Mikel B. Classen has been writing and photographing northern Michigan in newspapers and magazines for over thirty-five years, creating feature articles about the life and culture of Michigan's north country. A journalist, historian, photographer and author with a fascination for the world around him, he enjoys researching and writing about lost stories from the past. Currently, he is managing editor of the U.P. Reader and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association. In 2020, Mikel won the Historical Society of Michigan's George Follo Award for Upper Peninsula History. He has just released a new book, True Tales: The Forgotten History of Michigan's Upper Peninsula in 2022. Classen makes his home in the oldest city in Michigan, historic Sault Ste. Marie. He is also a collector of out-of-print history books, and historical photographs and prints of Upper Michigan. At Northern Michigan University, he studied English, history, journalism and photography. His book, Au Sable Point Lighthouse, Beacon on Lake Superior's Shipwreck Coast was published in 2014 and his book, Teddy Roosevelt and the Marquette Libel Trial was published in 2015, both by the History Press. He has a book of fiction called Lake Superior Tales, published by Modern History Press, which won the 2020 U.P. Notable Book Award. His book, Points North, is a non-fiction travel book published in 2019 by Modern History Press. It has received the Historical Society of Michigan's "Outstanding Michigan History Publication," along with the 2021 U.P. Notable Book Award. To learn more about Mikel B. Classen and to see more of his work, go to his website at www.mikelbclassen.com.
