FASCINATING
PEOPLE OF 2023
20 cool, creative, and community-changing people of northern Michigan By Northern Express Staff & Contributors
Activists and artists. Beekeepers and bird-watchers. Chefs and coaches. Welcome to the 10th anniversary of the Northern Express Fascinating People issue! Here, you’ll find 20 inspiring individuals whose jobs and passion projects have not only taken them all over northern Michigan, but across the world. (And, for one individual, to outer space…at least via sound waves.) With the help of writers Ross Boissoneau, Kierstin Gunsberg, Laurel Manke, Al Parker, and Sarahbeth Ramsey, we bring you the stories of the 2023 Fascinating People.
Jannan Cornstalk
The Water Rights Activist Jannan Cornstalk, a citizen of the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians and founder of Mackinaw City’s Water Is Life Festival, does meaningful work every day to protect our waters. “People take water for granted,” Cornstalk says. “I always say water is our relative. Treat it with the respect you would have for someone you love. It is not a commodity to be controlled or sold; it is something we need to survive.” Five years ago, Cornstalk revived the Water Is Life Festival, a free event held in September in Mackinaw City. The festival celebrates water and our connection to
Mark Goethel The Extreme Videographer
Brianne Farley
The Book Inventor Like a lot of kids, little Brianne Farley couldn’t give a straight answer to “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Author, illustrator, inventor. Unlike most of us though, Farley actually did fulfill that childhood dream when she published Ike’s Incredible Ink in 2013, followed three years later by Secret Tree Fort. As for the aspiration of being an inventor she says, “In a funny way, I think making books is pretty similar to that, too.” While she started her career working for Random House in NYC, Farley eventually migrated back to her hometown of Traverse City to focus on illustration full time, away from the big city hustle and
bustle. Here, she’s found herself enjoying an enthusiastic community of creatives and opportunities to contribute her art through mural work at local mainstays like Dennos Museum Center and the Traverse Area District Library. Wherever her art appears and whatever form her characters take, they’re immediately notable for their diversity and attention to representation, something Farley says is especially important in storytelling. “A story might be about an experience very familiar to the reader, but happening to someone living a very unfamiliar life,” she says. “It might start out familiar—a story just like the reader’s—and wind up somewhere extraordinary. Then, they might start to imagine themselves winding up somewhere extraordinary, too.”
10 • march 06, 2023 • Northern Express Weekly
Mark Goethel has had a camera in his hand for most of his life. Despite plans to become a physical therapist, reaching professional skier status at the X Games qualifiers, and even participating in the U.S. Freeskiing Open, Goethel was born to be a videographer. He knows this, he says, because each time a new opportunity arose, he would naturally fall back into film. His latest milestone: At the beginning of this year, he took a leap of faith to start his own business. Goethel’s favorite project to date has been a film series he started at Mt. Holiday in Traverse City, where he also launched the program BaseCamp, a year-round camp that creates a safe environment to learn stunt-type skills on snowboards, skis, or bikes. From an early age, Goethel’s mom, Kristi, worked at Mt. Holiday alongside other families who raised their kids at the community-centric ski hill. Goethel’s series features those families and their stories. “Kristi’s Story” is the first in the series, a passion project that lends to his full creative direction and skill. “If you’re good at something, find a nonprofit or a person or organization that you support and donate your craft,” Goethel says. “Try new things and experiment. When you donate your time, you can be more explorative and try things without money at stake. That’s how I learned at Mt. Holiday.”
it through music, food, and education. Cornstalk’s goal is to connect people through the festival and to engage with youth, tribes, agencies, and communities. She wants to inspire people to talk with neighbors and friends about the issues impacting our waters. “The youth will inherit what we leave for them, so it is important to get them involved and raise awareness,” Cornstalk says. When asked what the average person can do to protect the Great Lakes and beyond, she encourages everyday action. “Act through your lifestyle. Do not pollute our land and water. Do not buy bottled water. We can make choices in our everyday life as consumers,” Cornstalk says.