Features
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.
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.”
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.
Raymond Saunders Creates His Own Language
Saunders grew up in Pittsburgh’s Hill District and attended Saturday art classes at the very museum that houses his first major retrospective exhibition.
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.
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.
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.
Ebony Magazine at 5619 South State St., Chicago
That the building has endured is, in its own small way, a testament to Ebony’s lasting legacy, Chicago’s rich Black business and literary history, and the continued tenacity of Washington Park’s residents.
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.
St. Louis’ Skate Sanctuary
Built under the South Kingshighway Viaduct, a newly demolished elevated roadway that once divided the neighborhood, a community of skaters constructed a skatepark.
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