Means, who was born and raised in Kalamazoo and also lived in Petoskey, says he spent a lot of time as a teenager wandering around the Upper Peninsula, fishing and trying to stay out of trouble. Perhaps even then he was storing away sensory details that inject a bit of Michigan into many of his stories.
His struggling characters, who are often involved in intense relationships and searching for understanding of their situation in life, are mostly redeemed by Means' writing and transformed into hopeful souls. His two books of short stories include "The Secret Goldfish," which includes his 2006 O. Henry Prize-winning story "Sault Ste. Marie," and "Assorted Fire Events," winner of the Los Angeles Times book prize and a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.
On the faculty of Vassar College, Means now calls himself a New Yorker, but said he still needs to return to Michigan at least once a year to get his fix.
For more information about this program call (616) 331-3601.
