Michigan: We’re All Just Yoopers and Trolls Livin' in the Mitten State
Michigan: We’re All Just Yoopers and Trolls Livin' in the Mitten State  
Podcast: Strong Sense of Place | Travel Through Books
Published On: Fri Oct 09 2026
Description: Michigan may be in the heart of the American Midwest, but it feels like a state with a coast. Its mitten-shaped peninsulas touch four of the five Great Lakes, and with around 11,000 inland lakes, too, you’re never more than a 10k from some kind of water. The Upper Peninsula is the place to go for dense forest, snowy winters, and an outdoorsy lifestyle influenced by Finnish and Swedish heritage. Head south to the Lower Peninsula for Detroit-style pizza, unique Petoskey Stones, and the University of Michigan — including its Law Library with the reading room of your dark academia dreams. Michigan is the Cherry Capital of the US and home to the Isle Royale National Park — wolves and otters and moose… oh, my! It’s also the birthplace of both the cornflake and the Motown sound — the state that invites you to dance in the streets and be mayor for a day. In this episode, we explore the freshwater spring of Kitch-iti-kipi, delve into the history of the Big D, learn about the Kellogg brothers' feud, and explore Michiganders' silly nicknames for each other. Then we recommend five books that took us to the Great Lakes State on the page, including a biography of Detroit, a collection of stories set in Dearborn’s Arab-American community, two suspenseful family dramas disguised as thrillers, and a dramedy set at a resort hotel on Mackinac Island. Make Nice by Ryan Effgen Once in a Great City by David Maraniss Dearborn: Stories by Ghassan Zeineddine The Marsh King’s Daughter by Karen Dionne Children of the Wolf by Abby Geni For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes. Sign up for our free Substack to connect with us and other lovely readers who are curious about the world. Transcript of Michigan: We’re All Just Yoopers and Trolls Livin' in the Mitten State Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Strong Sense of Place is an audience-funded endeavor, and we need your support to continue making this show. Get all the info you need right here. Thank you! Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio. Some effects are provided by soundly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices