Jillian Manning | Author

Artemis Books & Goods Takes Aim

May 16, 2026

When Brilliant Books closed its doors in Traverse City last October after a decade-long run, several of its former booksellers decided to make lemonade out of lemons.

“It was so hard every day at the old store to talk to people and hear the stories about the impact that Brilli… Read More >>

The Aftermath of the Storm (Again)

April 18, 2026

As I’m writing this, schools across northern Michigan are closed. Dams have failed, people have been evacuated from their homes, roads are washed out, and other critical infrastructure is in danger of collapse.

I’ve spent more than two-thirds of my life in this area, and… Read More >>

Building Stronger Services for Survivors

March 21, 2026

According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 81 percent of women and 43 percent of men in the U.S. report experiencing “some form of sexual harassment and/or assault in their lifetime.” One in five women “experienced completed or attempted rape.”

<… Read More >>

Advice from “Old Married Couples”

Feb. 7, 2026

You know those couples who, even decades after they said “I do,” still walk down the street hand in hand? Or laugh over a couple of pints at the local brewery? Or cruise by on the TART Trail with friends and family?

We want to grow up to be them. More importantly, we wan… Read More >>

Writing for Escape, Resilience, and Queer Joy

Jan. 31, 2026

TJ Klune has written books about robots, aliens, werewolves, and wizards. He’s written about ordinary people, about parents and children, about superheroes and villains, about friends and lovers. But no matter what genre he’s exploring or which characters he’s bringing to … Read More >>

Fighting Harder for Local Women and Children

Dec. 6, 2025

Traverse Bay Children’s Advocacy Center (TBCAC) has been navigating a particularly challenging year.

Though CEO Lander Bachert is proud that her CAC is “one of the best in the state” with “world-class mental health” care for the kids and teens they serv… Read More >>

Give the Gift of Reading

Nov. 22, 2025

“When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young.” – Maya Angelou

We asked bookseller… Read More >>

The One with the Dragon: Joe Hill Returns to Traverse City with His Latest Novel

Oct. 25, 2025

The last time #1 New York Times bestselling author Joe Hill came to the National Writers Series, the year was 2018. A lot has changed in those seven years, but a lot has stayed the same.

“Like a dragon eating its tail,” Hill quips.

And speaking of dragon… Read More >>

Your Neighbors Are Hungry: Demand at Food Pantries Up 70 Percent

Aug. 2, 2025

Feeding America West Michigan serves the western part of the Lower Peninsula and all of the Upper Peninsula, working with 800 partners and food pantries to provide 23 million meals each year. They estimate that one in seven people in their coverage area is food insecure, including 80,000 ch… Read More >>

What Do We Say When It Happens Here?

Aug. 2, 2025

We always think it won’t happen here.

At least we hope it won’t. We hope that pain and fear won’t strike our communities, that we’ll be immune from the violence we see in other parts of the state, country, or world.

But on Saturday, July 26, it did ha… Read More >>

Why We Won’t Use Generative AI at Northern Express

June 7, 2025

Some days, I think I’ve woken up at the start of a robot apocalypse movie. Just about every app, every search bar, every website shouts, “Use our new AI function!” It’s on Google. It’s on Instagram. It’s even on the City of Traverse City website.

Sticking with DEI Is “the Right Thing to Do”

May 31, 2025

Five years ago, following the murder of George Floyd, DEI was suddenly everywhere. Businesses and nonprofits of all shapes and sizes were touting diversity, equity, and inclusion mission statements, staffing, training, and more to address disparities in the workplace and in their communitie… Read More >>

The Future of Journalism: What Does the Next Generation Think?

March 15, 2025

Journalism is at an inflection point in the 21st century. Local newspapers are closing at a rate of 2.5 per week. News deserts are popping up in towns and counties across the nation. Social media is driving misinformation. Reporters are leaving once-revered papers like The Washington Post t… Read More >>

Creating a Safe Space in the World

Feb. 8, 2025

“It felt like the first domino falling in a series of dominos that are going to be affecting our community.”

This is what Sam from Traverse City says of their response to the White House’s Jan. 20 executive order declaring the government will only recognize two bio… Read More >>

The Top 24 of 2024: A Look Back at the Year's Biggest Stories

Dec. 28, 2024

In 2024, Northern Express writers brought you more than 700 stories, including restaurant profiles, Top 10 recommendations, opinion columns, investigative news, film reviews, and write-ups about arts, entertainment, and local businesses in northern Michigan. Of those 700+, which we… Read More >>

Let’s Get Cozy: A Local Shopping Guide

Nov. 23, 2024

Farewell, daylight! We’ll miss you until the clocks switch back on March 9, 2025. For those of us who feel sad (or literally SAD, thanks to seasonal affective disorder) when winter rolls around, the next few months may feel like they’re better spent in hibernation than trudging … Read More >>

Your Holiday Book-Buying Guide

Nov. 23, 2024

When in doubt, buy a book. (A lesson that applies to all situations, but particularly the holidays.) We asked booksellers across northern Michigan for new titles that have won their hearts, opened their minds, and broadened their horizons. Below, find their top picks for readers of all ages… Read More >>

The 2024 Luxe List

Oct. 12, 2024

Ready to splurge? In our annual Luxe Issue, we pull together a selection of must-have apparel and accessories that might threaten to break the bank…but hey, as Donna Meagle and Tom Haverford would say, “Treat yo’ self!” (For the Parks and Recreation fans out there, … Read More >>

Meet Up North Pride’s First Executive Director

Sept. 21, 2024

Adrienne Brown-Reasner started her new job as the first executive director of Up North Pride (UNP) just three weeks before the nonprofit’s biggest moment of the year. Up North Pride Week runs Sept. 24-29 to celebrate northern Michigan’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

Brown-Reasne… Read More >>

Mi Casa Nueva Es Su Casa Nueva

Aug. 10, 2024

“Authentic” is the word that restaurateur Dusty Rodriguez uses more than once when describing Casa Nueva, one of the newest additions to the Mancelona dining scene.

“We’re fresh. We’re authentic. We are very family based. And we specialize in just what … Read More >>