The Detroitist

Book excerpt: The Detroitist is an anthology of poems and stories about Detroit written by a daughter of Detroit. Natives of Detroit will recognize the places, faces, and history of their city. Newcomers to Detroit will learn about a Detroit that was and is a real locale, not a media-driven invention. Those returning to the Detroit their parents and grandparents fled will realize that they are not here to save Detroit, but to be saved by their new hometown. Words of hope. Words of grief. Words of joy. Words of sadness. Stories about a long-ago time. Stories about today and tomorrow. The Detroitist is a fascinating combination of poetry and prose that will entertain you, engage you, and educate you. The Detroitist is a book about Detroiters, for Detroiters, written by a Detroiter. If you are not already a Detroiter, The Detroitist will probably make you want to be a Detroiter. The Detroitist is about "Detroit Pride," past, present, and future. Marsha Battle Philpot, known in Detroit as "Marsha Music," was born in Detroit and grew up in Highland Park, Michigan. In 2012, she was awarded a prestigious Kresge Literary Arts Fellowship, and in 2015 she received a Knight Arts Award. She is also recognized as an exemplar of Detroit style.