Voices from the Rust Belt

Trubek, the founder of Belt Publishing, presents 24 essays by current and former residents of the Rust Belt states that explore the region’s postindustrial decline, as well as its resilience. One writer vividly recalls white flight to the suburbs in Detroit in the 1960s, and a present-day Flint, Mich., resident describes the cold dread of bathing a child in contaminated water. In a heartbreaking and urgent take on the opioid crisis, a Pennsylvania writer chronicles his efforts to gain custody of his daughter from her heroin-addicted mother. More than one essayist upbraids urban gentrifiers—the “armies of confused Williamsburg rejects” who elevate rents and push longtime (often older, nonwhite) residents out of their neighborhoods. In a moment of modest celebration, an Ohio resident chooses to elaborate on the state’s gritty reputation with an ode to the dingiest gay bar in Cincinnati. These essays go a long way toward expanding the narrative about the Rust Belt in that they refute stereotypes, explore a vastly varied series of experiences, and provide a valuable history lesson on industrialism. [em](Apr.) [/em]