Watch Bridge Culture Club talk of 'Shadows Beyond the Pines'
- On Wednesday, Bridge Michigan hosted its latest Culture Club, a discussion of ‘Shadows Beyond the Pines’
- The book is a historical account documenting the achievements of Black families in Newaygo County
- Author Dianna Cross Toran spoke about the book and answered readers’ questions
Bridge Michigan’s Culture Club continued Wednesday, as more than 50 readers joined author Dianna Cross Toran for a discussion of her book, "Shadows Beyond the Pines.”
The nonfiction book recounts the lesser-known history of Woodland Park, a resort community that blossomed starting in the 1920s and helped bring Black infrastructure, businesses and institutions to rural Michigan.
During the conversation, Toran shared insights about her personal connection to Woodland Park, her journey researching oral narratives and family photographs, and her decision to structure the book as interconnected family stories.
She also discussed the extensive networks of prominent Black professionals, activists, and entertainers who found sanctuary and community in this "shadow" resort and its complex legacy.
Watch the video here:
Bridge Michigan hosts bimonthly discussions on books with ties to Michigan. More than 400 members received a free copy of “Shadows Beyond the Pines.” If you would like free electronic copies of future selections, join Bridge today.
This was our third 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.
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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, and the short story collection “Enough to Lose” by RS Deeren.
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