Orange Alert. Writer on Writer. Hyatt. Tanzer. Wonderbar.

It's true, we are hitting that. That being the Orange Alert. The Hyatt. And the Writer on Writer interview thing. So please do hit that as well, and enjoy some excerpt, it does a heart good.

Please tell us five things we need to know about Michigan if we are to truly grasp the goodness that is Birch Hills @ World's End. Also, please note that you are under no obligation to reference Kid Rock or the Fab Five. Really.

In terms of what you should know about the state, well, it has its rough edges and sometimes gets called “Canada’s Alabama,” but it’s a much prettier and more vibrant place than most folks realize. Distance there is measured in driving time. For example, things are 20 minutes away, or an hour north, and so on. Growing up, I assumed every adult knew how to drive and everyone over seven knew how to swim. The fact that this isn’t true for the entire country still messes with me, because two fundamentals of being alive in Michigan are water and cars. The state is home to Vernor's Ginger Ale, called a "regional thing of beauty and unending quality" by Eve Babitz. What else? Alice Cooper and Ted Nugent still get regular rotation on the radio there.That’s five things, I think.