Peace. Freedom. The absence of fear.  A love so strong that you can’t breathe.  Those are some of the female yearnings revealed in “9 Parts of Desire.” more

Jim Harrison once told me that I was reading poetry all wrong. He told me not to read a book of poetry in one setting, but rather to “read a poem a day,” and then think about it. At that rate, I should be able to work through his new gargantuan poetry book, “Jim Harrison: Complete Poems,” in about three years.  more

Still not feeling relieved after a massage? Still not feeling your best leaving the salon? Maya Joy Murchison hopes to change that with her new salon and spa, Gifted Hands of Joy. more

Decisions about procuring the right cannabis can be very personal, and if you’ve ever purchased edibles from a dispensary, you might be familiar with that feeling of wondering what’s inside these tasty treats that make them so great — or, in some cases, perhaps not so great. more

Did you hear the one about the rabbi, the priest and the insurance agent? For a year and a half, Trevor Tress, 24, worked as an insurance agent, while also establishing himself as a local comedian. more

A good book is often described as a ticket to another world or a personal passport to an epic journey. For most of us, the quest concludes when the book is put down. But for Casey Holland and Eleanor Richards, who collect, catalog and sell countless used books as co-owners of Wayfaring Booksellers in REO Town, the adventure never ends.  more

With art ranging from giant mobiles to miniature paintings, artists from across the country are collaborating to face the climate crisis with a new exhibit in Metro Detroit. more

There’s certainly no shortage of dank cannabis products on the shelves at pot shops across Greater Lansing this year. And with so many new strains, edibles and concentrates constantly hitting the market this month, I’ve truly struggled to find enough time to write about them all. I can’t even finish a bag of weed nowadays without spotting something else out there worth trying. more

Lansing resident Erin Bartels’ new book, “The Girl Who Could Breathe Underwater,” is part mystery, part romance and part coming-of-age story. The novel revolves around a young author who goes up north in Michigan to finish her second novel. If it sounds formulaic and simple, it isn’t. more

Wendy Sylvester-Rowan fell in love with art once she got her hands on a box of 64 Crayola crayons as a child.   more

This is not the Frida Kahlo you see on pillows, mugs and handbags, framed by flowers, lace and pithy life lessons. more

In “9 Parts of Desire,” Kamoo portrays nine Iraqi females impacted by both Gulf Wars and the occupation that followed.  The Heather Raffo play begins a five-week run at Williamston Theatre starting Jan. 27. more

Xavier DeGroat, 31, is opening an autism history museum in Meridian Mall on Feb. 4. As someone who is on the autism spectrum, DeGroat hopes his museum will serve as both a safe space for those on the spectrum and as an educational center. more

Sally Potter has long been a driving force in the Mid-Michigan folk music community as a singer, song leader and promoter at the Ten Pound Fiddle concert series.  more

Historian Kevin Boyle’s new book, “The Shattering,” has no surprises, major revelations and no sappy stories. Instead, it is packed to the brim with tales of courageous individuals who stood for justice and truth. “The Shattering” is a straightforward look at the tumultuous decade of the ’60s, and how it shaped the course of United States history. more

Ten Pound Fiddle announced yesterday that it is postponing all weekly concerts until early March. The announcement comes after its board of directors unanimously voted to postpone all concerts due to the increasing number of Omicron variant cases. more

Joseph Dickson is an actor, director and head of a theater company that closed over two years ago.  Flying has been a way to keep creative while the stage is dark. more

The snow on the sidewalks is getting dirtier by the day. An uncertain new year is off the chain, waiting for you like a tricky hyena in a zoo after midnight. more

A new store in the Lansing Mall eliminates the single biggest barrier between the under privileged and necessary items like a new jacket or a pair of shoes: money. The Fretail Store invites those in need to come in, shop and take whatever they need, free of charge.  more

Amid the mass casualties, bomb blasts and dancing dictators of the mid-20th century, the dark art we now call “processing” trauma was perfected by Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich. more