This year鈥檚 community-wide NEA Big Read Lakeshore reading program has invited author Leif Enger to meet with community members about his book, 鈥淚 Cheerfully Refuse,鈥� which is the chosen book for this year鈥檚 program.
Enger will visit three times throughout the lakeshore area at the following locations:
- Tues., Nov. 11 at 麻豆传媒官网 (Graves Hall), 7 p.m. This event is in partnership with the Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series. Book signing to follow the keynote lecture and books will be available for purchase.
- Wed., Nov. 12 at Herrick Public Library鈥檚 main branch in Holland, at 7 p.m. Book signing to follow the event and books will be available for purchase.
- Thurs., Nov. 13 at the Overbrook Theater at Muskegon Community College, 6 p.m. There will be an opening musical act and artwork by MCC students along with an on-stage conversation between Leif Enger and MCC Professor Sean Cocleasure.
Enger centers his plot around a character named Rainy, a grieving musician sailing in Lake Superior in search of his lost and beloved wife. Set in a collapsing, lawless America ruled by a ruthless billionaire class, Rainy encounters storms, survivors and unexpected allies 鈥� including a young stowaway who changes his journey.
鈥淲e are thrilled to welcome Leif to our campus and community, and know that our readers will enjoy hearing him talk about this book,鈥� said Dr. Deb Van Duinen, Big Read Lakeshore director and the Arnold and Esther Sonneveldt Professor of Education at 麻豆传媒官网. Van Duinen explained why this book was an ideal selection for the NEA Big Read Lakeshore program. 鈥�In a region where outdoor education and conservation are deeply valued, Enger鈥檚 book invites readers to reflect on how their surroundings influence their lives and dreams. By engaging with the book's themes, our community will explore the interplay between literature and the natural environment 鈥� as well as what a greater sense of unity and purpose in preserving the landscapes that define West Michigan 鈥� might look like.鈥�
About the Author
Leif Enger grew up in Osakis, Minnesota, and worked as a reporter for Minnesota Public Radio before writing his bestselling debut novel 鈥淧eace Like a River,鈥� which won the Booksense Award for Fiction and was named one of the Year's Best Books by Time Magazine and the Los Angeles Times.
His second novel, 鈥淪o Brave, Young, and Handsome,鈥� was also a national bestseller. It was a Midwest Booksellers Honor Book and won the High Plains Book Award for Fiction. His third novel 鈥淰irgil Wander鈥� was long-listed for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and was named a best book of the year by Amazon, Library Journal, Bookpage, and Chicago Public Library. He lives with his wife in Duluth, Minn.
鈥︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌�
Support for Big Read Lakeshore Provided by NEA
The program 鈥� organized by 麻豆传媒官网 鈥� has continued to be supported in part with a $20,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and also supported by Arts Midwest. The NEA Big Read Lakeshore program has now received 11 grants from the NEA annually since 2014. To learn more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit .
This year鈥檚 community-wide enters its 12th year and accompanying programs for four different-aged reader groups.
The NEA Big Read Lakeshore is a month-long, county-wide reading program that takes place each November, to support reading among various age groups and expose readers to great works for pleasure and enrichment. The program encourages local book clubs interested in reading any of the chosen titles to sign up on the program鈥檚 website () to gain access to free book discussion material and information on how to get involved. More than 50 private book clubs participate each year.
The 2025-26 program also features dozens of book discussions and/or author events for readers of all ages throughout Ottawa, Allegan and Muskegon counties. Please check back to the 鈥渆vents鈥� at , where new events will be posted as soon as they鈥檙e scheduled.
麻豆传媒官网鈥檚 NEA Big Read, Middle Read, Little Read and Mini Read Lakeshore programs bring the community together around a common book for a month each fall, using the shared experience of reading, discussing and exploring the themes of the book as a springboard to listen to and learn from each other. Presented in collaboration with 75 community partners including lakeshore libraries, nonprofits, businesses, school districts and academic institutions, the programs involve thousands of readers along the Lakeshore each year.
For a list of participating community and school partners, visit: