Mikel B. Classen’s book, “Lake Superior Tales: Stories of Humor and Adventure in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula,” is the focus of this Thursday’s Notable Book Club Zoom event. The book includes 10 stories. (Photo courtesy of the Upper Peninsula Publishers & Authors Association)

MARQUETTE — The seventh event in the U.P. Notable Book Club, featuring Upper Peninsula author Mikel B. Classen’s book, “”Lake Superior Tales: Stories of Humor and Adventure in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, 2nd Edition,” is set for Thursday.

The Crystal Falls Community District Library, in partnership with the U.P. Publishers & Authors Association, has scheduled author events with winners of the UP Notable Book List. The upcoming event features Classen’s book, which according to the UPPAA, “has brought an entertaining take on beloved historical figures such as Peter White as well as fanciful send-ups of U.P. tales in the modes of sci-fi, horror, film noir and just plain fun stories.”

The event, which is open to all U.P. residents free of charge, will be at 7 p.m. Thursday on the Zoom platform. People are asked to contact Evelyn Gathu in advance at egathu@uproc.lib.mi.us or 906-875-3344.

The UPPAA recommends participants borrow a copy from a local library or purchase one from a local bookseller in advance to get the most out of these event.

Classen has been writing and photographing northern Michigan in newspapers and magazines for over 35 years, creating feature articles about the life and culture of Michigan’s north country. A journalist, historian, photographer and author with a fascination of the world around him, he enjoys researching and writing about lost stories from the past, the UPPAA said in a news release.

He is the founder of the U.P. Reader and is a member of the UPPAA Board of Directors. In 2020, Classen won the Historical Society of Michigan’s George Follo Lifetime Achievement Award for U.P. history. His book, “Points North: Discover Hidden Campgrounds, Natural Wonders, and Waterways of the Upper Peninsula,” achieved the HSM’s highest honor, the State History Award.

The UPPAA earlier this year announced the Second Annual U.P. Notable Books List.

UPPAA Publications Chairman Classen, who hails from Sault Ste. Marie, initiated the list as a response to the lack of representation of U.P. writers in other Michigan state literary circles.

“We have some incredible authors here, and we have some great books coming out of the U.P. and about the U.P.,” Classen said in a telephone interview with The Mining Journal earlier this year.

He decided it might be interesting to publish in the U.P. Reader — which is published by the UPPAA — a list of notable books by U.P. authors, or books about the U.P.

Classen also is a collector of out-of-print history books as well as and historical photographs and prints of Upper Michigan. At Northern Michigan University, he studied English, history, journalism and photography.

Bob Rich, author of “Looking Through Water,” provided a testimonial on Classen’s book on Amazon.

“It’s clear that Mikel B. Classen knows and loves the Lake Superior area of Michigan and brings it to life in a delightful way,” he said. “If you want frequent laughs, unusual characters who jump off the page, and the fruit of a highly creative mind, you’ve got to read this little book.”

The UPPAA provided this blurb on the book:

“In this book, you’ll sail on a ship full of gold, outwit deadly shapeshifters, battle frontier outlaws and even meet the mysterious agent that Andrew Jackson called ‘the meanest man’ he ever knew. Packed with action, adventure, humor, and suspense, this book has something for every reader.”

Ten stories, the UPPAA noted, span the 19th century through present day, including “The Wreck of the Marie Jenny,” “The Bigg Man,” “Wolf Killer” and “Bullets Shine Silver in the Moonlight.”

More information about UPPAA can be found at www.UPNotable.com

Established in 1998 to support authors and publishers who live in or write about Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, UPPAA is a Michigan nonprofit association with more than 100 members, many of whose books are featured on the organization’s website at www.uppaa.org. UPPAA welcomes membership and participation from anyone with a U.P. connection who is interested in writing.

Christie Mastric can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.