Rust Belt reads discussion

I'm new to this site and a Clevelander. This group caught my eye.

I took a peek at some of your lists and have picked up some interesting future titles for my "to read list".

Although I am interested in local history and othe non fiction topics that would relate to life in the Rust Belt, I wonder about "Rust Belt Fiction".

Does anyone have any suggestions for good fiction set in, what I think of as the Rust Belt: Michigan, Ohio and over to Erie/Pittsburgh PA and Buffalo. I have a special interest in Cleveland and the northern part of Ohio.

I have read CROOKED RIVER BURNING by Mark Winegardner. I've also read A SIMPLE PLAN by Scott Smith, which is set in the Toledo area (and calls to mind the flatlands that surrounded me during my college years.) Most of my other Cleveland reading has been of the local history/local crime variety.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Check out AMERICAN RUST by Philipp Meyer. It really gets it. It's set in a rust belt town outside of Pittsburgh and follows a kid's attempt to get out of it. Also, another great rust belt fiction piece is my yet-unpublished novel WE ARE AN OLD TOWN, about a kid who goes to a small rust belt town looking for the story of the awful things his great-grandfather did. You can read about it and read excerpts of it here: http://cstright.wordpress.com/

Caleb wrote: "Check out AMERICAN RUST by Philipp Meyer. It really gets it. It's set in a rust belt town outside of Pittsburgh and follows a kid's attempt to get out of it. Also, another great rust belt fiction p..."

Thanks for the input and suggestions. I will check out your site too. Sorry for the delay in responding. I am really behind on my reading during this time of year.

L

Lori -- I assume you've read the Les Roberts books. How do you like them? I remember them well from when I worked at Booksellers some years back, but I've never given them a try. I love Crooked River Burning, by the way.

Tracy (Cleveland native)

Tracy wrote: "Lori -- I assume you've read the Les Roberts books. How do you like them? I remember them well from when I worked at Booksellers some years back, but I've never given them a try. I love Crooked Riv..."

Yes, I have read some of the Les Roberts books. I like a mystery, but I am more of a 'psychological suspense' sort of person than a procedural mystery reader. I was hoping to find the upper midwest/great lakes version of someone like Dennis Lehane or Richard Russo. I would enjoy reading more about the region as a backdrop to a varied cast of characters going about the business of their daily lives - but with the added challenge of being a Rust Belt dweller!

What I really enjoyed about Crooked River Burning is all the Clevelander "in club' references....like an entire piece dedicated to Dorothy Fuldheim! That 'you have to be from here to get it' sort of thing.

Remind me where Booksellers was! It is driving me nuts, because I remember the name.

I loved the Dorothy Fuldheim chapter too! Should reread the book some time, especially as I'm planning on moving back to Cleveland from DC, once I can find a job, hopefully in my field (nonprofits).

Booksellers was at Shaker Square, in Pavilion Mall in Beachwood (Chagrin Blvd) and Rocky River, near Westgate on Center Ridge. All long gone though!

Thank you! I thought it was at Pavilion Mall. I used to go there with friends in the 80s. Westgate has been totally torn down and rebuilt. (It went from an enclosed mall to a series of strip malls and big box stores.) I live in Lakewood, near that area. But, I was born and raised on the East side.

Good luck with the job search. I'm afraid things are not great here. I was a librarian for 14 years before going on hiatus as a mid-life mom five years ago. I thought it would be relatively easy to get back in. But libraries are in relatively bad shape in Ohio right now and are not hiring. I do have some friends in the non profit sector though. Just have to keep sending out those resumes and hope for something to stick. I'll be out pounding the pavement after my kiddo starts school in the fall.

We need more good folks to return to the North Coast though! So I hope it all works out well on your end.

Belated thanks! I've been out of work for a while in DC, so I'm already dealing with that struggle. Hope the libraries hang in there. Ohio's libraries are better than the ones in Brooklyn and MUCH better than in DC. I used to think all the fussing over how great they were, including the CPL, was local puffery, but I've learned that the reputation is well earned.