the drink and it’s strong enough to hide any errors. The Campari in a Negroni is so loud it covers most balance mistakes. But the Daiquiri? It’s a delicate drink. There is no cover…

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a month ago · 9 likes · 7 comments · Charlie Finch

Plus a few old ones of ours.

Book Review

Our latest book club pick was “Norwood” by Charles Portis. This is exactly why I love being part of a book club; this would have been the absolute last thing on my reading list. Chuck’s review was short and sweet: “Goofy.” And honestly, he’s not wrong, but it’s so much more than that.

Published in 1966, it is a time capsule of another era. The cover art described it as a “road novel.” Haha. Yes, it definitely chronicles a road trip. Packed into that trip was every goofy thing you could imagine happening between Texas and New York in the 60s. And it’s a short book, just a few hundred pages. It should not be confused with Travels with Charley: In Search of America by John Steinbeck, which is a classic.

I begrudgingly recommend giving it a read, if only for the absolute absurdity of Joann—the college-educated chicken rescued from a fortune teller machine.

Have a great week!

Episode Highlights

• The Origin of “Roo”: Learn how a college job in Australia and a feisty attitude in the banquet industry led to her unique nickname.

• Yoga for Everyone: Roo discusses her “No Judgment” policy, welcoming everyone from carnivores to skeptics, and why she avoids using Sanskrit to make yoga more accessible.

• Functional Healing: Roo explains her work with fascia release (the “orange peel” of the body) and the Melt Method to help manage chronic pain and stiffness.

• Specialized Care: A deep dive into her extensive work with Parkinson’s patients, utilizing yoga therapy and Rock Steady Boxing to delay symptoms and improve motor skills.

• The “Retox” Lifestyle: Why she pairs yoga with social events, alcohol, and outdoor fun to reach those who might find traditional studios intimidating.

• Outdoor Adventures: From SUP (Stand-Up Paddleboard) Yoga on local ponds to Full Moon Paddle Camping trips through Michigan’s inland chain of lakes.

Connect with Roo & Eclipse Yoga

• Website: eclipseyoga.net

• Social Media: Follow on Instagram and Facebook

• Services: Roo offers private client sessions, corporate wellness programs, and community events across Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Brighton, and beyond.

What Do I Stand For?

First, I must thank Ted Danson. Ted has a podcast called Where Everybody Knows Your Name where he chats with folks he knows and others who he is interested in. The podcast has a lot of great interviews that I’ve enjoyed immensely. Recently, during our daily morning walk, I tuned in to Ted’s chat with Cory Booker about his new book, Stand.

I’ve heard of Senator Booker, and at first glance, he seems like a solid upstanding guy who cares more about his constituents and less about being a Democrat. My initial reaction was proven the more I listened to Ted and Cory’s conversation. Halfway through the podcast, I was searching on Libro for Stand and had it in my library by the time we returned home from our morning stroll.

The essence of Stand is that we live in a time of crisis on many levels. In order to chart a positive path for ourselves and our communities, Cory shares what he believes are the core virtues of our nation and how they may act as a guide. He uses personal stories, reflections, and history to illustrate in a chapter each key virtue: Agency, Vulnerability, Patriotism, Truth, Humility, Community, Creativity, Perseverance, Grace, and Vision.

The overriding theme is that these virtues are tools to help each of us realize what we have in common. These shared ideals are pillars we can use to stand up for our common cause. They are principles that we can use to bridge what divides and resist those who would use fear and hate to bring down our democracy.

Shortly after starting to listen to Stand, I knew I had to write about it here. I was deeply impacted by Senator Booker’s message. So much so that I found myself getting emotional several times during our morning walks while listening to the book. I’m sure if anyone had noticed me walking and nearly crying, they would be thinking, “What in the hell is wrong with that guy?”

Part of my emotional response is to the stories of people, past and present, who have exhibited great courage in the face of impossible odds. I was particularly touched by the story of Arthur Lessman. As a young lawyer in 1965, he watched the beating of Civil Rights marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma live on his television. Beaten on that bridge was Civil Rights leader and eventual Congressman John Lewis.

After watching this brutality unleashed on peaceful protestors, Arthur Lessman felt compelled to do something. His initial thought was to travel down South to join the protests. However, he had a young family and didn’t feel right leaving them. Instead, he chose to donate an hour of his time a week to provide legal help to a local fair housing group.

At that time (and who knows, it may still happen today), a Black couple would be told a home in a white neighborhood wasn’t for sale. Yet when a white couple showed up to see the very same house, they would be told it was for sale. Mr. Lessman volunteered his time to work with Ms. Lee Porter of the fair housing group to bring this injustice to light and change it.

They used white couples as decoys, sending them in after a Black couple had been turned away from buying a home. This brought the injustice into the light. Turns out one of the families they helped was Cory Booker’s parents. Without that extra effort by Mr. Lessman and the drive of Ms. Porter, Cory Booker may never have had the life that led him to the Senate.

The other aspect of this book that elicited such an emotional response in me was reflecting on what I stand for. What am I doing to make a difference? What am I doing to make my community and the country I live in better?

My focus has been on showcasing the art and creativity of people around me while also sharing my own creative endeavors. But, is that enough? Is that going to heal the divide that feels immense right now? Is that going to help people who can’t afford health or dental care? Will that stop the harassment and assaults on women, minorities, immigrants, and the LGBTQIA+ community?

It feels overwhelming at times—this sense that the people in power are hell-bent on creating as much fear and animosity as possible. Am I doing all I can to stand against this?

There are times (many of them actually) where I don’t feel I’m doing enough or that what I do matters. Writing stories, putting on art exhibitions, interviewing people—it just doesn’t feel the same as a lawyer helping Black families overcome racial injustice. It doesn’t feel like it stacks up to volunteers working at Remote Area Medical Clinics. It doesn’t seem to have the same urgency as what SHAPE and Safehouse Center do to help survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence. It seems woefully inadequate compared to the life-saving work of Six Feet Over.

Yet, after listening to Cory Booker’s Stand, it is clear that doing anything to embrace and support your community is, as John Lewis would describe, “good trouble.” I know that I’m doing something. It may not be the most impactful work, but it is positive. I’m standing up for my community by showcasing the love, respect, and creativity within it.

I’ve got work to do in terms of being more compassionate with those whose views I disagree with. By treating those whose perspectives run counter to mine as “them,” I’m feeding the snarling hate and fear that has consumed the news and just about every inch of social media. I’ve taken to reminding myself that we share the same desires for a happy and healthy life for ourselves, our families, and our friends. I have to remind myself that their fear doesn’t need to become my anger.

Stand by Cory Booker deeply impacted me. Sure, there are parts of this book that are political. Cynics will read it as propaganda, which may be true. Yet I found within it a bit of hope that each little bit of positive energy cast out by each of us will ensure that our communities thrive. I’m not looking for pats on the back and “You rock, dude!” I only want to share my thoughts and the inspiration I felt after reading this book. I want to thank all of you for allowing me to share this with you. I know it sounds corny, but I feel you standing with me.

Upcoming Events You Won’t Want to Miss

Our events calendar on Life In Michigan is a treasure trove of events we’ve scoured the interwebs to bring to you. There are a ton of great events coming up. From that list, here are a few highlights:

Sounds of the Zoo: Live Local Vibes at Old Dog Tavern with Erin Monroe in Kalamazoo on May 15.

Cagliostro Forever Art Show at the Sanctuary Detroit Complex in Detroit on May 15 and 16.

Upper Peninsula Publishers & Authors Association (UPPAA) Spring Conference in Marquette on May 16.

Leroy Powell and Jennifer Westwood at Manchester Underground on May 15.

Marquette Rockestra Presents: The Songs of 1976 on May 16.

Red Horse Center Porch Party in Fennville on May 16.

Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer Fest is happening on a new date: Saturday, June 13, at Riverside Park in Ypsilanti.

Come help Brenda, and I celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Sister Lakes Brewing Company out in Dowagiac on June 20th

Enjoy a weekend packed with Improv at the Yes, Ann Festival on June 25-27

In Other News

We saw some old friends, met new ones, and I found some vinyl treasures at the Detroit Vinylfest.

SHAPE Chelsea is doing amazing work, and we felt compelled to share our experience at their Voices Of Courage event.

The Lakeshore Keepers Spring Fling was a fantastic introduction for us volunteers to the various residences and lights they manage.

Brenda shared a wonderful story on the recent Michigan Hook-in that she was part of with her guild at the Old Mill in Dundee

If you get a chance to catch a show at the Bloom Room in Blissfield, do it. If Jon Torrence is playing, even better!

An interesting brief history of the Toledo War in The Sun Times News by Doug Marrin.

Life In Michigan Podcast

Our chat with Darren Cools was great fun. I can’t wait to check out Darren’s book, Light In The Canyon, which comes out in June.

Substack Restack Attack

Substack is where it’s at. Check out these other superb publications:

always finds some excellent heavy music to share, and this week was exceptional.

To The Teeth | New Heavy Music

🌶️ To The Teeth: after forty years and over twenty albums, Darkthrone still finds new energy

Welcome to the To The Teeth newsletter! Your weekly update of new heavy music. You can listen to (most) everything in the playlist on Spotify. If you like what you read, go to Patreon (receive a patch!) & Bandcamp (buy a patch!). Peppers are hot 🌶️…

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a month ago · 6 likes · To The Teeth | New Heavy Music

Someone shared via notes. I took a look, and this hit the nail on the head for me in terms of sharing art.

Gent(BE) | Street photo | B&W

#86 You’ve got to do something with your photos ...

I often get asked, “what do you do with your photos…

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a month ago · 32 likes · 4 comments · gery

I love the idea of creating zines, but I keep putting it off. That may change thanks to .

FILM RICK

Introducing: Dirty Little Zine

I’ve been working on this for the past few weeks, and it’s finally ready to share: Dirty Little Zine, a one-page zine maker for the photo community…

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2 months ago · 150 likes · 57 comments · FILM RICK

shares an in-depth dive into one of Radiohead’s masterpieces, OK Computer.

Howard Salmon

Radiohead - OK Computer (1997)

When the Signal Starts to Smear…

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2 months ago · 35 likes · 13 comments · Howard Salmon

Adventures Yet To Print

Lots of new adventures in the queue for you. Last week, we did a tour of the Honolulu House Museum in Marshall. We also had our Improv 201 class showcase, which was a ton of fun. Over the weekend, we did a photowalk in Detroit with Justin Allen of Negative Influence and met a great group of folks. I also realized I failed to mention a couple of great breweries we visited last weekend in Ludington. As if that isn’t enough, on Monday morning, we are in search of the Cerulean Warbler in Hastings. Shew!

Sunday Sip Flashback

Now that we have a couple of years of Sunday Sips under our belt, I thought it was time to dip into the archives for a Sunday Sip Flashback.

What Are You Spinning?

I distinctly remember seeing “Holy Wars” by Megadeth on Headbangers Ball and being floored by the storm of riffs, the powerhouse drumming, and the epic guitar solos. Shortly after, I was at the record store picking up Rust In Peace on CD. Now, I have re-acquired the vinyl version.

In my opinion, this is Megadeth at their best. Joining Mustaine and Ellefson were Nick Menza (drums) and Marty Friedman (guitar). I recently read that Mustaine almost hired Chris Poland for this album, but Chris’s manager thought it was a bad idea. I dig Chris’s playing; it is sharp, technical, and tight. But for my dollar, I’ll take Marty over Chris any day. His solos are part of what makes this album shine. They really add a song within a song with fabulous melodies and truly exceptional playing. Just listen to him on “Lucretia” or “Tornado Of Souls” and tell me those aren’t some of the best solos in metal.

Dave is a riff machine on this album. Every track is killer with no filler. Favorite riffs are hard to choose, but “Holy Wars,” “Hangar 18,” and “Tornado Of Souls” stand out. These riffs are infectious, resulting in instantaneous air-guitaring. I love the almost out of control staccato gallop on “Holy Wars” just before Dave’s solo. It is madness.

Part of the power of this album lies in the punishing rhythm section. Menza is a beast, although I think his drum tone on the recording is somewhat flat and shallow. I would have liked a little more punch to the kick drums. Ellefson’s bass is right in the thick of things and hits hard. He even gets to take center stage on the menacing “Dawn Patrol.” This album kicks ass, and having it spinning on the turntable is just plain awesome.

That’s A Wrap

As my buddy Sturgill once said:

“Keep your head out of the clouds

And remember to be kind

And just stay in school

Stay off the drugs

And keep between the lines.”

Thank you for reading. Seriously, thank you! I hope your week is excellent! Don’t forget to kick out the jams!

Now, here is your moment of zen:

Every time we cross the Mighty Mac, it happens. As soon as we roll out of the toll booth on the other side, something shifts. Maybe it’s the trees. Maybe it’s the wild, untamed ruggedness of the Upper Peninsula. Whatever the cause, the air suddenly feels like it’s been run through a Dyson air filter. It clears the cobwebs from my brain, and everything looks crisper, like I just swapped out my old contacts for a fresh set.

I can usually hold off the recurring daydream until we are driving along Lake Superior on 41 and the magic of the Gitche Gumee begins to flood the car. It’s a vivid dream, one where I’m not a visitor but a local with a cozy studio and a view of the lake. By the time Marquette and the Ore Dock finally pop into view, I’ve got Zillow open on my phone.

Our U.P. friends always seem thrilled to see us and waste no time making plans. On our April trip, we somehow ended up at a fundraiser for a local state rep. Next thing I know, I’m handing over a donation. Honestly, I can’t even remember the last time I went to a political event, let alone donated to someone’s campaign.

See what I mean? Who even am I up here?

Gitche Gumee puts a spell on you, and suddenly I’m doing things I’d never expect. Of course, that doesn’t stop us from hiking our favorite trails, eating way too much pizza, and supporting the local breweries.

Marquette’s the kind of town where you’re constantly bumping into a familiar face, and the bartenders greet you with a hello that makes the place feel like “Cheers.”

But the real reason we keep scrolling Zillow isn’t just the trees or the endless outdoor adventures. It’s that this place actually seems to appreciate creative weirdos like us. I’m not really chasing a new zip code; I’m chasing a creative home.

“Could we actually do this? Could we really pack up and move?”

On this last trip, we finally let that “What If” wrestle with reality. Would the magic survive when everything feels like it is an hour away? Would our friends still be excited to see us if we showed up every week? And then there’s the snow. Relentless. Towering dirty piles of it that stick around long after you want them gone. I’ve heard sometimes into May.

No, I cannot. I’ll always love the U.P., and I’ll probably always open Zillow the second I see that Ore Dock, but the spell has its limits. And that limit is a snowbank in May.

As I let the dream of becoming a Marquette local fade, a new question popped up: How do I find that creative culture I keep daydreaming about right where I am?

I started by looking at the community Chuck and I have been quietly building for years. We didn’t set out to be “community organizers,” but somehow we’ve ended up knee-deep in local groups like CreativeMornings, Creative Washtenaw, and the Open Spoon, which Liz Barney is sneakily masterminding. (She is everywhere by way, fostering creativity in my backyard.)

Now that I’m actually paying attention, I can see that a creative community is thriving.

Then there’s our improv troupe at Hear.Say. When I signed up for our 101 class, I had no idea Tuesday nights would become the highlight of my week. It’s a much-needed dose of silliness that always leaves me feeling like I just breathed in some U.P. air and vanquished the cobwebs. That mix of goofiness and friendship wakes up a part of my brain that usually prefers to go to bed early; it’s a pure dopamine rush.

I wasn’t a 4-H kid or a band kid, so I missed out on that “club camaraderie” growing up. But I’ve found one in the rug hooking chapter I belong to. It’s a vital part of my creative community, and yes, I know it sounds cheesy, but I really do feel lucky to have them. And then there’s our neighborhood book group, which is really just a wonderful excuse to eat and drink with the neighbors. We do actually talk about the books. Sometimes. We just picked our next book, “Norwood” by Charles Portis.

The more I count, the more I see the creative outlets we’ve cultivated, like our nonprofit, GIG: The Art of Michigan Music, which we (royal we, it was really just Chuck) managed to launch with a crew of incredibly inspiring folks. And then, there is Substack. I didn’t fully realize how much this platform was contributing to my creative world until I read Charlie Finch’s essay, “Breakfast for 150.”

Like Charlie, Substack is now part of my morning routine, offering a fresh set of essays to read that usually shake loose an idea or two. I’m still in shock that between our GIG and Life In Michigan Substacks, we have over a thousand subscribers. That’s basically viral in my world. Every heart and comment provides yet another dose of serotonin that boosts my mood.

It took sitting down and actually counting for me to realize just how much community we’ve been quietly building. So thanks for being here and being part of my creative community.

The latest Life Michigan Podcast episode is out!

If you have an idea for a guest, email me (info@lifeinmichigan.com). We are looking for anyone who is creative, passionate, and has a story to share about their Life In Michigan. Don’t be shy.

The latest episode of Fans with Bands just dropped!

Fans With Bands

Widetrack

In this episode, I had the opportunity to talk with Ron and Zach from Widetrack. I’m so happy to have found the powerful, emotive, and deeply satisfying music from this father and son duo. I very much enjoyed talking with them about how they got started and their respective musical journeys. Of course, we talked a bit about their future plans and pizza…

Listen now

2 months ago · 2 likes · Chuck Marshall

LifeInMichigan.com covers the stories, community life, and cultural experiences that mainstream media often overlooks. Click on the image to read the whole article.

🗓️ Never Miss an Event: Chuck has been hard at work on our public Google Events Calendar. From book launches to local gigs, it’s all there. Subscribe to the Calendar

You’ll find things like this on the calendar! And it’s beer festival season!

HOMES is bringing together some of the best and hippest breweries from around the world to pour beers for you on Ann Arbor’s west side! Plus, your ticket price supports Habitat for Humanity!

I’ve got two fresh Substacks to entertain you this week!

The Story Road | Travel Storytelling

Why 2026 is the year to reclaim travel storytelling

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with travel magazines like National Geographic and Condé Nast Traveler. While other children were doing normal child things, I was mentally planning trips I had no money for or legal independence to take…

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3 months ago · 73 likes · 22 comments · Kat

Priceless Wisdom

The Hug without the Squeeze

I love cheese. It’s probably the number one reason I could never be vegan. For me cheese goes with almost anything. Want a good salad - add cheese. Want a good sandwich - add cheese. Want a good snack - grab some cheese. Lately when I have cheese for a snack I pair it with an apple. In fact I’ve given up crackers almost entirely for an apple with my che…

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2 months ago · 4 likes · Priceless Wisdom

Plus a few old ones of ours.

Book Review

I just finished Tana French’s “The Keeper.” It’s the third in the Cal Hooper trilogy. It is classic Tana French. She takes her time telling a story and is a master at it. I must confess, she annoyed me at times, making me wait. Throwing in plot twists I didn’t see coming. It isn’t a tidy story, lots of messy human drama. For all of us who have lived in a small town where our great-great-grandfather lived, this book rings true. You’ll get the generational grudges, taking sides, and the rumors.

For those who haven’t lived in a small town, after reading “The Keeper,” you’ll wish you were. I know… what? Yes, really. Tana French is that good. I know, I know—first Marquette, now I’m daydreaming about living in Arknakelty, the fictional town in “The Keeper.’ Tana French is just that good.

Have a great week!

We learned more about his debut young adult science fiction novel, Light in the Canyon, which explores themes of grief, wonder, and the “space between life and death”. Darren also shares a sneak peek into his ambitious new “solarpunk” series set in a futuristic Ypsilanti (reimagined as Woodruff’s Grove), where rebels on bicycles navigate a world built on radical hope.

Episode Highlights:

• The “Physical Drama” of the West vs. Michigan’s Subtle Beauty: Darren discusses the transition from the waterfalls and cliffs of the Pacific Northwest to the subtle, “quiet” beauty of the Michigan landscape.

• A Lifelong Dream Realized: From writing his first story at nine years old to balancing life as a father of three and a user experience writer, Darren talks about finally claiming his identity as an author in his thirties.

• The Mystery of Wavy Green: The true story of a local headstone in Ypsilanti’s Highland Cemetery that inspired a character in Darren’s upcoming series.

Special Reading:

Listen at [00:19:15] as Darren reads a beautiful, evocative passage from the end of Chapter 7 of Light in the Canyon, where the protagonist, Hailey, stands under a “sky thick with stars”.

Upcoming Events:

• Book Launch Celebration: Join Darren at the Corner Brewery on Thursday, June 25, from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM. The event is free, open to all, and will feature book signings and a short reading.

Preorder & Connect:

• Preorder Light in the Canyon:

  • Indie Book Bound

  • Barnes and Noble

  • Kindle Version

• Follow Darren’s Work:

  • darrencools.com

  • Darren Cools - Slant Books.

Let’s Go Charlie!

On Wednesday, April 15, the Washtenaw County emergency alert alarm on Brenda’s phone blared me out of a sound sleep. I’m sure I was dreaming about losing my shoes. The clock read 1:33 am as I popped out of bed. Within seconds, the tornado siren started to wail, not more than a quarter mile from our house. I told Brenda, “Tornado warning, we need to get into the basement.” I grabbed my shoes from the closet and immediately started to think about what, besides Brenda, I wanted to try to save in case today was the day.

As Brenda struggled to put her t-shirt on, I started to make my plan. First thing, make sure she made it downstairs without trying to snuggle back into bed. Second, grab my wallet, phone, and my camera. I had a concert to shoot later in the day, so I figured I’d need the camera. I pondered grabbing my Gibson Les Paul, but figured it was not a collector’s item, and I could get a new one if it blows away.

With Brenda safely in the basement, I started thinking about my photo archive. I’ve got 14 years’ worth of photos (approximately 250,000 photographs) on a 2-disc RAID drive. I wondered if I should take it downstairs. Instead of wasting time, I went back upstairs and grabbed the redundant backup drive that contained the past year’s worth of photos. Having a bag of retired disk drives in a fire-safe bag in the basement and an online backup via Backblaze, my worst-case scenario was that I’d have to restore everything from prior years, but at least I’d have the most recent photos.

I ran the drive downstairs and told Brenda I wanted to check on the storm out the front, where I could see. From the porch, I watched the approaching storm and listened for a tornado. The air was heavy and hot, with the wind beginning to rock the trees and spit rain. As the wind picked up and the rain began to pour, I took shelter inside. I found Brenda nearly asleep in a chair downstairs. From the basement walk-out, I watched the trees bend over, and the rain fall in torrents for about 30 minutes until subsiding. No freight-train-sounding tornado, but plenty of vigorous bluster. The weather service gave the all clear, and we headed to bed. Brenda was fast asleep in seconds. I lay awake for the next couple of hours as my brain continued to whirl.

We learned the next morning that an EF1 tornado took out trees, flipped a car, and damaged property just 3 miles north of our house. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured in this frightful storm.

The next day, I came to the conclusion that while I sleep well, I’m also wired to be on alert. Let me share one other fun story about springing into action.

We realized that we had not spent much time on Michigan’s sunrise side. That being the east coast of Michigan along Lake Huron. We remedied that situation by taking a trip up to Alpena, a city located on the shores of Lake Huron in the lower peninsula. Our friends Sharilyn and Rick joined us for a long weekend, which included a great tour of shipwrecks in Thunder Bay and a visit to the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Our overnight accommodations were at a little motel just south of Alpena. It was a 70s-era, but in good shape, with friendly local owners. There were no keypads or codes, just a key on a big seafoam green plastic keychain. I’m not sure exactly what time it was, but I’d guess 11 pm. From out of a very peaceful sleep, Brenda gave a blood-curdling scream. It was the sound of pure terror. It felt like I launched out of bed. The door to our room was open, and I could see a silhouetted figure standing in the doorway. Running for the door, I slammed it shut while yelling “NO!!”. I pounded on the door for good measure and locked it shut.

Outside, I heard a woman saying, “I’m so sorry! I was arriving late, and the people at the desk said that my room would be unlocked.” I’m sure they were as terrified as we were at the moment. Heart pounding, I had to laugh. Evidently, we had forgotten to lock the door, so this person must have thought this was their room and opened the door only to find a horror-struck couple and an old man in his underwear running toward them. I’m not sure what good it would have done for me to be shouting “NO!” if someone meant us harm. Let’s just say that we’ve learned to double-check the door locks on hotel rooms going forward.

These incidents of popping up out of bed and being ready to rock make me feel sort of cool. Like I could be a fireman who springs up from sleep, prepared to take immediate action. On second thought, while I am a bit proud of my hyper-quick brain starting power (is that even a thing?), I’m no hero and don’t have the skills to be a firefighter. But it is remarkable to think of the creature inside of us that is always on the watch and ready for action, even when we are asleep. Brenda is a champion sleeper. She snuggles into bed and is out within seconds. She’ll sleep right through the coyotes howling outside or me coming in late after covering a concert. Yet, even she, with her superhuman sleeping abilities, has the inner guardian ready to rock.

Some of my long-term friends call me Charlie. I think of it as my alter-ego. Typically, it is the happy-go-lucky beer drinker, but perhaps my inner “Charlie” is the one on speed dial when there is something that needs attention in the middle of the night. Whatever you want to call it, the night watchman in each of us is a marvel for sure.

Upcoming Events You Won’t Want to Miss

Our events calendar on Life In Michigan is a treasure trove of events we’ve scoured the interwebs to bring to you. There are a ton of great events coming up. From that list, here are a few highlights:

Join us at Voices Of Courage: SHAPE’s yearly community gathering focused on awareness, honest conversation, and action around sexual assault and dating violence - happening on April 29th.

Check out BAY-CON a two day pop culture extravaganza in Escanaba at Bay College on May 1-2.

Check out our friend and phenomenal blues artist Laith Al-Saadi at the Rumpus Room on May 1.

Get heavy and loud with Blood Rune Sigil, Supreme Mystic, Flood The Desert, and Blind Haven at Ziggy’s in Ypsilanti on May 2.

Enjoy a ton of smoke meats at the annual Spring Smoke Off at Dark Horse Brewing in Marshall on May 2.

Get weird and wild with Sonic Smut, Ficus, and Dream Shoppe at Ghost Light in Hamtramck on May 2.

Looking Ahead

Come hang out with Justin and me during his Negative Influence Detroit Photowalk happening on May 9th!

Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer Fest happening on a new date: Saturday, June 13, at Riverside Park in Ypsilanti.

Come help Brenda, and I celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Sister Lakes Brewing Company out in Dowagiac on June 20th

Enjoy a weekend packed with Improv at the Yes, Ann Festival on June 25-27

In Other News

Finally made it up to Kognisjon Byrggeri in Marquette for the Resinator Beer and Metal Fest. It was fantastic!

Post tornado show at the new Rock & Brews in Royal Oak with killer local original rock from Warhorses and True Devil.

On my birthday, we headed south to check out Pavlov’s, Four Keys, and Ramshackle Brewing!

We missed the start of the Michigan Book Hop, which was on Saturday, April 25 (National Independent Bookstore Day), but it runs through May. This article from Heather Finch in the Sun Times News offers a great listing of local bookstores to support all year long.

Lee Van Roth from Concentrate has a great interview with local filmmaker Trevor Zhou about his debut film called Ann Arbor.

Thanks to Natalia Holtzman at Concentrate, I now know about the Paper Paper Art Book Fair and the new Cluster Museum in Ann Arbor.

Life In Michigan Podcast

Our conversation with Kate and Laura from Six Ft. Over was outstanding and inspiring. These hard-working women rock!

Substack Restack Attack

Substack is where it’s at. Check out these other superb publications:

offers up his fantastic writing as he ponders the implications of his pen name.

Charlie Finch

The Wrong Charlie Finch

I picked the name Charlie Finch fast, which is how I pick a lot of things if I’m excited and just want to move. Charlie was what my grandmother called me, and I loved that. Other people called me Charlie too at different points in my life. Coaches. A few friends. The name already belonged to me before I ever put…

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2 months ago · 23 likes · 22 comments · Charlie Finch

I dug this piece by from , as I learned about the German word “Fernweh.”

UNDONE

Untranslatable German Words

Fernweh (noun) is a German word meaning "farsickness" or a deep, aching longing for distant places…

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2 months ago · 52 likes · 31 comments · Manuela Thames

Sadly, Dave Mason has passed away. Thankfully, has a great interview to keep his memory alive.

Low Down and Dirty

Dave Mason of Traffic Is Dead at 79. Revisiting My Interview With One of Rock's Great Collaborators.

I awoke this morning to the news that Dave Mason had died at age 79, less than a year after he announced his retirement from touring due to health problems. Condolences to his wife, his family and his longtime manager, my friend Charlie Bruscoe…

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2 months ago · 48 likes · 15 comments · Alan Paul

I very much remember seeing Gates Brown hit a home run at the old Tigers Stadium in Detroit. Thanks, HistoricDetroit.org, for the reminder.

HistoricDetroit.org

Remembering Detroit's Tiger Stadium on its 114th birthday

It was 114 years ago today that Tiger Stadium opened in Detroit, on April 20, 1912…

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2 months ago · 10 likes · HistoricDetroit.org

Adventures Yet To Print

This weekend, Brenda’s guild, Southern Michigan Rug Hookrafters, hosted the Old Mill Hook-In (AKA the Michigan Hook-In). I tagged along to take photos. Perhaps Brenda will share her experience (wink-wink). Next weekend is the Lighthouse Keepers Spring Fling in Manistee, where we volunteers get a chance to tour all the lighthouses in the area. I’m sure we’ll have a story to share.

Sunday Sip Flashback

Now that we have a couple of years of Sunday Sips under our belt, I thought it was time to dip into the archives for a Sunday Sip Flashback.

What Are You Reading?

Yet another book recommendation from Brenda that paid off swimmingly was Ian McGuire’s White River Crossing. You may remember that a couple of weeks ago, I shared my thoughts on another Ian McGuire book, The North Water. While not nearly as dark as The North Water, White River Crossing is far from an uplifting tale. Set in a remote Canadian trading post during the 1760s, the story begins with a peddler revealing the possibility of finding gold farther north in the barren Arctic wilderness. This incites a tragic quest for riches by three traders from the Hudson’s Bay Company, along with their native guides.

The writing is excellent with a compelling storyline that focuses on greed, selfishness, and, in some ways, karma. The author uses a nifty technique to shift into the characters’ first-person thoughts. The reader is treated to the thoughts and experiences of the white traders as well as the native people. As in The North Water, the story within White River Crossing is bleak and ruthless. I came away thinking that nothing good can come from people who only serve their own interests. Through their greed and egotism, they lose their humanity. That is, if they had any to begin with.

What Are You Spinning?

This week, via UPS, my pre-order of the new At The Gates album, The Ghost of a Future Dead, arrived. This is the band’s eighth studio album and the first to include co-founding guitarist Anders Björler since 2014’s At War with Reality. It is also the final recording with vocalist Tomas Lindberg, who passed away much too soon due to cancer.

This is a fantastic record. The songwriting is sharp, richly layered, and fierce. This easily stands as one of the band’s finest albums. It has all the hallmarks of At The Gates: tortured beauty, classically inspired riffage, and phenomenal performances. From what I’ve read, Tomas recorded the vocals in one day (many on one take), the day before surgery that would leave him unable to speak. In that one day, he unleashed all of his vocal power, and you can feel it on each track.

I’ve been a fan of At The Gates since Terminal Spirit Disease. I can still remember seeing the band in Toledo opening for Napalm Death. I stood in front of Tomas, screaming along to every song from Slaughter Of The Soul. With The Ghost of a Future Dead, At The Gates has crafted a marvelous album that stands up with my most cherished music by this band.

That’s A Wrap

As my buddy Sturgill once said:

“Keep your head out of the clouds

And remember to be kind

And just stay in school

Stay off the drugs

And keep between the lines.”

Thank you for reading. Seriously, thank you! I hope your week is excellent! Don’t forget to kick out the jams!

Now, here is your moment of zen:

https://youtube.com/shorts/9pUzKTtwJgA?feature=share

Welcome to The Sunday Sip, our weekly excuse to share personal essays, events, book reviews, and whatever else we’re thinking about. We take turns writing it—and this week, I feel like I should warn you, it’s my turn.

I’m talking about lessons learned while hoping to see the American Woodcock do its mating dance.

While preparing for our podcast interview with Michigan Audubon, I discovered their Cerulean and Kirtland’s Warbler tours. I consider myself an avid backyard birder, though not at the Amy Tan level, so the idea of leveling up with her is intriguing.

After a bit of hemming and hawing, we pulled the trigger and bought tickets for the warbler bird tours. I know they say our phones aren’t listening, but I swear mine was. Seconds later, another bird-watching tour in Jackson, Michigan, popped up.

As the saying goes, “In for a penny, in for a pound,” so we bought those tickets too. It felt like taking off the training wheels before joining the “real” birders at Michigan Audubon.

Before we arrived at the Dahlem Conservancy for the bird program, we stopped at OGMA Brewing for beer and food. This was probably not the best idea, but we couldn’t be that close and not stop.

The beer and Chuck’s full belly were, shall we say, “very relaxing.”

Surrounded by 25 people in a toasty room waiting for the presentation to begin, Chuck was trying not to take a nap. This is so not like Chuck, and I was rather amused by it. I could see the muscles around his eyes tighten as he struggled to keep his eyes open, but his eyelids kept sliding slowly shut. Then he would flutter them open. And then he would shake his head slightly like he was trying to shake off the fog.

Curious if he would actually fall asleep, I didn’t nudge him. I wouldn’t have let him start snoring or anything. I’m not that person, but I was seriously curious if he could actually fall asleep in a room full of people.

But Carrie Benham, the Naturalist Educator for Dahlem, got things going. Her banter with the audience revived Chuck. And just like that, he was wide awake for a short lecture on the American Woodcock.

The presentation was the pregame for the real reason we were there: a short night walk to the Conservancy’s grasslands to watch and listen as the American Woodcock performed their seasonal mating ritual, a “Sky Dance.” The ritual begins with a male bird’s mating call, called “peenting.” It sounds like a short buzzing noise and is very distinctive. (If you want to hear it, Lang Elliott’s video is a fabulous example. I giggle every time I watch it.)

A few fun facts we learned about the American Woodcock:

• A group of Woodcocks is called a “cord.”

• Aliases: Timberdoodle, Wood Snipe, and the slightly unfortunate Bog Sucker

• Their signature move! Their internet-famous “Wobble Dance.” (Bill Hubick’s soundtrack is perfect!)

I desperately want to see a Woodcock do the “Wobble Dance,” but actually witnessing this wasn’t part of the plan for tonight. It isn’t exactly known why they do this, but one theory suggests they do this to find earthworms, which make up 80% of their diet.

At the Dahlem Conservancy, the Woodcock’s feeding site is in wetlands covered with shrubby trees; we’d have had better odds of winning the lottery than of seeing the “Wobble Dance.”

Carrie emailed us prior to the program, saying to wear appropriate footwear for the trails, which were wet because it had been raining off and on, but the weather forecast promised we should be ok for the walk. If we wanted, we could carry a small flashlight in our pocket, but our goal is to rely on our night vision and let our senses guide us through the trails. This was also intriguing, as I couldn’t remember the last time I walked in the woods using only my night vision.

There are five miles of trails for visitors to explore, and we were headed to the far side of the Prairie Grasslands.

Carrie, our trail guide, did an excellent job entertaining us along the way, pointing out things we’d likely have missed without her.

It didn’t take me long to notice that many of the other birders had binoculars. I felt a bit silly. “Good grief,” I thought, “What kind of birder am I?” I mentioned the missing binoculars to Chuck. He shrugged and pointed to the mega lens on his camera. Eyeballing the mega lens, I felt a tad bit jealous.

It was probably only a 10-minute walk, but Carrie stretched it into 20, and we arrived at the far side of the Grasslands a few minutes before the sun set.

As she promised, the Woodcock’s love calls started about 10 minutes later. It was just one at first, but soon they were taking turns. One would call from behind us. Then another to the right or to the left, and occasionally directly across from us on the other side of the meadow. I must admit, I started to wonder if it was just a couple of Woodcocks fucking with us.

There were a couple of frisky birds that flew across the meadow, but it was pretty dark at that point. I thought they were bats, but several in the group assured me they were Woodcocks. Chuck’s mega lens on his camera and binoculars, if I had remembered mine, were useless.

I didn’t see one do the “Sky Dance,” or at least as described in the materials Carrie shared during the pregame presentation. “The male bird “launches straight up into the air as wing feathers make a twittering sound. At 100-300 feet in the air, he hovers, flying in a circle, then begins his downward, corkscrew spiral.” But the guy next to me claims he did. I suspect he was trying to impress his date. (Imagine me doing an exaggerated eye roll.)

At that point, the rain clouds were moving in, and Carrie, our guide, was ready to herd her crew of bird enthusiasts back to the parking lot.

Alrighty, finally our night vision experience.

Then I remembered the holes in the trail I spotted on our way in. Now I was less focused on the ‘magic of nature’ and more on the high probability of tripping and breaking my hip. So my night vision experience probably wasn’t as much fun as Carrie had suggested it might be.

The big lessons learned: Patience is more than just a virtue when it comes to birding! And more importantly, keep your expectations low. Would I recommend the American Woodcock Program and Night Walk? Absolutely! Even using my night vision, I wasn’t in any danger of breaking my hip, but these are things you worry about at a certain age.

Removing the training wheels and graduating to the next level of birding was a bit bumpy, but I’m feeling better prepared so that I can hold my own with the “real” birders during the Audubon bird tours.

What about you? Do you have any advice for a fledgling birder looking to level up?

The latest Life Michigan Podcast episode is out!

If you have an idea for a guest, email me (info@lifeinmichigan.com). We are looking for anyone who is creative, passionate, and has a story to share about their Life In Michigan. Don’t be shy.

The latest episode of Fans with Bands just dropped!

Fans With Bands

Music Notes With Nuno - Wrong Way Rockers: Peninsular Metal

In this episode, we are back with another installment of Music Notes with Nuno. Chuck and Nuno reunite across the globe to dive into a special assignment. Chuck’s buddy Vic from the Michigan-based label Dystopian Dogs Productions sent over a brand new 12-track compilation vinyl titled…

Listen now

2 months ago · 2 likes · Chuck Marshall and Nuno Babo

A few new articles on LifeInMichigan.com. Click on the image to read the whole article.

GIG The Art of Michigan Music’s April Newsletter is out and packed with details about the visual artist and sponsors.

GIG - The Art of Michigan Music Newsletter

GIG 2026 - Meet The Visual Artists

Meet The Visual Artists…

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2 months ago · 7 likes · 2 comments · Chuck Marshall and Brenda Marshall

🗓️ Never Miss an Event: Chuck has been hard at work on our public Google Events Calendar. From book launches to local gigs, it’s all there. Subscribe to the Calendar

You’ll find things like this on the calendar!

Come watch Chuck and me show off our new improv skills at our class showcase at Hear.Say Brewing and Theatre in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Tuesday, May 5, 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM. While you are buying tickets to our show, check out the slew of other shows they have coming up.

This event is FREE to attend, but donations are welcome. RSVP here.

I recently found ’s Substack, “Inside the Outside.” I thought he recommended Lisa Cron’s “Wired For Story,” but I’ll be damned if I can find the article. It could have been who recommended the book. All her stuff is amazing, especially her April 10th newsletter, “The journey of a writer isn’t what you think.” She was definitely the one who turned me on to ’s work. If you read just one new Substack, read his “Put your stick out.”

Anyway, thank you to whoever recommended Lisa’s book. I’m devouring it now. And if you like travel writing, JJ Rose will be your new favorite Substack.

Book Review

I’m a huge fan of Erik Larson. I LOVED the “Devil in the White City!” So when “The Demon of Unrest” was suggested for our book club, I requested it through Libby. I was like 400th in line, so I thought it would be a hot minute. But a few days later, I got a notification that it was available, so I hopped on it.

In Erik’s note to his readers, he says:

“I invite you now to step into the past, to that time of fear and dissension, and experience the passion, heroism, and heartbreak—even humor—as if you were living in that day and did not know how the story would end. I suspect your sense of dread will be all the more pronounced in light of today’s political discord, which, incredibly, has led some benighted Americans to whisper once again of secession and civil war.”

Throughout the entire book, I kept thinking about this opening passage. I was rooting for Major Anderson (the officer in command at Fort Sumter), hoping, in this telling of the story, for a different outcome! There were some humorous parts, too. Shocking, given the topic. And yes, Erik is on point; my sense of dread is more pronounced. As they say, history repeats itself.

Have a great week!

Content warning: This episode contains honest, direct discussions about suicide, loss, and mental health.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• The “Suck It! Suicide” (SIS) Vibe: Why Kate moved away from clinical, “social worker” language to create a straightforward, “real-talk” outreach program that connects with musicians, artists, and hospitality workers.

• Postvention & The “Lemon Aid” Program: The critical need for emotional and financial support for survivors of suicide loss. Kate and Laura explain the “after-death” costs that families are often unprepared for and how Six Feet Over has worked to fill those gaps.

• Funding the Mission: A candid look at the current challenges facing nonprofits in Michigan and how the community can help keep the “Lemon Aid” program active.

• DIY Ethos: How the punk and metal scenes’ “take care of your own” mentality drives their daily work.

About Six Feet Over

Six Feet Over is a 501©(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing financial and emotional support to those impacted by suicide and loss in Michigan. Through their outreach program, Suck It! Suicide, they provide a “hard edge with a soft landing” for those who don’t fit the mainstream mold of traditional mental health services.

• Website: www.sixftover.org

• Follow on Social Media: @sixftover / @suckitsuicide

• Get Involved: Inquire about QPR Training for your business or staff to learn the signs and save lives.

“No one is coming to save us. We gotta save each other.” — Laura Lukofsky.

Laura, Tarrah Barshaw (from EPIC Races, Probility Ann Arbor marathon), and Katie getting down on some free pizza!

Laura, during the Great Beer Conference!

Creeping Seniority

As soon as I wrote the title for my Sunday Sip this week, I thought of this tune:

Yesterday, I turned 62. I know, I know, I don’t look a day over 61 :) Thank you. I chalk that up to my naturally oily skin and a steady diet of cheese, peanuts, and beer. Each year as I creep slowly toward the big sleep, the last call, the closing act, or whatever you’d like to call it, I start to wonder—What will it be like when I’m old?

Yes, I’m technically already old. My left knee creaks. My right sacroiliac joint likes to freak out and get ornery. What hair I have left (survivors of a once great civilization) and my beard have moved well beyond salt and pepper. Let’s face it, the beard is now pretty much white. Yet, I’m still surprised at times that I’m now in my 60s. When did that happen?

Much of the time, I don’t think of myself as old at all. I’m still roughly 35 years old inside my head. Actually, the goofy 20-year-old is still there too—talking in sound effects and imagining the internal monologue and conversations of the birds and squirrels in our backyard. That guy is still motivated to experience as much as possible in this world while he is here.

It is an odd thing to think you are younger than your actual age. I mean, I don’t imagine I’m 6 ft tall (I’m really 5’ 11” and shrinking each year). On occasion, I do imagine that I’m svelte. The reality of the mirror and the scale quickly put that delusion to rest. But somehow, my inner notion of myself is much younger.

I believe part of the perception of being younger is rooted in lifestyle. In particular, the ongoing quest to learn new things and have new experiences. That drive to have as many experiences as possible started probably around the time I was 25. Since then, I’ve been sampling all that this life offers. I feel really good about the treasure trove of experiences I’ve collected over time. I’ve got to believe that feeling of accomplishment plays into my youthful interior.

However, there are times when I’m feeling my age. Over the last year, Brenda and I have been spreading our wings, so to speak, in various creative venues. We’ve been attending creative networking events by CreativeMornings, Creative Washtenaw, and most recently Open Spoon by Liz Barney at Rootcamp. One look around the room, and I can’t help but feel old.

At CreativeMornings and Open Spoon, we are clearly a good 20 years older than everyone else in the room. It may even be closer to 30 years. Yikes!! Creative Washtenaw has a mix of folks our age as well as younger people, so it is less striking. Our foray into improv at Hear.Say has also brought us into the company of much younger people. A good 80% of them are definitely 30 years my junior. Cripes, they could be my kids if I’d dared to be so bold as to propagate my DNA.

An even bigger dose of “age realization” has come thanks to attending some Solidcore classes. These are strength-training sessions near our house, where you work on what is called a reformer in the Pilates world. The difference is more of a focus on strength training (according to the instructors). At the couple of classes we’ve attended, the studio is full of 20-year-olds. Many of them probably weigh less than 90 lbs soaking wet. There is no denying that when you are in that room, you are old.

There are times when I wonder if these kids are looking at me in appreciation or dismay. Are they thinking, “Hey, look at pops! Damn, I want to be going at it full bore when I’m 90!”? Or are they thinking “Oh Christ! What is this old dude doing here!!” as they flash a baleful glance my way? Either way, I get a laugh thinking it over.

I don’t want to admit this, but I’m also feeling my age at some concerts. Case in point, the recent Thrash Of The Titans show with Testament, Overkill, and Destruction. First off, all the dudes in these bands are my age, so I felt right at home. There was a good generational mix, which made my heart sing. I like seeing young kids getting into heavy metal. Where I was feeling my age was in the show’s schedule—Testament finished up around 10:30 p.m.!! Joy! I was so thankful to be home in bed before midnight.

I love live music, but fucking shows running well past midnight are getting old (no pun intended). Even worse, in terms of old man-ism, is when you hit a show with a laundry list of bands, doors at 6 p.m., and you are lucky to get out of there before 1 am. The other hated alternative is a couple of bands, but they don’t start until 9 or 10 p.m. WTF! Old man, Chuck is thinking, “Fuck! I want to get in and out by 10 p.m.!”

Having walked with you through my “young” mind, I know that getting old is a good thing. It means I’m still alive. I’m still here, checking out new stuff. While the wheels on my bus roll a bit slower, I know in my heart that I’m still kicking ass and taking names. I’m looking forward to discovering what it means to be old. I’m also looking forward to continuing to push the age limit and make the most out of the gift of time I’ve been given.

Upcoming Events You Won’t Want to Miss

Our events calendar on Life In Michigan is a treasure trove of events we’ve scoured the interwebs to bring to you. There are a ton of great events coming up. From that list, here are a few highlights:

Check out some local rock at the new Rock and Brews in Royal Oak with True Devil and Warhorses on April 15!

Come hang out with me at Kognisjon Bryggeri for Resinator 2026 on April 18!

Head over to the River Raisin Distillery for Manchester Underground’s concert featuring Ethan Daniel on April 18

HOMES turns 9 on April 18!!

The summer fills up quickly, so looking ahead, you should probably get your tickets for the Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer Fest happening on a new date: Saturday, June 13, at Riverside Park in Ypsilanti.

Come help Brenda, and I celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Sister Lakes Brewing Company out in Dowagiac on June 20th

Enjoy a weekend packed with Improv at the Yes, Ann Festival on June 25-27

One last one, but super important!! Come hang out with me and during his Negative Influence Detroit Photowalk happening on May 9th!

In Other News

Still in awe from the amazing performance by Kate Peterson and Joy Clark at the Ark

Thrash legends Testament, Overkill, and Destruction convened at Saint Andrews Hall in Detroit

More breweries to check out, thanks to this article by Dawn Kemp for UpWord magazine.

A look back at the annual Spring puppet parade known as Festifools in Ann Arbor by Lee Van Roth for Concentrate.

Life In Michigan Podcast

It was so nice to meet and talk with Kathleen from Michigan Audubon.

Substack Restack Attack

Substack is where it’s at. Check out these other superb publications:

I’ve got to kick things off here by sharing the latest news from GIG - The Art Of Michigan Music as we’ve announced our visual artists for this year!!

GIG - The Art of Michigan Music Newsletter

GIG 2026 - Meet The Visual Artists

Meet The Visual Artists…

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2 months ago · 6 likes · 2 comments · Chuck Marshall and Brenda Marshall

and share thoughts on what art contributes during these tumultuous times.

The Additional f-Stop

Lens 2 Lens: When the World is on Fire, Who Needs Art?

When the World is on Fire, Who Needs Art…

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2 months ago · 32 likes · 22 comments · Juliette Mansour and Manuela Thames

As a fan of Rush and, in particular, the album Hemispheres, it was a treat to come across this article on . Having recently read The Master and His Emissary by Iain McGilchrist, Peart’s lyrics have new meaning to me.

You don’t see many concert photographers on Substack (yet!). I dig following exploits in the pit.

The Other Side of the Barrier

500 Subscribers, a Re-Introduction and Whats Coming Up

I have had this piece drafted and slowly growing over the last few weeks. I was messing around in the Substack settings, making some visual changes to my newsletter and started taking a peek at the growth stats. Something I had not done before. I was creeping up towards 500 subscribers, a milestone and number I thought worthing of celebrating. We all kn…

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2 months ago · 7 likes · Marc Roberts

In these times of war, protest music is needed more than ever. talks with Rob Janicke to get a great list for Grunge Included.

Grunge Included

7 | Songs YOU Can’t Ignore by Rob Janicke [takeover]

Back to building our collective playlist ! This week, author of ‘’SLACKER - 1991, Teen Spirit Angst, and the Generation It Created’’ (2025), guest speaker at Grunge Included conference and music historian Rob Janicke shares his top political songs. Top picks from hip hop, punk, grunge and metal - all showcasing why music has the power to change the wor…

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2 months ago · 14 likes · 2 comments · Sintija Brence and Rob Janicke

Speaking of music, my friend has a great piece on the experimental ambient composer Tim Hecker.

Radio Amor

Tim Hecker: Always different, always the same

I’ll admit, sometimes I take this newsletter stuff entirely too seriously…

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2 months ago · 3 likes · 1 comment · Marty Slagter

Adventures Yet To Print

Yesterday, we hit up some breweries to the south of Ann Arbor that have been on our list to explore. Stay tuned for a story on that adventure.

Sunday Sip Flashback

Now that we have a couple of years of Sunday Sips under our belt, I thought it was time to dip into the archives for a Sunday Sip Flashback.

What Are You Reading?

Another book suggestion from Brenda that I gave a try was What We Can Know by Ian McEwan. Set in the year 2120, after we’ve completely trashed the planet, the humanities scholars research a poet from roughly our current time (around 2014). The book relays how climate change, nuclear war, and other tragedies have left a much smaller population that has returned from the brink, with a society springing up on what had been Great Britain. The survivors have miraculously retained a complete record of the past via an internet archive. This archive includes every single text, social media post, and email sent by everyone. They refer to our time as “The Derangement,” which is so fitting.

The book is in two parts, with the major portion focusing on one humanities scholar’s obsession with a 2014 dinner party and a poem called “A Corona for Vivien” by a poet named Francis Blundy. This poem is lost, and over time the poet’s fame grows to the point that, in the future, he is ranked up there with T.S. Elliot and even Shakespeare. The scholar not only becomes obsessed with this poem but also with its subject, Blundy’s wife, Vivien.

The book takes you into a future where kids still don’t give a shit about the humanities, and our ancestors have access to all our information. But do these future folks really know what went on, even with all the information they have on us? The second part reveals that we don’t always share our complete truth in texts, emails, and social media. No matter how much information you may have on someone, unless they honestly share themselves completely, we don’t know the whole story.

The story is quite interesting and very well written. I think there is perhaps a bit too much time spent on the obsession with the poem and what the scholar thinks they know. I found myself looking forward to the end, so this book may have a pacing problem (or I do :)

What Are You Spinning?

The new Black Crowes album, A Pound Of Feathers, is stellar. From the start, this album exudes vintage rock with trademark flair and Stones-like flamboyance. The songwriting is masterful, witty, gritty, and energetic. I had the sense that Rich and Chris are making music they dig and having a blast doing it. The Black Crowes are at the top of their game, playing music with all the 70s feel that I love. This is far from rehashing the glory days. Rich and Chris are writing supremely listenable and vital rock music. There isn’t a bum track on the whole album. Key cuts include the swaggering rock of “Profane Prophecy”, the languid high of “Pharmacy Chronicles”, and the cowboy goth of “Doomsday Doggerel”. If you’ve not given the new Black Crowes a spin yet, now is the time.

That’s A Wrap

As my buddy Sturgill once said:

“Keep your head out of the clouds

And remember to be kind

And just stay in school

Stay off the drugs

And keep between the lines.”

Thank you for reading. I hope your week is awesome! Don’t forget to kick out the jams!

Now, here is your moment of zen:

https://youtube.com/shorts/XMd_Kb_6KZA?feature=share

Hey, thanks for being here! If you’re new to our weekly newsletter, The Sunday Sip, here’s the deal: Chuck and I take turns writing it. And this week, you’re stuck with me. If you haven’t subscribed yet, we hope you’ll join the club to get our weekly ramblings directly in your inbox. All of our content is free, but if you do choose to upgrade to a paid subscription, well, we’d be incredibly grateful for the support.

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This week, or at least for the past few weeks, I’ve been worried there’s a modern-day witch hunt brewing. I envision these word-nerd evangelists cruising the internet armed with detectors, searching for writers who use AI. It has me looking over my shoulder and has triggered a sudden existential crisis, filling me with self-doubt.

I know, not my normal upbeat story, but it does get better. Sort of.

Since I use AI, am I a writer?

To be considered a writer, do I need to frantically scribble in a spiral notebook or hammer out my stories on a beat-up typewriter with a cigarette dangling from my mouth like Hunter S. Thompson?

Since I don’t... am I a writer? Can I even call myself one? What am I? An AI-assisted writer? Will I be blackballed from Substack?

The existential crisis is real.

I like AI and use Grammarly regularly to correct grammar or rephrase awkward sentences. I’m 100% positive you wouldn’t want to read anything I wrote if I didn’t. It’s the editor I’ve always wanted, patiently catching my dangling modifiers and smoothing out the sentences that sounded brilliant in my head just minutes before.

Gemini is another favorite AI tool. It is the team I can’t afford. It is a busy bee, as they say, finding resources, polishing my sentences, or organizing a bibliography–in seconds. (Yes, that is an em-dash! And I added it, not Gemini.)

I recently discovered that Gemini is a great handwriting translator. It assisted me while I was searching for treasures on Ancestry.com. One find was an 1811 document that could possibly support the plot of my historical novel, but I couldn’t read it. I struggled for 10 minutes, then, on a whim, uploaded it to Gemini and asked it to translate!

Magic. Or it felt like magic.

With the handwriting no longer a barrier, the document was an invitation into another world. I was looking at the formal legal title granted to François Pepin in 1811 for land along the Huron River, where he and three others ran a trading post in Ypsilanti, Michigan. This discovery was the spark that inspired me to visit the Ypsilanti Historical Museum to dig for more.

OMG. Talk about striking gold! Tucked away in an appendix of Karl Williams’s profile on the “Godfroy Trading Post” were a ton of details about a mysterious cave found back in 1835. It had nothing to do with the trading post, or did it? This is the kind of treasure you may only find by digging through a museum’s basement paper archives (something Gemini, incidentally, can’t do). I can’t wait to incorporate it in my historical novel.

Does Gemini offer to draft scenes for me? Yes. It practically begs. And I said, sure, when I was stuck. But Gemini’s scene created more work, not less. It suggested I use a map with scientific symbols that my protagonist would use to find a hidden cache.

I ran with Gemini’s suggestion. It drove me crazy, and soon I was paralyzed, unable to move the story along because the map was a hot mess. I couldn’t visualize it, let alone write about it.

I finally scrapped the idea and turned it into a scavenger hunt with clues instead of a map! It is so much better. My protagonist is a huge fan of 70s pop music and is familiar with Ann Arbor’s West Park Band Shell, but the antagonist, definitely not.

The first clue: What did Tony Orlando and Dawn tie around the tree? Look for it by the Band Shell in West Park.

(Just in case you are too young to remember!)

Come on, fuck those scientific symbols! Who wants to read about them? I’ve got a few more clues for my scavenger hunt that will have my readers and my protagonist exploring Ann Arbor in 1816. (Yes, before it was Ann Arbor!)

That will be fun to write about and hopefully fun for the reader and my protagonist to solve. It’s my creativity that is driving the story, NOT AI.

I credit Chuck for finally resolving my existential crisis. He gets me: “You wouldn’t hand someone a few ideas, have them write a 350-page novel, and then claim you didn’t use a ghostwriter.”

The lightbulb flickered. Of course not, I thought. Chuck continued, “It is the same with AI. But you might say, here are my first three chapters. Read them and let me know what you think. It’s like handing it to an editor to review.”

Now that I’ve resolved that existential crisis, I’ve replaced it with another. What about those data centers that AI needs?

Fueling my latest crisis is a Crain’s Chicago Business article, AI’s expanding footprint comes with a big thirst for water. “...with a $7 billion project from Oracle, OpenAI and Related Digital moving forward in Saline, a town near Ann Arbor. That data center will consume 1,400 megawatts — equivalent to powering 280,000 to 900,000 homes — and sit on 575 acres.” That’s not just a statistic; that is a city, and they are building it just a few miles from my front porch.

For comparison, as of late 2022, the population of Washtenaw County, Michigan–the entire county– was approximately 366,376 people. Obviously, there isn’t just one person in each house. There are about 150,000 households. The freaking data center will consume more than all the homes in the county.

I found the Washtenaw Climate Action Plan, which has information about data centers. I can’t say it has helped me not worry about the data center they are building just minutes away, but at least I feel informed.

There’s no stuffing this genie back in the bottle, and I certainly don’t have a map (AI-generated or otherwise) to lead us out of this mess.

So, my dear readers, how are you balancing the ‘magic’ of these tools with their environmental footprint? If you have thoughts about the data centers or using AI, please share.

The latest Life Michigan Podcast episode is out!

If you have an idea for a guest, email me (info@lifeinmichigan.com). We are looking for anyone who is creative, passionate, and has a story to share about their Life In Michigan. Don’t be shy.

The latest episode of Fans with Bands just dropped!

Fans With Bands

Blockhouse Valley

In this episode, I had a chance to chat with Ashleigh and Cody of Blockhouse Valley. It was a joy talking with them about how they came together to form their band, how they approach making music, influences, and so much more. They mix their love of Americana, show tunes, and jazz into a delightful amalgam of music…

Listen now

3 months ago · 1 like · Chuck Marshall

We have a few new articles on LifeInMichigan.com. Click on the image to read the whole article.

🗓️ Never Miss an Event: Chuck has been hard at work on our public Google Events Calendar. From book launches to local gigs, it’s all there. Subscribe to the Calendar

You’ll find things like this on the calendar!

For all the details, check out this website!

Join S.H.A.P.E. for an evening of community, conversation, and empowerment. They are bringing together local experts and residents for a special panel discussion and presentation focused on safety and support in our community.

• When: April 29, 2026 | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

• Where: WSEC Auditorium (500 Washington St, Chelsea, MI 48118)

• Featuring: Panelists from Chelsea PD, Chelsea City Social Workers, and Safe House.

✨ Bonus: Enjoy FREE food and drinks, plus a S.H.A.P.E. shirt giveaway! Browse local vendors and participate in vital discussions.

🔗 Learn more & get involved: Visit shapechelsea.org and click on the “Voices of Courage Fall Event” link.

This past week, we attended The Open Spoon’s April gathering at the Washtenaw Food Hub on Whitmore Lake Rd. It’s a potluck and story circle, think Moth Story Slam, but not. I’ve never been to a Moth Story Slam competition, and the thought of participating in one makes me break out in a sweat. But standing up and sharing a story at The Open Spoon? I could do that. If you’re curious, check out ’s Substack post on Root Camp.

Root Camp

Hope Is A Foot Long Spoon

April brings glimmers of new GROWTH, our theme for this month’s next full moon gathering April 1 at 6pm. The first sprouts are emerging from winter’s compost, along with early favorites like nettles…

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3 months ago · 5 likes · Root Camp

Have a great week!

She shares why birds are the “litmus test” for Michigan’s environmental health, the launch of the Bird City Michigan initiative, and how a business-minded approach is helping conservation thrive in the 21st century. Whether you happen to be a seasoned birder with a “life list” or a backyard observer, this episode has tips on how to protect our feathered neighbors.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• The “MBA of Conservation”: How Kathleen uses her business background to navigate the challenges of running a statewide nonprofit and executing a multi-year strategic plan.

• Bird City Michigan: The story behind this revolutionary program (supported by Ford Motor Company) that helps communities boost eco-tourism through bird conservation.

• The Economic Power of Birding: Why birding is a $107 billion industry and how Michigan communities can tap into that market.

• Conservation Success Stories: The recovery of the Kirtland’s Warbler and why Michigan is a global destination for seeing this “once-endangered” bird.

• Backyard Action: Simple, zero-cost things you can do today—like “lights out” and window film—to save bird lives.

• The Mystery of the Chimney Swift: Why these birds nest “communally” but only allow one couple to have a nest, and how Michigan Audubon is using recording technology to learn their secrets.

Michigan Birding Experiences Mentioned:

• Kirtland’s Warbler Tours (May 23 – June 30): Held in collaboration with Hartwick Pines State Park. Learn more here.

• Cerulean Warbler Tours: A chance to see the elusive, sky-blue “neck-breaker” warbler in its natural habitat. Tour details here.

• Whitefish Point Bird Observatory: A world-class destination for seeing owls, hawks, and waterbirds in the U.P.

Resources Mentioned:

• Michigan Audubon Website: MichiganAudubon.org

• Bird City Michigan: BirdCity.org

• Birding Apps: Merlin Bird ID and eBird

PTSD and IT Woes

After 35 years as a programmer for Ann Arbor Computer, turned systems engineer, turned applications manager for Michigan Medicine, I retired from IT. While I’m somewhat involved with our website for Life In Michigan, I leave the heavy lifting in the expert hands of our teammate, dear friend, talented musician, expert pickleball coach, and master web developer, Kate. She is amazing, and we love her to death. Everyone deserves time off, and that includes Kate. Little did I know that I’d find myself reliving IT nightmares at the hands of the turd developers at Imagely.

You may not think that working in IT could give you post-traumatic stress. To be fair, perhaps a better term is work-related stress disorder. Whatever the name, the effect is that sick feeling, edged with panic as you try to quickly recover from a computer system failure. I still vividly remember when I was the lead on the installation of a material-handling system at a steel wire plant in Dyersburg, TN. It was the fall of 1990. Back then, you had no internet. You had a modem, and that generally didn’t connect to a customer’s system. We also didn’t necessarily offer 24-hour support. Yet somehow, the maintenance dudes at the plant got my phone number and called me at 3 am. I had to talk them through how to fix an issue completely blind. I couldn’t see the screen—I had to go off their descriptions of what they saw on the monitor. Talk about needing A LOT of patience. Once they knew my number, I got more calls. Lots more calls. Eventually, that simmered down, but I developed a physical dread when the phone rang.

On another install in South Carolina, we went to the field WAY too early. Not enough testing, and definitely not enough real-world testing with the actual hardware on-site. Let’s just say when we brought the system up, it promptly bombed. I spent the next 36 hours nonstop working on the problems while drinking sweet tea and eating peanut butter cookies. Talk about being strung out.

While my work at Michigan Medicine wasn’t quite so stressful, it definitely had its moments. There was an emotional breakdown with my boss while working 70-hour weeks prior to a major electronic medical record install. Then the waves of nausea when we couldn’t get any charges to load, and then the claims failed. Let’s not mention patient statements. Eventually, we got it running like a top, but good lord, it shaped me. When I retired in 2022, I figured my IT panic attacks were over.

Enter Imagely and their Nextgen plug-in.

My tale of terror and woe began last Monday. I’d finished up selecting and processing images from the excellent Paul and Simon show over at the Harsens Island Schoolhouse Grille. I went to upload the images to a new gallery on Life In Michigan, and… nothing. No gallery was created. I thought, “Oh, perhaps I forgot to hit a button.” I tried again, no gallery. This was followed by a series of angry otter growls from yours truly, along with several “WTFs!!!” thrown in for good measure.

I wondered—perhaps the plug-in didn’t update correctly. Why? Who knows…computers!! I deactivated the plug-in and reinstalled it. I tried again…nothing. My problem-solving gears kicked into high gear. I tried uploading to an existing gallery. It worked. More angry otter sounds and “WTF!” came from my office. I’m sure Brenda was in her cozy nook thinking “Oh no! Take cover!!”

When the website is getting wonky, it is time to message our hero, Kate. I sent her an email and a text: “Sorry to bother, but something is up with NextGen where I can’t upload a new gallery.” Kate messaged back quickly, “Hey Chuck, I just arrived in Florida for a short family vacay this week. You’ve done all the first things I would do… Next, I would chat with DreamHost support and see if there are any issues with storage limitations on that side of things.”

DreamHost is our hosting platform, and they quickly got on the issue. They asked me how to replicate and checked over the system. At first, they noticed an error on a memory limit. My heart leapt! Joy, a memory limit! This has to be something they can fix in a jiffy. They addressed the memory concern, yet no luck. They advised that the server was in great shape on their end. I then put in a ticket to Imagely, the company behind the Nextgen plug-in.

While I waited for support, I figured I could at least poke around our website to make sure everything else was ok. It was here, my friends, that my blood ran cold. In the existing gallery where I’d tested uploading an image, I noticed that one of the older images in that gallery was showing the broken window icon. The broken window icon is not good—not good at all. This means that the image was either missing or damaged.

As the panic started to rise, I went into an older story on Life In Michigan to see if that image with the broken window icon was actually missing. I pressed the link, and the page quickly loaded, but the image is missing. Cue the music of terror “Don Don Donnnnnn!!!” Houston, we have a problem!

I looked in other stories on our site, more missing images. AHHHHHH!! My angry otter sounds turned into terrified angry bear growls, which were immediately followed by “WHAT THE FUCK!!!” I then looked into more of the galleries on the website. A few images, but most were gone. I realized we’d lost 14 years of images. All our stories are visually oriented and now filled with little broken windows. The terror of being the IT guy on call during a shit storm of computerized chaos enveloped me.

With despair etched across my face, I wandered out to look at the birds. I mean, when in doubt, just take a minute or two and watch the birds, right? Brenda gave me a look of concern as she said, “How’s it going in there?” “Not good,” I replied. Composure restored, I thought, “I need to IT the shit out of this fucker!”

I began to catalog my options. I could manually rebuild it. Sure, there were over 90,000 images and 14 years’ worth of stories to check. It would only take a few months of solid work. I can do this. Then the solution emerged like a visage of land to the ancient mariner—we’ve got backups! I then spent a few tight-lipped hours pulling down the backup files and checking that they were intact and contained what we needed. As I worked to recover over 90,000 images that mysteriously disappeared from our website, my problem-solving skills throttled me past the point of panic. The thought of losing 14 years of Life In Michigan history can leave you feeling edgy, man!

I was sweating it for a couple of hours while the restore operations were completed. Eventually, I recovered all the missing photos and reinstalled an older version of the gallery plug-in that was stable. Thank the lord for the UpdraftPlus backup plug-in. Those backups saved Life In Michigan!

With our site stable, I shared the trials and tribulations with Brenda and Kate. We need to figure out where to go next with this crap plug-in, but for now, we are good. I’ve recovered from my freak out, and life is grand. I guess my parting words of wisdom are these: always have a good backup and treat your IT folks well.

Upcoming Events You Won’t Want to Miss

Our events calendar on Life In Michigan is a treasure trove of events we’ve scoured the interwebs to bring to you. There are a ton of great events coming up. From that list, here are a few highlights:

Come hang out with me and other heavy music fans for Oigs Fest 9 in Lansing on Apr 4

Get a dose of maximum rock and roll with the mighty Mazinga and friends in Ypsilanti on April 11

Kolsching season kicks off at Royal Oak Brewery on April 11 (which happens to be my birthday :)

The summer fills up quickly, so looking ahead, you should probably get your tickets for the Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer fest happening on a new date: Saturday, June 13, at Riverside Park in Ypsilanti.

Come help Brenda, and I celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Sister Lakes Brewing Company out in Dowagiac on June 20th

In Other News

Thrash legends Testament, Overkill, and Destruction convened at Saint Andrews Hall in Detroit

A great time at Ironbark Brewing in Jackson, celebrating Joe’s 40th Birthday with plenty of heavy music.

A couple of weeks ago, we had a great dinner followed by a terrific progressive rock show at Harsens Island Schoolhouse Grille.

LAST CALL!! Geek Brush Studio in Chelsea is spearheading an effort with the city to turn the alley between 105 and 107 Main Street into the Chelsea Art Gallery. They are currently seeking artist submissions to display in this new outdoor art space. Submissions are due by April 1, 2026.

I love the fact that independent bookstores are still a thing and actually thriving. Check out this story by Natalia Holtzman for Concentrate.

Cheers to the arts and even more cheers to the folks in Milan spearheading their new Milan Arts Project. Karen Lambert has the story in the Sun Times News.

Here is a nice preview by Casey Grooten for Rural Innovation Exchange on the upcoming Pulp and Press literary festival coming to Vicksburg on April 24 and 25th

Life In Michigan Podcast

We had a lot of fun talking to Christopher Lasher of Super Duper Drinks. We hope you enjoyed listening!

Substack Restack Attack

Substack is where it’s at. Check out these other superb publications:

First off, a huge thanks to Jason Odell for having me on his Let’s Click show to talk about concert photography. I had a great time talking with Jason. If you missed it, you can find it here:

The Legend Of Hell House scared the shit out of me as a kid, and I’ve always loved it. ’s cover of the movie is stellar

Ghosts In The Machine

The Legend of The Legend of Hell House

One of the movies I return to again and again is John Hough’s adaptation of Richard Matheson’s novel Hell House, the 1974 James H Nicholson production The Legend of Hell House…

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3 months ago · 19 likes · 3 comments · Nick Tangborn

This is a wonderful bit of photography sleuthing on an iconic photo by

søren’s photography substack

Eleven men on a beam....

[Anonymous: 11 Men Having Lunch on a Beam - 1930? - black and white scan…

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3 months ago · 29 likes · 15 comments · søren k. harbel

I very much enjoyed this journey into a bit of discomfort shared by

Justin Allen- Photographer

Public Exposure

There’s a very specific kind of photographer who talks a big game about “documenting life” but really avoids anywhere life actually happens and focuses on where life was at one point…

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3 months ago · 37 likes · 9 comments · Justin Allen- Photographer

Is travel writing dead? Our friend gives that question some consideration that I enjoyed reading.

Road Life Adventure

Is There a Future in Travel Writing?

Last week, I spent time thinking about all things writing, especially in relation to the growing discourse on AI use and the ongoing degradation of travel writing. When I came across this article from Between…

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3 months ago · 13 likes · 33 comments · James Dalman

Adventures Yet To Print

This weekend, we attended a show at the Ark in Ann Arbor featuring our friend Kate Peterson and Joy Clark. Prepare for a review of that show coming soon!

What Are You Reading?

Brenda had mentioned to me how much she enjoyed the historical fiction of White River Crossing by Ian McGuire. However, after starting The North Water, she had to bail. She just couldn’t get into the gruesome details and violence. I was intrigued. How bad could this be? Friends, this book shows no mercy.

This isn’t to say that the book is poorly written. Ian McGuire is a fantastic author. The pacing, details, and themes are extremely well crafted. If it has a problem per se, it is, as Brenda mentioned, extremely gruesome and violent. The level of brutality is unending. There is violent rape, murders, dire sickness, animal cruelty, and every kind of human darkness. All of this was found during the end times of the “golden age” of whaling in the endless ice and cold of the North waters.

I grimaced more than a few times listening to this book as McGuire described a nasty bit of human savagery or just plain disgusting sights and smells. Brenda and I laughed after one walk as I mentioned again that this book requires the reader to endure almost as much as the sailors on the whaling ship.

While not necessarily a pleasant story, it is one hell of a great book. I was captivated and compelled regardless of the harshness of this tale. Ian McGuire is brilliant, and I’ll be looking into more of his books.

What Are You Spinning?

On March 27, 1981, Blizzard of Ozz by Ozzy Osbourne was released in the United States, and it would become a life-changing album. I was a junior in high school that spring when this album was released. I’d heard “Crazy Train” on the radio and made a point of picking up this album as soon as I could.

At the time, I was in transition musically. I was still very much a Rush fan, but there was something about Ozzy that sparked my desire to explore heavier music. A large factor was the guitar playing and songwriting of Randy Rhoads. I was just beginning to play guitar, and Randy to me was a god. 45 years later, Randy is still a god, and this album continues to bring me joy.

The one song that hits the hardest is “Mr. Crowley”. There is a sinister, classical feel to the riffs as Ozzy hints at the haunting life of the famed occultist Aleister Crowley. Here, Randy’s guitar solo is phenomenal. For me, he was the first to bring a truly classical feel to a blazing metal solo.

During my senior year, I nearly wore out my Ozzy concert shirt that I bought when they played at Pine Knob (with Def Leppard opening). This album, and in particular Randy Rhoads, ignited my love of metal music. After this album, the doors opened to Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest. It also fueled my love for great guitar playing, which caused my spectrum of music to broaden into Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Al Di Meola, and more.

That’s A Wrap

As my buddy Sturgill once said:

“Keep your head out of the clouds

And remember to be kind

And just stay in school

Stay off the drugs

And keep between the lines.”

Thank you for reading. I hope your week is awesome! Don’t forget to kick out the jams!

Now, here is your moment of zen:

https://youtube.com/shorts/CL8GmcoC0sY

Looking for anything—literally anything—to heal a cut on my eyelid (yes, the lid, not the eyeball), I found an unopened tube of Aquaphor in the disorganized mess that is our bathroom cupboard.

The origin story of the cut is tragically boring. My best guess? It was my own fingernail in my sleep. Regardless, it was refusing to heal, probably because I kept rubbing it. For a terrifying spell, I fretted I had contracted some exotic, eyelid-only eczema. This is why you should never consult with Dr. Google.

But then, there it was: a fresh tube of Aquaphor. I know firsthand that this stuff heals everything. So I dabbed it on my eyelid. How was I so certain of its healing powers? Because, my dear friends, years ago, I used Aquaphor to save a dragon’s life.

The Cricket Incident

Our pet bearded dragon, Perry (who we eventually realized was a girl when she mysteriously laid an egg), once had a tangle with a cricket that didn’t go well. In a “Jurassic Park” twist, the prey became the predator. It was a tough lesson in the dangers of leaving live bait in the aquarium overnight.

The bite became a nasty wound, and my kids panicked. “Mom, you’ve got to take Perry to the vet!”

The precariously low balance in my checking account warned that a vet visit was not wise. I did what any resourceful, broke parent would do. I lied.

“Vets don’t treat lizards,” I said, sounding completely sure of myself.

I didn’t expect them to believe me, but they looked at me, a bit unsure, and then nodded. “Oh, right. No lizard doctors. Makes sense. So now what?”

Farm Girl Know-How

Channeling my father—the man in this photo, who used to treat our pets in the kitchen or living room—I considered my options. A farmer through and through, my dad only consulted a vet if things were truly serious. For anything else, he’d rummage around the barn and return with a mysterious, unlabeled bottle or tube of God knows what that he promised would heal the animal.

So, I followed his example. I rummaged through the cabinet and emerged with the strongest medicine in the house: Aquaphor. It was a miracle. The wound closed, the dragon lived, and my kids were deeply impressed by my “lizard-doctor” skills. To this day, they still occasionally mention how I saved Perry after she was nearly killed by her own food.

Where Are They Now?

My eyelid is healing nicely. As for Perry, she found a new home when her owner left for DePaul University. And my Dad, I’m sure looking down, proud of his farm girl.

Now I want to hear your stories. What’s the strangest (PG-rated!) thing you’ve ever “cured” with Aquaphor? Maybe it was a squeaky door, a lost toenail, or even a pet emergency. I’d love to hear your lizard stories, too.

The latest Life Michigan Podcast episode is out!

If you have an idea for a guest, email me (info@lifeinmichigan.com). We are looking for anyone who is creative, passionate, and has a story to share about their Life In Michigan. Don’t be shy.

The latest episode of Fans with Bands just dropped!

Fans With Bands

Casket Robbery

In this episode, I had a chance to chat with Cory, Megan, and Bryan of Casket Robbery. They craft seriously heavy and brutal horror themed death metal with a bit of secret sauce. We talk about how the band got started, their secret sauce that lends eerie tones to their tunes, influences, and more…

Listen now

3 months ago · 1 like · Chuck Marshall

We have a few new articles on LifeInMichigan.com. Click on the image to read the whole article.

🗓️ Never Miss an Event: Chuck has been hard at work on our public Google Events Calendar. From book launches to local gigs, it’s all there. Subscribe to the Calendar

You’ll find things like this on the calendar!

For ticket information, check their website.

I’ve got just one Substack recommendation this week, ’s “Spring Skiing in the quiet season: last tracks of winter.” It inspired me to put the Adirondack Mountains on our 2027 adventure list.

Outdoors with Jenn

Spring skiing in the quiet season: last tracks of winter

The ides of March…

Read more

3 months ago · 15 likes · 9 comments · Jenn Woltjen

Cozy Nook Updates

In a personal protest against Amazon, I recently discontinued my Audible subscription. I’ve switched to Libro.fm, an app that directs your purchases to support an independent local bookstore. I chose to support Book Love Bar in Downtown Ypsilanti, Michigan. Another perk, you can earn free audiobooks by referring friends. If you’re interested, here is my referral link to check it out.

I’ve been on an Ian McGuire kick lately, and his latest, White River Crossing, did not disappoint. Set in 1766 at a Hudson’s Bay Company outpost, it’s got everything you’d want in a historical thriller: a brutal expedition, a desperate search for gold, and plenty of plot twists. And it has a CROW! If you like your history about survival, this is your next read.

Have a great week!