Support independent writing by and for the Rust Belt. Become a member today. »
COMMENTARY
From Pretoria to Peoria
There’s a neologism that I’d propose for the often-radical international activism that comes from non-coastal college towns that are too often easily ignored – midwestern cosmopolitanism.
From Pretoria to Peoria
There’s a neologism that I’d propose for the often-radical international activism that comes from non-coastal college towns that are too often easily ignored – midwestern cosmopolitanism.
COMMENTARY
Charles “Teenie” Harris’s Photographs Make Space for Joy
One of Harris’s many gifts was his ability to capture expressions---smiles, scowls, and all the nuances in between.
Charles “Teenie” Harris’s Photographs Make Space for Joy
One of Harris’s many gifts was his ability to capture expressions---smiles, scowls, and all the nuances in between.
Independent, context-driven regional writing. Support Belt Magazine today. »
More Stories
Portrait of a Girl Who Was Raised by a Chicken
A poem by Lauren Crawford.
Is Ohio Literature a Thing? Should it Be?
No one flatly states that they can’t sell books with Midwestern settings, but it isn’t hard to notice that the flaws they do mention—too tragic, too many characters, not up-to-date—seem perfectly acceptable for novels set in an eastern urban environment or somewhere in Europe.
Art and Radicalism in St. Louis
Trump’s election was just one of a global turn rightward. Anti-democratic, illiberal, proto-fascist political movements were gaining ground internationally. Even still, eight years later, the Midwest and the Rust Belt are regarded as at the center and engine of the neo-reactionary and radical right-wing movements today.
On the banks of the Olentangy River
A poem by lizzie sparks.
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.
All You Fascists are Bound to Lose
A song by Woody Guthrie.
Despair is a Luxury That We Can’t Afford
What is there now? There is the power of hope, the power of community, of solidarity, of neighborly commitment.
Justice, Vigilance, and the American Conscious
American exceptionalism is a one-way ticket to xenophobia. Vigilance is our path to restorative justice. Choose wisely.
Help Us Keep Sharing Real Voices from the Rust Belt
With your help, we can raise the funding to keep our independent publication strong.
The Terrible Towel is Poised to Strike
We love it because it's authentic, not handed out by some bank or corporation -- a giveaway fit for nothing greater than cleaning the car. Cope's Towel is bigger than that. It is a part of our history and Pittsburghers love nothing more than hometown history.
Two Poems by Joseph Goosey
Two poems by Joseph Goosey.
Get the latest stories from around the region sent straight to your inbox.
From the Archives
Get the latest stories from around the region sent straight to your inbox.
Support independent, context-driven regional writing.