- Bridge Michigan hosted its latest Culture Club, a discussion of ‘I Cheerfully Refuse’
- The book tells the story of a musician named Rainy who flees across Lake Superior after his peaceful life is shattered
- Author Leif Enger spoke about the book and answered readers’ questions
Bridge Michigan’s Culture Club continued in August, as more than 50 readers joined author Leif Enger for a discussion of his book, “I Cheerfully Refuse.”
Set in a climate-ravaged future where despair has become epidemic and learning is under attack, the novel tells the story of Rainy, a musician who sets sail on Lake Superior in search of his departed wife.
The book traces how his “private quest for the love of his life grows into something wider and wilder,” demonstrating how maintaining hope becomes an act of resistance in a world determined to crush the spirit.
A Minnesota resident, Enger is a former public radio reporter. Speaking to the Culture Club, Enger discussed his connection to the Great Lakes and how his own transformation through books and music informed the themes of “I Cheerfully Refuse.” He also explored how joy and hope can serve as powerful forms of resistance against despair.
Watch the video here:
Bridge Michigan hosts bimonthly discussions on books with ties to Michigan. More than 350 members received a free copy of “I Cheerfully Refuse.” If you would like free electronic copies of future selections, join Bridge today.
Related:
- Watch discussion of ‘Shadows Beyond the Pines’ with author Dianna Cross Toran
- Watch discussion of ‘Enough to Lose’ with author RS Deeren
- Watch discussion of ‘Know the Mother’ flash fiction collection
This was our fourth Culture Club event of 2025. If you have suggestions for future books, films or podcasts with connections to Michigan, please share them with us on this form.
Previous Culture Club discussions have featured “The World According to Fannie Davis” by Bridgett M. Davis, “Arc of Justice” by Kevin Boyle, “The Women of the Copper Country” by Mary Doria Russell, “Black Bottom Saints” by Alice Randall, “Annie’s Ghosts: A Journey into a Family Secret” by Steve Luxenberg, “The Death and Life of the Great Lakes” by Dan Egan, “Firekeeper’s Daughter” by Angeline Boulley, “Wounds” by Razel Jones and Daniel Abbott, “The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls” by Anissa Gray, “The Other Me” by Sarah Zachrich Jeng, “The Dockporter” by Dave McVeigh and Jim Bolone, “You Cannot Resist Me When My Hair is in Braids” by Frances Kai-Hwa Wang “The King of Confidence” by Miles Harvey, “What the Eyes Don’t See” by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, “American Salvage” by Bonnie Jo Campbell, “We Kept Our Towns Going” by Phyllis Michael Wong, the film “Bad Axe,” directed by David Siev, “Once We Were Here” by Christopher Cosmos, “August Snow” by Stephen Mack Jones, “Tin Camp Road” by Ellen Airgood, “Dearborn” by Ghassan Zeineddine, the film “Pelkie,” directed by Michael Loukinen, “Impermanence” by Sue Leaf, “Know the Mother” by Desiree Cooper, the film “Rouge” by Hamoody Jaafar and Razi Jafri, the short story collection “Enough to Lose” by RS Deeren, “Shadows Beyond the Pines” by Dianna Cross Toran.
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