literature

We're getting closer to Halloween, and there's nothing like a good ghost story! Ypsilanti author Ken MacGregor is a master storyteller of the macabre and is a releasing a new collection of stories entitled "Some People I Have Killed." He talked all about his latest anthology of terror with Lee Van Roth on this week's "On the Ground Ypsi."

The Ypsilanti District Library is defending residents’ right to read commonly challenged material during Banned Books Week. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the story.

Fall has arrived, and the transition towards Michigan’s colder months is underway. Many property owners are already looking ahead and designing spring plans for the lawn. That would include Saline resident Edith Anderson. Edith goes beyond modern landscape design and is “Rebuilding Nature: Yard by Yard.” That’s the title of her recently published book. Edith joined WEMU's David Fair to share why more homeowners are trading sterile lawns for living landscapes that welcome back the birds, bees and butterflies.

Authors Kristina R. Gaddy and Rhiannon Giddens team up for a new book entitled "Go Back and Fetch It: Recovering Early Black Music in the Americas for Fiddle and Banjo," and WEMU's Jeremy Baldwin asked about their collaboration.

Dzanc House in Ypsilanti has given a home for writers and creatives for years. Starting this fall, Dzanc House will present a new project called "Beyond the Binary: Stories That Shift Culture." It aims to amplify the stories of LGBTQ+ youth through writing, poetry and podcasting. Learn more in Lee Van Roth's conversation with Dzanc House's director of development, programs and communications, Charlene Choi.

This past weekend, YpsiWrites hosted "A Great Day in Ypsi." The event, which celebrates Ypsilanti writers and storytellers, was inspired by Art Kane's "A Great Day in Harlem" photograph and by the book "Sweet Music of Harlem" by local author Debbie Taylor. Taylor joined Rylee Barnsdale to discuss the event and how it can inspire more Ypsilanti stories and storytellers.

Dzanc House in Ypsilanti is a home and hub for literary and cultural arts programming for all ages. For this week's "On the Ground Ypsi," Rylee Barnsdale spoke with creative director Amanda May Moore about the latest program offerings and a new artist-in-residency program.

Ypsilanti Community Schools students can now get free books from a library vending machine. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert has this report.

Michigan House Democrats have announced a bill that would protect public libraries from demands of LGBT books being pulled from their shelves. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the local story.

Whether or not Ann Arbor’s Bobby Fox, the author of the book "Love & Vodka", ever thought such a dream could come true, Ypsilanti filmmaker Heidi Philipsen-Meissner made it happen. Heidi and Bobby join Deb Polich on this edition of "creative:impact" to talk about their experience at the Love & Vodka’s film premiere during the 2024 Cinetopia Film Festival.