This Michigan writer discusses Under the Radar Michigan: The Next 50, his new book that draws on his PBS show of the same name to highlight interesting people, places, and things in Michigan. This installment is a follow-up to his 2014 book, which detailed the first 50 episodes of the show. Signing.
7 p.m., Nicola’s, Westgate shopping center. Free. 662-0600.
Every Wed. Members read and discuss poems around themes TBA. Followed by collaborative writing games and exercises. Attendees invited to read their poems. Snacks & socializing.
8-10 p.m., Argus Farm Stop greenhouse, 325 W. Liberty. $5 suggested donation. onepausepoetry.org, 707-1284.
Every Wed. Members read and discuss poems around themes TBA. Followed by collaborative writing games and exercises. Attendees invited to read their poems. Snacks & socializing.
8-10 p.m., Argus Farm Stop greenhouse, 325 W. Liberty. $5 suggested donation. onepausepoetry.org, 707-1284.
Planetary scientists Alan Stern and David Grinspoon discuss their new book about the 2015 New Horizons space probe to Pluto that Stern led. Publishers Weekly calls it “a future classic of popular science, full of twists and turns and unexpected heroes.” Signing.
7-8 p.m., AADL Downtown multipurpose rm. Free. 327-4200.
Literati Bookstore is thrilled to bring John U. Bacon to the AADL to discuss a treasured collection of timeless pieces, The Best of Bacon: Select Cuts; perfect for fans of any Michigan sport.
This event is in partnership with the AADL. It includes a signing and books will be for sale.
“People who think they don’t like sports probably haven’t read John U. Bacon. That was me before I started talking with John on my show. He doesn’t write about statistics, wins, and losses. He writes about people digging down deep, challenging themselves to do better, try harder, encourage a teammate, weather a tough loss, get back up, do it again, and then—hopefully—celebrate a success. This collection will leave you looking at sports—and the people who play and coach them—with new eyes.”
—Cynthia Canty, host of “Stateside,” Michigan Radio
“John U. Bacon tells stories the same way a coach carries out a brilliant game plan. With passion and wisdom, hilarity and poignancy, he guides you to every corner of Michigan, a place where he has an unparalleled home court advantage. Whether he is writing about Bo Schembechler or Magic Johnson, Jim Abbott or Gordie Howe, his father or his son, frozen pond or broiling gym, a small-town high school hero or the forces of greed embezzling the essence of college football and basketball, Bacon examines our tumultuous love affair with sports in order to examine us. Open this collection at any juncture and find yourself transported to Bacon’s field of play.”
—Linda Robertson, award-winning sports columnist, Miami Herald
John U. Bacon is the author of ten books, most recently John Saunders’ Playing Hurt: My Journey from Despair to Hope (which Bacon coauthored) and The Great Halifax Explosion: A World War I Story of Treachery, Tragedy, and Extraordinary Heroism, which extend his streak to six consecutive national
best sellers. He teaches at at the University of Michigan.
Francis Marion University (Florence, SC) history department chair Scott Kaufman discusses his new book that traces Ford’s political life, from his Depression-era childhood and service in WWII to his role in Congress and tenure as the country’s only unelected president. Book sale, signing, & reception follow.
7 p.m., Ford Library, 1000 Beal. Free. 205-0555.
Every Wed. Members read and discuss poems around themes TBA. Followed by collaborative writing games and exercises. Attendees invited to read their poems. Snacks & socializing.
8-10 p.m., Argus Farm Stop greenhouse, 325 W. Liberty. $5 suggested donation. onepausepoetry.org, 707-1284.
Every Wed. Members read and discuss poems around themes TBA. Followed by collaborative writing games and exercises. Attendees invited to read their poems. Snacks & socializing.
8-10 p.m., Argus Farm Stop greenhouse, 325 W. Liberty. $5 suggested donation. onepausepoetry.org, 707-1284.
Every Wed. Members read and discuss poems around themes TBA. Followed by collaborative writing games and exercises. Attendees invited to read their poems. Snacks & socializing.
8-10 p.m., Argus Farm Stop greenhouse, 325 W. Liberty. $5 suggested donation. onepausepoetry.org, 707-1284.
June 7-10, 14-17, & 21-24. U-M Residential College drama lecturer Kate Mendeloff directs students and local actors in an alfresco production of Shakespeare’s vividly poetic love story, a romantic tragedy about “star-crossed lovers” defying their feuding families. Initially lightheartedly comic, then dire, this perennially popular drama is the heart-wrenching tale of 2 impetuous young lovers destroyed by the intransigence of their feuding families, their own mistakes, and some incredibly bad timing. The RC’s annual Shakespeare in the Arb productions have become a hugely popular local summer tradition. Director Mendeloff takes special care to make the shifting Arb environments an active force in the performance. Bring a blanket or portable chair to sit on; dress for the weather.
6:30 p.m., meet at the Peony Garden entrance at 1610 Washington Heights. $20 (Friends of Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum, $15; students, $15; seniors age 62 & over, $17; youth under age 18, $10; kids under 5, free) at the gate only. Tickets go on sale at 5:30 p.m. Space limited; come early. 998-9540.
