Support independent writing by and for the Rust Belt. Become a member today. »
(Cancel anytime.)
Independent, context-driven regional writing. Support Belt Magazine today. »
(Cancel anytime.)
More Stories
H.H. Lewis, a Rebel Poet in the Bootheel
Lewis had a way with language that spoke to the unlettered and unread—the key of which lay in slang and vulgarity.
Episode Three – Inferno at Whiting
And there’s a thing that happens when you get into the Calumet region—that’s the name for the area on the southern shore of Lake Michigan, stretching across northwest Indiana and up into south Chicago. Because it has a distinctive smell, an industrial odor.
Bard in the Belt
That observation made me wonder if there might not be something particularly “Shakespearean” about the Rust Belt, the arc of success and devastation, the clashing of all of those villainous characters during the Gilded Age and the nobility of those who resisted them, and the narrative culmination of the post-industrial landscape as blasted as Lear’s heath.
Episode Two – Remember the Triangle
Fire!: An American Burning is a five-episode podcast series that delves into the stories of twentieth and twenty-first century industrial fires in American cities and their profound connection to contemporary climate crisis, produced by Belt Magazine and hosted by Ryan Schnurr. Today's episode delves into New York's deadly Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911.
“There are Queer Children Here”
Despite the anti-gay themes that prevailed in our education, in the community, and from our faculty, dozens of St. Raphael alumni identify as LGBTQ. This population, which has spread out across the country, proves that queer identity is an unshakeable force of nature.
Derby Season is Almost Over
The thing about derby fans and derby drivers and derby organizers is that they are incredibly “in” on the joke, whatever jokes that can be made about them and their chosen vocation.
Episode One – Fire on the Cuyahoga
Fire!: An American Burning is a five-episode podcast series that delves into the stories of [...]
Book Bans Have Reached Greater Pittsburgh’s Boardrooms and Ballots
Clashes around censorship have pitted parents against educators, and against each other, while outside funding raises the stakes.
The Queer Witches of Appalachia
"We have not given up our traditions and our culture just because we are witches or LGBTQ! We are proud Appalachians; we are proud witches."
We Got Jellyfish!
Freshwater jellyfish have been in inland lakes and rivers throughout the Great Lakes region since 1933. But a century after their discovery, we still don’t know much about the elusive creatures. A team of student scientists is trying to change that.
The Witches of Columbus
Columbus, Ohio, and its surrounding area is home to a wealth of these businesses and organizations, from Druidry stores to classic metaphysical shops. In Columbus and Ohio at large, the magic is strong.
Get the latest stories from around the region sent straight to your inbox.
Get the latest stories from around the region sent straight to your inbox.
Support independent, context-driven regional writing.