Book Description

An evocative collection of essays, poetry, photography and more from some of Akron, Ohio’s best authors, artists, and activists.

Historical Context

Between 1910 and 1920, Akron, Ohio, tripled in size, making it the fastest growing city in the United States. Its period of rapid growth coincided with the expansion of the rubber and tire industry, which in turn corresponded with the automobile boom. But since the mid-1970s, industry has abandoned Akron, and the city has lost thirty-one percent of its population. Once-opulent neighborhoods are now swaths of abandoned homes, and the factories that made Akron the Rubber Capital of the World lie dormant.

About the Collection

Edited by Jason Segedy, and bringing together established writers like Rita Dove and David Giffels with the work of emerging voices, The Akron Anthology collects essays, poems, and photographs from the writers, artists, and activists who call Akron home. Here you’ll find stories that include:

• The diaries of a doorman
• The trials and triumphs of refugees who have relocated to the city
• A portrait of Jamie Stillman, world-renowned effects pedal manufacturer
• Archie the talking snowman.