Mikel B. Classen's Blog: Midnight Ramblings
August 28, 2023
A Place to Start
Since this is my first blog, I thought I would begin by giving some background on myself. I've been writing about Michigan's Upper Peninsula for about 40 years. I've worked as a freelance feature writer and journalist. I've written about the outdoors, travel, and history. I currently have six books, all but one is non-fiction and all are set and based on life in the Upper Peninsula.
Writing has taken me to most nooks and crannies of every corner of Northern Michigan. I've written about towns, life, lighthouses, shipwrecks, mining, and logging. The early years of life in the Upper Peninsula are akin to life in the wild west. Lawless boom/bust towns that were dangerous and deadly. The wilderness of the region was thick and could kill as quickly as anything. The combination of Native Americans, Trappers, Miners, Loggers, Immigrants and Sailors created a culture that was volatile and often times cruel. Many of my books look at the good and bad side of this unusual clash of cultures.
I have a personal fascination for these lost stories from history and hunt them down with a passion. Often, I'm referred to as the Yooper History Hunter, a nickname I wear with pride.
I have also written some fiction, my Lake Superior Tales is a collection of U.P. short stories and I have a novel, the Alexandria Code coming soon. Being both a fiction and non-fiction writer gives me insight into the factual world and allows me to infuse that into my fiction. For me it adds solid realism into the stories.
It is my hope that this gives some insight into myself and what I do as an author. Going forward I will add more insights into my writing, the process and what had been successful and unsuccessful for me as an author. Hope you will join me.
Writing has taken me to most nooks and crannies of every corner of Northern Michigan. I've written about towns, life, lighthouses, shipwrecks, mining, and logging. The early years of life in the Upper Peninsula are akin to life in the wild west. Lawless boom/bust towns that were dangerous and deadly. The wilderness of the region was thick and could kill as quickly as anything. The combination of Native Americans, Trappers, Miners, Loggers, Immigrants and Sailors created a culture that was volatile and often times cruel. Many of my books look at the good and bad side of this unusual clash of cultures.
I have a personal fascination for these lost stories from history and hunt them down with a passion. Often, I'm referred to as the Yooper History Hunter, a nickname I wear with pride.
I have also written some fiction, my Lake Superior Tales is a collection of U.P. short stories and I have a novel, the Alexandria Code coming soon. Being both a fiction and non-fiction writer gives me insight into the factual world and allows me to infuse that into my fiction. For me it adds solid realism into the stories.
It is my hope that this gives some insight into myself and what I do as an author. Going forward I will add more insights into my writing, the process and what had been successful and unsuccessful for me as an author. Hope you will join me.
Midnight Ramblings
A blog about the writings of Mikel B Classen, past and present, and other pertinent topics. Observations from a historian, writer and photographer after 40 years of writing.
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