An Unexpected Lesson In Boxing and Jack Johnson Through Poetry
Most boxing gyms are battleship grey in color – the painted concrete floors, the duct tape holding together the punching bags, the old sweat-stained tee-shirts of the fighters.
The Second Edition of The Cleveland Anthology
Next month we publish our second edition (and third print run) of Rust Belt Chic: The Cleveland Anthology, with essays by Connie Schultz, Michael Ruhlman, David Giffels, and others. This excerpt is the book’s new introduction.
Midwest Lit: the new nostalgia
Midwestern novels used to bring some news from the territory -- today midwest lit is a nostalgic thing.
The Legacy of Literature in Pittsburgh
A look at how writing and reading local catalyzes culture, and helps cities like Pittsburgh revise their narratives.
The Sun of Knowledge is Beaming Down: Cincinnati’s Mercantile Library
The story of the Mercantile Library, a center of literary life in Cincinnati since 1835.
The Pleasures and Perils of Reading Jim Krusoe
Jim Krusoe has been writing and teaching in Los Angeles for 25 years. But his novels still seem born of a mind from a different planet -- one that looks a lot like Cleveland, Ohio.
Mark Winegardner and the Rust Belt Dilemma
Mark Winegardner and Erick Trickey discuss Rust Belt literature, shifting Midwestern identity, and building a community of readers and writers.
John G and the State of Cleveland Underground Comics
Meet John G, Cleveland comics artist and Genghis Con impresario. And the guy who draws those gorgeous illustrations for Melt Bar and Grilled.
Stewart O’Nan: Pittsburgh’s Novelist Of The Everyday
Among works about the lower rungs of the middle class, Stewart O’Nan’s novels stand out.
Cellar Door Knockin’
We like us some music at Belt, so we're jazzed to announce an intermittent collaboration with Cellar Door Cleveland, an online Cleveland arts and music magazine that thrives to serve as a megaphone for the local arts community.
The Rust Belt Bookshelf
Reads born of fire, steel, and clock-punching.
Getting to the Heat and Light
How Sheila Schwartz helped me find the truth in fiction.