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Ken Burns’ Hemingway Documentary Includes Michigan Summers

Award-winning filmmakers Ken Burns and Lynn Novick direct the upcoming three-part, six-hour documentary on Ernest Hemingway, including historical photographs of the writer’s summers spent in Northern Michigan.

The series about Hemingway, the iconic literary figure considered one of the greatest American writers, will premiere on central and Northern Michigan PBS affiliate, WCMU Public Media, April 5 at 8 p.m., and include voice actors Jeff Daniels as Hemingway; plus Meryl Streep, Keri Russell, Mary-Louise Parker, and Patricia Clarkson as Hemingway’s four wives. The documentary series will also include historical photographs of Hemingway’s time spent in Northern Michigan, provided by Michigan’s Clarke Historical Library.

“The extraordinary pictures in the photo albums at the Clarke Library are absolutely irreplaceable to our film,” shares filmmaker Lynn Novick about the important photographs the Clarke Historical Library provided for the documentary series. “They make it possible for us to represent Hemingway’s family and life in Michigan in the most vivid, tangible, and authentic way, and we are so grateful to be able to include them.”

In anticipation of this series, and to explore Hemingway’s deep ties to Northern Michigan along with how they influenced his attitudes, passions, and writings, WCMU Public Media is partnering with the Clarke Historical Library and noted Hemingway historian Michael Federspiel for “Hemingway in Michigan: A Live Streaming Event” Wednesday, March 31 at 6 p.m.

During this virtual event, attendees will enjoy “Let’s Go Back” video stories featuring the Clarke Historical Library’s Hemingway Collection containing one-of-a-kind items from the legendary author’s life, watch an exclusive advanced preview of the Hemingway documentary series before its April 5 nationwide premiere on PBS, and participate in a question-and-answer session with Hemingway experts, including filmmaker Lynn Novick and producer Sarah Botstein.

Read Across America Day: March 2, 2020

Posted on February 24, 2020February 6, 2025 by Shield Insurance Agency

Read Across America is a day held annually on March 2nd that encourages children in every community to read and also encourages parents and teachers to celebrate the joy of reading. It’s a holiday that has been celebrated since 1998 and falls on the same day as children’s book author Dr. Seuss.

History of Read Across America

This holiday can be traced back to May of 1997. This is when a small group of people at the National Education Association (NEA) came up with the idea to create a day of the year that celebrates reading among children. They reasoned that since many school football programs can get children engaged in the sport through pep rallies, then why couldn’t the same thing be done for reading? So they decided to advocate for a Read Across America program that would be celebrated on the birthday of one of the most prominent children book authors ever – Dr. Seuss. The day was officially launched on March 2, 1998, and ever since it has continued to grow in scope and size. Today, more than 50 national nonprofit and association sponsors and more than 3.3 million NEA members support the effort every year.

How to Celebrate Read Across America

This holiday is celebrated in numerous ways. All over the country, libraries, schools, and community centers hold special Read Across America events that foster reading in their communities. Teachers also develop special events on this day to encourage their students to read.

The NEA also sponsors reading round tables and has an online store that allows people to buy everything they need for their RAA celebrations. This includes Dr. Seuss hats, RAA bookmarks, Special RAA flash drives, and even RAA mugs.

Conclusion

Read Across America is a perfect holiday to get children interested in reading. Parents can take their children to special events and book readings on this day and teachers can dedicate the whole day to reading the classics. And if you really want to make the day exciting, you can purchase Cat in the Hat hats and wear them while you read. After all, on this day, Dr. Seuss was born as well. No matter what you do, however, make sure you instill the love of reading into the next generation.