The Susan Lane Foundation (SLF) was co-founded by siblings Anne Bastow Heraghty and Joe Bastow in 2013. Its goal is to create and highlight literary events in Northeast Michigan. SLF is committed to honoring community support, growing opportunities for individuals to find their voice, and to celebrating the written word through performance, readings and shared appreciation.

Susan Lane Bastow, for whom the foundation is named, is the late aunt of the co-founders. She was an artist and a founding member of Art in the Loft in downtown Alpena. Though her primary medium was photography, she explored compositions in a variety of forms: quilting, sewing, graphic arts, writing, food and music. She was accepting, encouraging, tenacious.  It was through her lens that many aspired to pursue the arts. Her passionate commitment to self-expression and tireless support of venues where the arts can be celebrated serves as the inspiration for the foundation's mission.