When some people think of Michigan, they think of the Mackinac Bridge, the Henry Ford Museum or the automobile industry.
When Linda Godfrey thinks of Michigan, she thinks of the Michigan dog man, the underwater crucifix or shoe trees, which are innocent maples or elms that mysteriously and suddenly become festooned with cast-off shoes.
What can she say? She just likes weird stuff.
AH: It's a big book. How long did it take to research and write? And did you travel to all the locales in the book?
LG: "It took about nine months from start to finish for each book, much like gestating the strangest baby in the world, twice. And I did travel to most of the spots, spending much of last summer and fall gadding about Michigan with camera in hand. There were a few I couldn't get to, but for the most part I was there!"
AH: I liked the entry for the Humungous Fungus that slowly but surely is swallowing the U.P. But what are some of your favorites?
LG: "I love the Dinosaur Gardens in Ossineke (south of Alpena) not only because it's garishly spectacular, but because it embodies the eccentric vision of one rather odd man. Plus, he had his own secret recipe for his sculpture cement, one ingredient of which was deer hair.
"I also like all the creepy road legends, because tiny baby footprints appearing on car windshields and ghosts swinging lanterns at passing cars are just so fun to tell and retell.
"All the outsider artists are dear to my heart since I'm also an artist. I think Kevin Milligan's cairnscapes in Sault Ste. Marie are literally a monumental achievement. They don't teach those skills in school."
AH: Any characters that you met in the course of your research?
LG: "Many characters everywhere. In Crystal Falls, we met an elderly gent known as the town historian who insisted on climbing in the Weirdmobile and giving us a guided tour of the town, including a gully where some murderer was supposed to have hidden a body.
"The Scottville Clown Band was nothing BUT characters. And then there is Captain Jackson, Man of Spandex, who patrols Jackson in his caped crusader suit every night just to make his city a safer place. I could go on and on. Wolverine Staters are a unique bunch, for sure."
AH: Any Flint area stuff in there?
LG: "Holly, of course, is known for its macabre sighting of the Michigan Dog Man by a car repo guy. 'Weird Michigan' does tell the tales of the haunted Capitol Theatre in Flint, the haunted Fenton Hotel just south of Flint, where I ended up with a glob of candle wax on my camera when I wasn't near a candle all evening, the Roselawn Cemetery Thumper in Saginaw, the Saginaw Water Man and Oscoda's Foley Swamp Thing, to name a few in your 'hood."
AH: Is there more weird stuff that you couldn't fit in this book?
LG: "So much more. Lots of good stuff was left out since they could only fit about half to two-thirds of what I sent them, and other things have since come to my attention, so yes there will be another book out next October with a slightly different title."
AH: Was it a fun book to do?
LG: "So fun that I can't stop. Collecting weird people and places is now a total obsession, so I welcome any contributions. Please go to my Web site, www.weirdmichigan.com, where you also will find a few things not in the book, and send me an e-mail!"
AH: Any local bookstore appearances?
LG: "I will be at the Rochester Hills Barnes & Noble on Oct. 8, 3-5 p.m., and we will be creating a mini shoe tree like the large ones in Comins and other places, so please bring old doll or baby shoes to hang on it."
http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/fljo ... thispage=3
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