“Charlotte’s Web.” “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” “Holes.” “Hatchet.” What was the book that captivated you as a child — where a certain character, plot twist, or ending was so memorable you still think of it decades later? I recall adoring Laur…

When Vladimir Nabokov’s notorious novel “Lolita” was adapted to film back in the 1960s, the author’s greatest fear, he told an interviewer, was that the director, Stanley Kubrick, would cast actors who were closer to each other in age than the characters had been written. A Lolita in her lat…

TORCH LAKE — Internationally recognized artist Tim Yanke is one of the latest creatives to find inspiration from Torch Lake’s turquoise waters and natural scenery.

GLEN ARBOR — “Tidal Shifts” is more than the title of the Glen Arbor Players latest production. The play embodies the group’s break from stage to virtual production.

TRAVERSE CITY — It was bound to happen.

As the holiday shopping season revs up to full gear, those seeking the perfect gift for the music lover on that Christmas list might consider Michigan-bred releases to place under the tree — or send via email link.

It doesn’t take a full hand to count the classic films about Thanksgiving. Once you get past “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” “Home For the Holidays” and “Hannah and Her Sisters,” what’s left?

CENTRAL LAKE — John was trying to contact aliens.

TRAVERSE CITY — People often ask upcoming National Writers Series virtual speaker Albert Woodfox, 73, to explain the feeling of being imprisoned in solitary confinement.

RANDVILLE — Going into this year’s firearms deer season, we hadn’t killed a buck at our camp since 2017.

GRAND RAPIDS — Chris DuPont cut his teeth in Grand Rapids’ high-volume, rafter-rattling hardcore rock scene back in the day, grinding out electric guitar riffs at gritty all-ages venues such as Skelletones and the Division Avenue Arts Collective.

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It seems that it is that time of year as we approach the winter that I am reminded of the passing of the seasons.

By this phase of the pandemic, I’ve stopped counting the doomed self-improvement projects that were supposed to productively fill time that would otherwise be spent leaving the house.

PORTLAND, Ore. — When Aaron Draplin opens up a speech on graphic design in Germany, the story he tells about growing up in northern Michigan isn’t always a fairy tale.

TRAVERSE CITY — Jeffrey Cobb read his wife’s book and had an idea.

New releases

No lively art has been hit as hard as the classical music world during this pandemic. The massive production demands of opera, symphonies and major chamber orchestras have caused havoc and hit and miss strategies to sustain and preserve the live performance. Marketing to sustain sometimes fi…

My grandfather was always a “Wheel of Fortune” guy. So any weeknight when we visited, it was tradition to gather in the den at 7 p.m. and watch the excitement and pageantry as contestants spun the big wheel, bought vowels, guessed words and won or lost big. Although in retrospect, I think he…

TRAVERSE CITY — Michigan-bred singers have turned a lot of heads on NBC’s “The Voice” over the years.

GLEN LAKE — “Small and mighty” is how Glen Lake Community Schools’ music director describes the Lakers’ new marching band.

Collaboration is a big part of life. Friendships, group projects, making an overtime touchdown, dancing the Cupid Shuffle, holding a conversation over drinks — all require collaborating on some level. Yes, you can dance alone, talk to yourself, carry a group project solely on your shoulders,…

Competitive checkers is not all that exciting to watch, but it’s not because the game itself is boring. Basically, it’s because the players got too good.

GRAND RAPIDS — Michigander’s latest pop anthem, “Let Down,” has soared to impressive heights nationally.

TRAVERSE CITY — Rich, earthy, robust, complex — these words are often used to describe wines. The terms equally apply to artistic endeavors inspired by area vineyards.

The tradition of Halloween originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. Annually, Halloween creates renewed interest in ghosts and spirits, as we still understand little about the afterlife.

While this year’s coronavirus pandemic has silenced most festivals and concerts, Michigan artists have been busy releasing new albums and EPs, and that includes many bands and solo acts in northern Michigan.

New releases

Sacha Baron Cohen’s blockbuster 2006 comedy “Borat” was, by design, an impossible act to follow.

GRAND HAVEN — Tom Wall says it’s impossible to predict what might happen musically when your duet partner is a living plant.“You can’t pinpoint what a plant’s gonna do. You almost have to have it open for improvisation all the time,” said the guitarist for the West Michigan rock band Cosmic …

TRAVERSE CITY — Stephanie Starner, the lady at the lunchroom window of Norris Elementary School doesn’t serve food.

"Shoo Fly, Don’t Bother Me,” “Blue Tail Fly (Jimmy Crack Corn),” “Polly Wolly Doodle,” “Turkey in the Straw.” What do these songs have in common? They’re American folk songs, children’s songs, songs everyone knows, right?

The glass is definitely at least half full at the Traverse Symphony this season!