Artists brighten up downtown Lansing storefronts
Eight artists descended on downtown Lansing over the weekend carrying ladders, paint and brushes along with healthy imaginations to create works of art on the windows of mostly empty storefronts. …
Bill Castanier's Latest Articles
Two-time winner to headline Michigan’s biggest book event of the year
Since 1991, the Michigan Week celebration in May has showcased books about Michigan or books by Michigan authors to promote the rich talents of Michigan writers and the state’s unique sense of …
Comstock author delivers unique keynote at writer’s conference
The song “Never Been to Spain” came to mind as I talked with author Bonnie Jo Campbell about her writing career and upcoming keynote speech at A Rally of Writers on Saturday (April 15). …
East Lansing Public Library celebrates 100 years
“The East Lansing library was the first place I went to when I moved here,” said Cindy Hunter Morgan, an East Lansing poet and a Michigan State University assistant professor. She also …
Historian sheds light on Lansing’s role in the Civil War
There’s no shortage of books about the Civil War, but until this week, Lansing’s role has largely been ignored. Local author and historian Matthew J. VanAcker published a new …
A musical fairy tale for the ages
Lansing author Erin Bartels’ sixth book, “Everything Is Just Beginning,” tugs at the heart in all the right places.
Save the date: April brings two of Michigan’s biggest literary events
Spring is in the air, which means two annual literary events are sprouting: A Rally for Writers and Night for Notables. The former, a combination writer’s workshop and panel series featuring some of Michigan’s most high-profile authors, will take place April 15 …
Beggar’s Banquet hosts 50th anniversary celebration
Oh, what a night in early February 1973. A relatively quiet storefront on Abbot Road in East Lansing would never be the same. Beggar’s Banquet, a hippie-dippy restaurant with fabulous food and a popular hangout …
A bovine mystery in Amish country
I have some bad news for readers of Ron Erskine’s mystery series that’s set in Pennsylvania’s Amish country: His new book, “Ghosts of Lost Dreams,” is the last of three …
‘Mama Huhu’ is far from mediocre
“Mama Huhu,” author Christopher Steele’s new memoir about the five years he spent in China teaching English, is part Bill Bryson and part Paul Theroux, with a bit of …