Catherine Lacey Emphasizes the Beauty of Mistakes in Lecture on Fiction Craft

In fiction writing, there are many ways to fail. At least that’s what author Catherine Lacey knows to be true. An author of four novels and a short story collection, Lacey will admittedly tell you she’s struggled with her own writing, particularly with finding a space where she can exist outside her own self and Read More …

Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere

As a college student who has long since deviated from finishing books in one sitting or even just reading for the fun of it (sound familiar?), it takes a lot to keep me invested. I can’t count how many books I’ve started and promptly forgotten due to a weak plot, lackluster characters, or whatever it Read More …

Buzz Alexander: A Legacy Through Social Movement

Buzz Alexander was a professor of English at the University of Michigan, the founder of the Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP) through the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, and, as a foundation to it all, a firm believer in the power of social justice. From teaching classes on human cruelty (the Holocaust, the Read More …

Valeria Luiselli Offers a New Perspective on Immigration and the American Dream in Lost Children Archive

Stories are one of the oldest forms of sharing our lives and experiences. They’re our way of remembering the past while also tracking how far we’ve come and how much farther we have to go. If we laid out all the stories that have ever been told in human history, we could see the beautiful Read More …

Cheryl Strayed’s Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

When reflecting on her 1,100-mile solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail, Cheryl Strayed writes “I knew that if I allowed fear to overtake me, my journey was doomed. Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story from the one Read More …

Learning about the Midwest in the Midwest

The University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus is quite unique. The city itself is full of people from all over the country and world, and the campus’ diversity sometimes makes it hard to remember it resides in the Midwest. While those who were born and raised in the Midwest pick up on the things that Read More …

Café Shapiro Offers an Exciting Experience for Undergraduate Writers

This week, forty-nine Michigan students will begin reading their own writing at the Undergraduate Library. The event, known as Café Shapiro, gives students a space to experience reading their work to an audience along with the opportunity to have their original work published in an anthology. This year’s readings will occur at seven o’clock on Read More …

Interview with Lillian Li: Living and Writing in Ann Arbor

From writing an award-winning novel to working at Literati Bookstore to contemplating the future of her writing career, Lillian Li is the epitome of the Ann Arbor-based writer. As an alumna of University of Michigan’s esteemed Helen Zell Writers’ Program, Lillian has had many unique opportunities. As I learned in a recent interview with Lillian, Read More …

The Zell Visiting Writers Series Offers Something for Everyone

It’s five-thirty on a Thursday night. While most people in Ann Arbor are on their way home from class or work, a few dozen people have stopped at the art museum. Sitting in the UMMA’s Stern auditorium are students, faculty, and local community members taking time out of their busy lives to listen to someone Read More …

A Summer in Northern Michigan – GLACE Summer Program

As residents of the state of Michigan, whether that be temporarily or permanently, living in a state surrounded by the Great Lakes is something we can often take for granted. The Great Lakes have a lot to offer and so many Michigan students might spend their entire time in the state without experiencing them. That’s Read More …