taaBetween 1910 and 1920, Akron, Ohio, was the fastest growing city in the United States, tripling in size and exploding from a population of 69,000 to 208,000. Its period of rapid growth coincided with the expansion of the rubber and tire industry, which, in turn, corresponded with that of the automobile industry. But since the mid-1970s, industry has abandoned Akron, and the city has lost 31% of its population. Once-opulent neighborhoods are now swaths of abandoned homes; the factories that made Akron the Rubber Capital of the World lie dormant. What happened? What next? The Akron Anthology aims to find out.

Edited by Jason Segedy, with an introduction by David Giffels, The Akron Anthology features contributions from Drew Poulsen, Rita Dove, Denise Grollmus, State Rep. Emilia Sykes, and many others.

The Akron Anthology publishes in September, 2016, but you can pre-order your copy today — and keep your eyes peeled for excerpts in the coming months here on Belt!

Table of Contents

Here on the Ground: An Introduction
David Giffels

“When Are You Coming Home?”
Pat Jarrett

A Tavern in the Shire
L.S. Quinn

Simple Needs
Greg Milo

The Ghosts I Run With
Matt Tullis

For New Refugees, Akron is More Than a Place, It’s a Home
Maria Mancinelli

Cool But Not Too Cool: The Allure of Akron
Roza Maille

The Doorman Diaries
Jeff Shearl

Akron’s Audio Alchemist
Andrew Poulsen

Confessions of a Rust Belt Orphan (Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Akron)
Jason Segedy

RIP Unknown Skeletal Remains
Jenny Conn

Archie the Snowman
Joanna Wilson

Major Steps
Rita Dove

Butts Up
Mike Gruss

You’ll Find It Off Market Street
Eric Wasserman

The Capital of West Virginia
Patricia Fann

A Happy, Happy Jesus Hello
Matthew Meduri

BF
Liesl Schwabe

Foreclosures and Vampire Devils: A Guide to Buying a Home in Akron
Chris Drabick

Snapshots From a Rock ’n’ Roll Marriage
Denise Grollmus

Bombing Run
Kyle Cochrun

There’s No Place Like Home
Emilia Sykes

Postscript: Hail to the King
Matt Stansberry