The Urban Rural
When I have written about Roseland it is usually about tragedy and trauma as the result of generations of neglect. When I tell white people where I live, their response always begins with a recollection
Our Bungalow on Braile
More than anything, my dad talks about the trees. How branches reached up and intertwined over the street to block out the sun. Turned the street into a tunnel. You couldn’t see the sky. Same thing on every block he and his four younger brothers would have walked. Trees taller than all the Warrendale bungalows.
Blue City, Red State: Call For Submissions
Blue City, Red State is forthcoming anthology from Belt Publishing, to appear in October 2018. We’re collecting essays about living blue in a red state—whatever that means to you
Preorder Bonus for The Detroit Neighborhood Guidebook
Preorder The Detroit Neighborhood Guidebook from Belt today and you'll not only be the first on your block to get your copy, it will come with a sweet bonus: a hand-drawn map of Detroit by Alex B. Hill.
Call for Submissions: The Columbus Anthology!
Although Columbus is the capital city of the state of Ohio, it does not live in the national imagination the way older Ohio cities, such as Cincinnati and Cleveland, do. They have secured a distinct cultural presence for themselves, while Columbus is still becoming - and rapidly.
A New Book By Cleveland Teens, And Belt’s Publishing Services
Over the past few months, Belt Publishing has been working with Lake Erie Ink: a writing space for youth, to produce a book. Home / Away from Home: A Collection of Writing By Cleveland Teens will be available June 2.
Buffalo, New York’s Midwest Identity
Buffalo, NY isn't always considered to be part of the Midwest, but in Belt Publishing's How To Speak Midwestern, author Edward McClelland defines the area as the land west of Exit 41 on the New York State Thruway, east of the Missouri River, and north of the Ohio River.
Judge A Book By Its Cover
Let me be honest. I judge books by their covers. I mean, not entirely — it’s never stopped me from reading a good book — but it has tipped me over the edge and led me to buy a book I was on the fence about, or made my decision easier when I had to choose between two books.
Introduction to the Detroit Neighborhood Guidebook
No matter how many books are done about Detroit, it’s still impossible to capture this city’s ethos into a finite number of pages. But damn if we don’t come close sometimes.
Introduction: Beyond The Belt
Chicago is built on a foundation of meat and railroads and steel, on opportunity and exploitation. But while its identity long ago expanded beyond manufacturing ...
Making Music in Buffalo
Our story begins with a chance meeting in Buffalo at Nietzsche’s. It was a winter Sunday afternoon in 1988 and both of our groups were scheduled to play together.
The Whiskey Rebellion and the Rebirth of Rye: A Pittsburgh Story
Coming in November 2017 from Belt Publishing, Meredith Meyer Grelli's The Whiskey Rebellion and the Rebirth of Rye: A Pittsburgh Story is [...]