Last week, Fresh Water participated in a forum entitled "A City of Two Tales: Writing About Cleveland" at the Happy Dog in the Gordon Square Arts District. The event showcased the power of new media to spur civic dialogue and prompted an ongoing debate about telling the city's story to natives and newcomers alike.

The event was organized by Ohio City Writers (OCW), a nonprofit writing center that hosts classes and literary events on Cleveland's west side, and based upon a blog post written by Angie Schmitt of Rust Wire entitled "The Problem with Boosterism."

Following an introduction by OCW Director Frank Lewis, Schmitt kicked off the discussion by offering a critique of pro-Cleveland sentiment in the media and among civic leaders. Northeast Ohio frequently focuses on economic development projects with overstated economic benefits while failing to address genuine problems such as poverty and urban sprawl, she argued. Moreover, she added, Clevelanders often seem unwilling to listen to critiques of regional policymaking, and even become angered by criticisms intended to point out the city's problems.

Other panelists responded by arguing that while Northeast Ohio clearly has a lot of work to do in addressing its problems, the choice between "boosterism" and "realism" represents a false dichotomy. Writing or talking about Cleveland in honest terms typically means walking a fine line between offering a critique of what's wrong with the region and celebrating its successes, they said.

The topic prompted over 100 people to attend the event, which included occasional fights over the mic as well as shout-outs from the bar.

The next day, boosters and non-boosters alike lit up the blogosphere and Facebook with their takes on what happened at the contentious forum. A collection of their blogs can be found on Ohio City Writers' Facebook page.

The event also prompted a discussion about how Clevelanders can convey what's happening here to the national media, who some argued often rely on well-worn narratives about the Rust Belt rather than digging into the region's complexity.

Those looking to join the discussion or participate in future Write to Assemble events (Lewis is planning a poetry slam next) should visit OCW's website.

Source: Ohio City Writers
Writer: Lee Chilcote