The Sky Belongs to Him – Roberto Clemente’s Poetry

"Baseball is poetry in motion." This phrase, one I use a lot, though it might elicit an arched eyebrow from those unfamiliar with the nuances of either pursuit, perfectly encapsulates the grace with which Clemente played the game. His elegant movements in right field, his powerful swing glorified in stanzas, and his laser-like throws from the outfield demonstrated an athletic artistry that few players have matched.

2025-06-26T08:03:55-04:00June 19, 2025|

A Rust Belt Poetry Renaissance

"We can be of our region and communities while also being part of a larger thing—whether that be American poetry, university press publishing, or just publishing in general.”

2025-06-12T15:52:13-04:00June 5, 2025|

Psychoanalysis in the Midwest

It’s difficult to associate the Freudian couch with anything other than a New York shrink catering to that unique kind of neurosis that afflicts the upper-crust of the cosmopolitan metropole. However, a good portion of the 100+ LACKers were non-academics—social workers, activists, Amazon Warehouse workers, even a Midwestern pastor, many of whom did not have a graduate degree and most originating from the Midwest.

2025-06-09T08:26:31-04:00June 2, 2025|

An Ohio Teacher Behind Confederate Lines

Lucy’s is not a white savior story. It’s a complex story about Black emancipation and white allyship, and how in the fight for justice and equity, the best of intentions is absolutely necessary, but often not enough. It’s about how history calls us to follow in their footsteps, but also find ways to do better.

2025-05-28T20:48:20-04:00April 6, 2025|

Ohio Pie – Columbus Style Pizza Pioneers

Thanks to Massey’s passion for and proselytization of thin dough and introduction of pepperoni, Columbus pizzerias had developed a distinct style and taste all their own: thin, yeasted crust; a sweet leaning sauce; provolone cheese; generous toppings; party-cut, rectangular pieces; and for some, a cornmeal dusted crust so the dough wouldn’t stick to the deck oven surface.

2024-12-29T21:44:56-05:00December 23, 2024|

Shaft in Cleveland

Tidyman may have taken a dim view of his hometown (an anonymous former co-worker said, “He talked about Cleveland like it was a birth defect”), but even he could appreciate its dramatic possibilities.

2024-12-02T07:51:22-05:00November 25, 2024|

Lincoln and Douglas are Still in Illinois

While coastal politicos like to believe that large decisions must be made within sight of an ocean, reality differs:  It was in seven frontier towns carved from the Old Northwest -- our Midwest – that the idea that “A house divided against itself cannot stand” was given shape and form. All else flowed from that.

2024-10-21T09:08:26-04:00October 17, 2024|

Wisconsin’s Wooden Skyscrapers

But the biggest and most transformative benefit of mass timber is invisible. Since trees absorb and store CO2 as they grow, they have the potential to sequester carbon at scale — if harvested responsibly. Buildings could go beyond net-zero and achieve negative emissions.

2024-10-02T14:30:53-04:00September 26, 2024|

Improvising Milwaukee and Jazz

Milwaukee’s actually representative in many ways of jazz in other cities. “It’s probably no different than any other Midwest city.... you have these smaller midsize, Midwest cities like Columbus, Ohio, and Milwaukee, and Cleveland. They have this great history, but it’s largely unacknowledged by the greater folks that are interested in jazz.”

2024-09-23T09:25:06-04:00September 19, 2024|