1946 / Detroit Yes!

We here at SHEI have a soft spot for Detroit. Maybe it’s the proximity to U of M’s campus, or maybe it’s the ghosts of glamor past we like to think walk the streets (believe it or not, Detroit was once referred to as the “Paris of the West”).  We like to keep at eye out for the Motor City’s appearances in the media, particularly when they are not focused on the, however artistic, demise of the city. Apparently, SHEI is not the only one to feel this way. The fine folk at Slate and their cohorts at Longform.org compiled a guide to the Renaissance City (another unfortunately archaic nickname), highlighting Detroit’s appearances in journalism over the years. With selections from Vanity Fair, Harper’s, Sports Illustrated, Time and GQ, it’s quite the eclectic profile of city’s vast history.

Max Linksy, at Slate,  says,

“Writers like to write about Detroit’s demise. Photographers love to photograph it. The city’s failings have been so thoroughly and sensationally documented, journalism critics have even given the genre a name: ruin porn. And while the tale of Detroit certainly includes its decay—Rebecca Solnit’s 2007 article for Harper’s is the definitive piece on the subject—these five stories hit the full arc of the Motor City: its rise, its heyday, its fall, and its future.”

Check out the full compilation here.