In 1977, Whitley Hill arrived as a freshman at U-M and met her roommate: a talented, eccentric dynamo named Madonna. Hill’s new book remembers the girl who would become an icon.

How does a performer lift herself to world-class status? And how can she help students create real art? Geri Allen, inheritor of Detroit’s great piano traditions and one of the world’s great pianists, offers the secrets to her students at U-M.

A new anthology of US poets laureate gathers the best poems of some of America’s best poets. Among them: four geniuses who taught at U-M.

Their story sounds like something from Broadway: talented students create a funny, larky musical about a child wizard, and perform it in a campus basement. Videos go viral, there’s a sequel, international acclaim. One member lands a role on “Glee.” How did it happen?

Acclaimed poet, teacher and translator Khaled Mattawa has been awarded a United States Artist Fellowship for 2010. The Academy of American Poets called Mattawa “one of the most original, lyrical and intellectually challenging poets of his generation.”

Jim Morrison bombs at the homecoming dance –- and changes rock history.

Even the youngest Holocaust survivors, like Dr. Emanuel Tanay, are reaching their 80s. What does it mean to have lived, and to remain a witness to one of history’s great atrocities?

‘Answer This!’ is a sweet, smart romantic comedy. It’s also a movie-maker’s love letter to Michigan. Director Chris Farah tells the story of coming back to his alma mater to film his first feature, starring Christopher Gorham, Arielle Kebbel and legendary professor Ralph Williams.

Plus: Play the Michigan Today trivia game for a chance to win an ‘Answer This!’ Ralph Williams t-shirt!

How Dwayne McDuffie created some of the comics’ first black superheroes, invented the first heroic clean-up crew, and keeps kids TV icon Ben 10 in business.