April 16, 2009
An insane asylum, a teenage runaway and the 1960s antiwar movement are among the diverse subjects explored in titles among the 2009 Michigan Notable Books. The Library of Michigan Notable Books program, in its seventh year in its present form, recognizes and promotes exceptional books published in the prior year written by Michigan authors or about Michigan-themed subjects.
“We have an amazing set of writers who live here and write about the state, and we felt this program would be a good way to highlight a few of the most notable books published each year,” said Kim Laird, coordinator of the program.
A selection committee reviewed nearly 300 entries late last year and narrowed their choices to 20 titles that best reflect the “Michigan experience.”
“One thing I tell the committee is that we are looking for the three main criteria: quality in research and writing, that the work is reflective of Michigan’s diversity, and that it is of wide appeal and strong current interest,” explained Laird. “It’s great if all the books have all three criteria in balance, and that’s really what we strive for.”
The 2009 selections include nonfiction works, such as a history of the Kalamazoo State Hospital, an asylum for the insane in operation beginning in the mid-1800s; a centennial tribute to the Ford Model T; a photo-rich book highlighting the historic cottages on Glen Lake in Northern Michigan; a history of the Chelsea Milling Company, long-time maker of the iconic Jiffy mixes; and a personal account of the 1960s anti-war movement as it unfolded on the campus of the University of Michigan.
Works of fiction include humorous novels about “finding oneself” as an older adult and growing up in a large, rambunctious family in Flint, as well as a children’s book about a 12-year-old African American boy growing up in Detroit during the Great Depression. Another historical novel, set in the 1840s, chronicles the life of a 16-year-old runaway who heads to Detroit to start a new life and then voyages to the Upper Peninsula frontier.
When asked if she had a standout favorite, Laird couldn’t mention just one book.
“Historic Cottages of Glen Lake by Barbara Siepker is a wonderful book set in a specific location which speaks to our common cottaging experiences in Michigan,” she said.
“Then there’s The Expeditions: A Novel by Karl Iagnemma, which I fell in love with at the very beginning. It’s just a really terrific historical novel, which tells you about the reality of those times [1840s Michigan], has a great plot line and a wonderful father-son relationship.
“The social history novel War as They Knew It: Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, and America in a Time of Unrest by Michael Rosenberg is a masterful rendition of the social history of the times, intermingled with two great college football coaches.
“I can’t stop without also mentioning Jiffy: A Family Tradition by Cynthia Furlong Reynolds. So many times a company history is nothing more than a puff piece about the company’s achievements, but Jiffy is a really remarkable contrast to those sorts of works. Reynolds succeeds at showing the personal history of the people behind the company, both those who owned the company and those who worked there.”
Fans and supporters of the writers and Michigan-themed books can attend the “Night for Notables” event April 18. Several of the authors will be on hand to talk about their work and signed copies of all the Notable Books will be available to buy. The reception will run from 6:30-9:00 p.m. and tickets are $35. One of last year’s Notable Books writers, Newbery Medal recipient and Flint native Christopher Paul Curtis, will be the keynote speaker.
In addition, several of the authors will be touring libraries across the state in April and May as part of the program.
Michigan Notable Book titles can be purchased at Schuler Books & Music, Borders, Meijer stores and the Michigan Library and Historical Center Museum Store.
Jean B. Eggemeyer owns communications and marketing firm Carillon Communications LLC, serving the business and association communities. She recently welcomed her second daughter, Anna Elizabeth, to her family and hopes to find time to read again soon.
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