THE BOARDMAN REVIEW

The Spring Issue is here!🌿Get your copy today on our website or at a regional store near you! Links in our bio. // Every once in a while we get a photo submission along with a story that makes us say, “well, that has to be the cover.” And that’s pretty much the case with this one by photographer @faithvanryswyk of sixteen-year old radio DJ and musician @Agnes_Su_ at the @WNMC_radio music archives. We love images that capture people in their happy place, and this one sure feels like just that. 🎶 Also, a BIG thank you to everyone who joined us at @NocturnalBloomBrewing in Traverse City for our Spring Issue Release Party. Your presence, conversations, and continued support mean the world to us—and help drive us and tBR forward with each new issue. We’re especially thankful to Justin Rivard and the entire Nocturnal team for hosting such a vibrant and welcoming evening in truly an epic space that Traverse City and the Northern Michigan community is lucky to have. 🍻

Our film THE LAST TO LEAVE is coming to the 2026 @freshcoastfilm Traverse City festival! The film is part of the “Problem-Solving” shorts block and is showing Friday 12pm at @silversprucebrewing and Sunday 10am at @rightbrainbrewery 🌲 A production from @pointsnorthpodcast & @boardmanreview in partnership with @greatlakesnoworg / @detroitpbs . See below for more about the film. We hope to see you there! “In 2006, Kathleen Knight was doing some research in an Ohio forest. All around her were hundreds of beautiful, healthy ash trees. But when she returned just three years later, it was a completely different scene. “And that was kind of our moment of shock saying, ‘Wow, they’re all dead,’” Kathleen remembered. A destructive, invasive beetle, emerald ash borer, was wiping out ash trees. First across the Great Lakes region and, eventually, all over North America. So, Kathleen left the dead trees, and headed back to her car. That’s when she spotted a single ash tree, alive and thriving in the midst of destruction. At first she was really confused. Why did this tree survive? She had to find the answer to that question, because it could save an entire species from extinction.”

In our Spring Issue, a young woman from Bangladesh signs up for a “trip” to a place called “The UP” not knowing it was actually a wilderness backpacking retreat, but that very first camping experience changed her perspective forever 🌲🌲 Nazma Begum is from Detroit, Michigan, and originally from Bangladesh. She is currently a Social Science major at Michigan State University. An outdoor enthusiast, she loves hiking, snowboarding, and spending time in nature whenever she can. Growing up between cultures has shaped how she sees the world and influences the way she connects with people and new experiences. To read Nazum’s heartwarming story, grab a Spring Issue today from a local retailer near you, check out the list of stockists carrying issues at the link in our bio ✌🏼 Here is an excerpt from Nazum’s story: “Let me tell you about the time my whole perspective on the outdoors changed—an experience I never saw coming. Back in 2021, I stumbled upon an Instagram post from my school club that announced a trip to a place called “The UP.” Honestly, I had no idea what “camping” really meant or where the UP was, but I understood the word “trip” loud and clear. Excited, I asked my mom if I could go, but she said no. We had just moved from Bangladesh during the pandemic, and everything felt so new and overwhelming. We didn’t know much English, and the world outside felt like a mystery. But I wasn’t ready to give up. I convinced my brother to join me, and together we packed our bags as if we were heading to a fancy hotel instead of a camping trip. We stuffed everything we could think of into our backpacks, blissfully unaware of what lay ahead.”

Extra extra! Our FCFF/tc souvenir program - made in collaboration with the @boardmanreview - has just landed in our online merch store. Packed with exclusive artwork, photography, and behind-the-scenes stories from local writers about this year’s festival, it’s a perfect keepsake for our inaugural event. Snag yours today for just $10 online for local pick-up during the fest, or grab a copy at our merch tables at FCFF/tc while supplies last. All festival merch is available to order through the online store at the link in our bio or TC.FreshCoastFilm.com.

It’s the weekend, so grab a Spring Issue and find a spot in the sun to enjoy these warmer days ☀️ get a Spring Issue at one of our amazing local shops & businesses below 👏🏼👇🏼 like @farmclubtc ! (Pictured) @horizonbooks @edsonfarms.tc @outposttc @thefoldedleaf.nomi @olesonsfoodstores (Long Lake Rd.) @farmclubtc @refuge_salon Dog Ears Northport @themillglenarbor @grocersdaughter @readersworldholland @noaathunderbaynms

In our Spring Issue, @sunsetprojectorg is reshaping the narrative of Northeast Michigan through highlighting and supporting its growing creative communities 🌿 Co-founders Gavin MacDonald and Nick Poli will be at our Spring Issue Release Party on April 8th @ 6pm @nocturnalbloombrewing to talk about their story and what the organization is up to currently. We hope to see you there! 🍻 To read more about the Sunset Project’s incredible work taking place in Northeast Michigan, make sure to purchase a copy of the Spring Issue today at the link in our bio ✌🏼 Here is an excerpt from the story: “When we launched the Local Creative Highlight Series, we hoped to find just a couple of individuals doing unique and creative things. We thought, if we could even highlight one, that it would be a step toward helping people see the creative potential Northeast Michigan had to offer. What we found, nearly five years and more than fifteen stories later, is that not only are there more than meets the eye, but they’re all part of a larger community of like-minded creatives. (...) These stories drove home the point that the uncertain view of what this place could be has never come from a lack of potential, but instead, a lack of visibility. At The Sunset Project, we’re committed to changing that narrative by continuing to tell these stories, and support the individuals behind them.”

In our Spring Issue, owner/brewer Justin Rivard of @nocturnalbloombrewing , reflects on grief and grit as he builds not just a brewery, but a gathering place rooted in cooperation, resilience, and shared dreams. Justin and his brewery Nocturnal Bloom in Traverse City will be hosting our Spring Issue Release Party on April 8th from 6pm to 8pm. While Justin and our other contributors will be treating us with readings from their stories, there will be plenty of food, drinks, a little music, and some great conversation as always. We hope to see you all there! Photos by @halliekohler Here is an excerpt from the story: “Why open a brewery in 2025? The non-introspective answer is because it was the next step for me. I have been brewing commercially for 15 years—it makes sense to take ownership. On a more personal level, I felt I could derive joy in the process of making, and even surprising some people with harmonic aromas from ingredients and botanicals. I also knew by creating a gathering space, I would get to interact with others in collaboration, and get to experience the kindness of humanity, as well as fight for causes that are important to myself.”

FESTIVAL COUNTDOWN: We’re officially one month out from the start of the first ever @freshcoastfilm : Traverse City! To celebrate, we’re dropping a brand new trailer for the festival. Who’s ready to start #FreshCoasting? Check out the full program and get your tickets today at TC.FreshCoastFilm.com!

In our Spring Issue, @fieldstone_creative tells the story of a design studio @houseonhorizon and how they are bridging rural England and Northern Michigan through antique sourcing and restoration, revealing how craftsmanship, stewardship, and continuity can create a shared sense of home between two countrysides. To read more of the story behind the design studio House on Horizon, make sure to secure a print subscription today at our shop link in our bio! Below is an excerpt from the story: “The idea for their business came, unexpectedly, in the quiet space of time that follows a long trip with loved ones. Returning from England one evening, exhausted and without groceries at home, they took their children out for a quick meal at Taco Bell. When one of the boys spilled his drink, Sam quickly lost his patience, and his irritated reaction didn’t quite match the moment; it was obvious something else was weighing on him. When Liv asked what was really wrong, the answer was simple. He was homesick. And so, that night, on the back of a Taco Bell napkin, they began sketching out the beginnings of a business plan and a lifestyle structure that might bring two horizons together into one shared sense of home.”

Our Spring Issue Release Party will be April 8th @ 6PM at @nocturnalbloombrewing ! — If you haven’t been yet, it’s a beautiful building and grounds with even better beer, cocktails, and food. As always, our release parties are built around the spirit of the issue itself—storytelling, connection, and community. The night will feature readings from contributors, along with a special music preview from one of our contributors, and plenty of space to connect with friends, collaborators, and fellow readers. The Spring Issue features — Musician @agnes_su_ @fieldstone_creative ’s profile on @hohantiques Justin Rivard of @nocturnalbloombrewing Nick Poli of @sunsetprojectorg Travelogue to the U.P. with Nazma Begum Nonprofit partner - Northwest Michigan Supportive Housing Photo by @halliekohler 👏🏼🙌🏼

We’ve got something special in the works! 🎬

This past weekend, our film The Last to Leave was a finalist in the Sanctuary Selections Film Competition at the @tbiff_alpena film festival! Many thanks to the guys at @sunsetprojectorg for having us & their generous hospitality, and it was such a great experience meeting all the other talented filmmakers from different parts of the Midwest and beyond. The Last to Leave was a co-production with @pointsnorthpodcast & @greatlakesnoworg . We’ll be releasing it online soon, so stay tuned! Photos 1 & 4 by @bethmilligan , thanks!