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
“The Whiskey Rebellion and the Rebirth of Rye” Now Available for Pre-Order
The Whiskey Rebellion and the Rebirth of Rye: A Pittsburgh Story By Mark Meyer and [...]
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
Men Of Steel
Lorain, Ohio used to be louder. In the steel corridor, along West 28th, you’d hear the roar of the blast furnace from inside U.S. Steel’s plant, the melting of iron ore into hot slabs or billets, the ding of pipe crashing down off the lifts.
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.
The N-Word: Let’s Cease and Desist
Comedian Bill Maher said it last Friday night on live TV. Now, an official with the Genesee County Land Bank in Flint has resigned after an audio recording of him saying it was posted online. I am, of course, talking about each man’s use of the n-word.
Trump Isn’t Pittsburgh’s President
First he came for the cast of Hamilton, but I did not speak out, for I am not in the cast of Hamilton. Then he came for Meryl Streep, but I did not speak out, for I am not certified national treasure Meryl Streep.
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.
How to Win Reparations
Somewhere between his 12th and 13th hour inside a Chicago Police interrogation room, Lindsey Smith decided to confess to a murder he didn’t commit. The year was 1972. Multiple officers had pistol-whipped, stomped on and beaten him, again and again.
Beyond ‘White Flight’
What the history of one Cleveland neighborhood can teach us about race and housing inequality.
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.