The Gary Anthology

by Samuel A Love

Overview

Once the second-largest city in Indiana, and home to the world's largest steel mill, Gary has suffered and shrunk greatly in the postindustrial global economy. Large swathes of its land are urban prairie, and a recent survey found a quarter of Gary's built environment is in a dilapidated or dangerous condition. But Gary is also a center of Black culture and political power, it is home to the Indiana Dunes National Park and globally rare ecosystems. Union, community organizing, and environmental justice struggles based in Gary have profoundly shaped social and political life in the United States. It is the setting for everyday joys and tragedies, and very much alive. Edited by Gary native Samuel Love, The Gary Anthology complicates standard narratives about steel, violence, race, and urban decay. Collected here are the voices of not only the essayist, poet, and journalist but also the graffiti writer, the minister, the activist, the singer, the organizer, and of course, the steel worker. The very people who are themselves hard at work reshaping the city from the bottom up.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781948742757
Publisher:	Belt Publishing
Publication date:	09/15/2020
Series:	Belt City Anthologies
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Samuel A. Love is an artist, community organizer, and educator. He lives in Gary, Indiana.

Table of Contents

Introduction Samuel Love 9

Of Family and Legends

Can Any Good Come Out of Gary? Absolutely Yes! Dena Holland Neal 14

Seeing Through the Window of Time Marie Siroky 22

Arc of a Diver Tracey Lewis 25

John Grisby Kym Mazelle 27

Across the Quad Jessica Peterson Rogers 29

The Ruins Daniel Summers 32

Roy Boy Tim Svetly 35

Healthy in the Hood Maya Etienne 37

Steel

Gary 1919: An Untold Story of Racial Solidarity Ruth Needleman 42

Untitled Noel Ignatiev 51

The Human Toll of the Steel Mill Joseph S. Pete 53

Appalachian Apologia Jeff Manes 58

Photographs Raymar Brunson 62

Gary Poetry

Black Mecca Alva "Gem of Shaolin" Wilson 70

Untitled tynlvae taylor 71

Privilege of Hope Kirssy Mosley 72

"When asked to describe Gary in your own words" Dylan Hollingsworth 73

#NotMiserableinGary Latrice Young 74

Delaney Curtis Crisler 75

I Am From: Gary, Indiana Lydia Johnson 77

The Return of Ben and Jerry Awanii Nicholson 78

Stories of the Land and Environment

What I Gained by Moving to Gary Terra "Poetry 'N' Motion" Cooks 82

The Spring at Small Farms Kay Westhues 86

Walking the Divided Coast: Gary to Miller Beach Michael McColly 98

The Ligtning Horse Liquors Couch Deb Weiss 104

Lost Keys John L. Harris 105

Around Town

A Most Violent Year Scott Cannon The Khemist 110

The G.I.B. Graffiti Block Gerry "Omen74" Guevara 120

The Green Grass Lillian Duggan 123

The 1972 National Black Political Convention in Gary Nicole Poletika 129

The Journey Home Ryan Flemming 134

Now and Next: The Future of Gary, Indiana

Malcolm X Boulevard Kwabena Sakidi Jijaga Rasuli 150

LiveArts Studio Desiree' Simpson 157

Nana's House Devin Hall 161

Decay Devils Tyrell Anderson 165

End Notes

Contributors 169

Acknowledgements 176

Editorial Reviews

"Forged to purposely complicate standard narratives about the Steel City. As well as about urban violence, poverty, race, art and decay through the discerning voices of Gary residents–a poet, minister, activist, graffiti artist, photographer and steelworker, among more than two dozen others... Gary has always had crime, violence, corruption and coverups, with most victims living in the shadows within its marginalized populations. However, the new anthology points out that the former “Magic City” is one of the few places in the Calumet Region that can claim a century-long history of multi-racial, anti-racist organizing."—Jerry Davich, Northwest Indiana Post Tribune

"A strong series of personal essays, historical exploration, nature writing, and photography. ... Love’s anthology gathers [Gary's] resilience without shying away from the city’s hard realities."—Garin Cycholl, Chicago Review of Books

From the Publisher