Hey, Detroiters! Welcome back to Culture Canvas.
Last week, I had the chance to talk to Detroit poet and Cass Tech teacher Brittany Rogers. The native east sider has had a lot to celebrate lately — her debut poetry collection “Good Dress” came out in October. The book is a coming of age of sorts, as Rogers comes into her own as a young adult writing about topics like womanhood, class, family and of course, the city of Detroit and how it’s changed over time.
Earlier this month, Rogers found out “Good Dress” was nominated for a NAACP Image Award for outstanding literary work. The 56th annual ceremony takes place Feb. 22 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, Calif., and will air at 8 p.m. on BET and CBS.
Rogers told me about her reaction to the award news, as well as the creative process behind “Good Dress,” which had been years in the making.
Editor’s note: This transcript was lightly edited for length and clarity.
BridgeDetroit: What was going through your mind when you found out the news?
Rogers: The person who told me (poet Omotara James) also was nominated and I thought that she mistook me for somebody else. She sent me the post and was like, “Congrats!” And I was like, “Maybe she got my name mixed up.” So, I kept looking down the list, expecting to see some songwriter named Brittany Rogers or something like that. It was a big surprise.
BridgeDetroit: Are you attending the ceremony?
Rogers: I am not. They (NAACP) were having a brunch, but they canceled it to direct the funds towards the LA (wildfires). And the announcements for our category is virtual.
BridgeDetroit: How long have you been working on “Good Dress?”
Rogers: Since about 2017. It used to have a different title, and then around 2020, it became a very different collection.
BridgeDetroit: What were some of the changes you made for the collection?
Rogers: The first draft had a lot more to do with motherhood and were more emotionally distant from where I was. It was a less vulnerable collection.
I always say that the umbrella to my writing is the idea of audacity. I think that’s something that I’m fascinated by, like, how much risk it takes to make something happen, or how much boldness you need to make a certain thing happen. So, I think my audacity was probably the thing that I was really invested in.
BridgeDetroit: You write about some heavy topics in “Good Dress,” like the lack of a relationship with your father in “Elegy” and abusive relationships in “Intake Form.” Was it hard to share those personal stories?
Rogers: It’s hard to be a poet and not tell the truth or not be transparent. And I think that vulnerability, at least in poetry, is really important to me. It’s not what I’m the best at in real life, but I think I’m better at it in writing.
BridgeDetroit: In the poem, “Doin’ Too Much,” you talk about Detroit and our special brand of fashion. What are some other ways Detroit is highlighted in the book?
Rogers: I think a lot about adornment. I think a lot about land, about gentrification. There are a few poems in the book that are thinking about places that my family used to live that don’t exist anymore. Lycaste and Vernor is where my family’s neighborhood was and now there’s a Chrysler (Stellantis) plant there. So, very much thinking about the history of the land and what things are removed and then what things stay in and how we maintain those stories of the things that are removed.
BridgeDetroit: What was the publishing process like?
Rogers: They (Tin House) do an open submission for poetry every May and they were open for 36 hours. You have to submit the first 20 pages of your manuscript. In the end, if they’re interested, then they’ll request the full thing. I didn’t know anybody or anything like that. I just sent in my first 20 pages and then the editor wrote me back months later. It took a little bit, maybe four or so months, but she wrote back and said that she was interested.
BridgeDetroit: Are you hosting any book talks this year?
Rogers: Yeah, I’m still scheduling things. I took a break for the winter because you just never know what the weather is gonna be like. But I’ll start scheduling more things for the spring and summer!
BridgeDetroit: What do you hope readers take from the book?
Rogers: I hope that people lean into whatever they feel like is the most audacious version of themselves.
As always, have a great week!
Cheers,
Micah
313 Scene
- BridgeDetroit reporters Jena Brooker and Malachi Barrett wrote about ice hockey group Detroit Ice Boiz and the beloved Belle Isle tradition they keep alive.
- The Detroit ministry group Jesus and Tea Ministries recently took a tour of the Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills, coinciding with International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Monday.
- Pop star Katy Perry is coming to Little Caesars Arena Aug. 3 for her first Detroit show in eight years. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday on Ticketmaster, following a presale window for Citi card holders and Verizon customers 10 a.m. Tuesday through 10 p.m. Thursday.
- Michigan Science Center’s “Tyrannosaurs – Meet the Family” exhibit will stick around through the end of May. The traveling show opened in Detroit in October and was initially set to run through mid-January. The exhibition features life-size displays, skeleton casts and fossils. That includes one of the most complete T. rex skeletons in the world, standing 15 feet tall and dubbed “Scotty.” (Detroit Metro Times)
- New comedy spot The Comedy Bar is set to open Feb. 14 on the lower level of The Norwood, a refurbished historic theater redeveloped in 2023 at 6531 Woodward Ave. in Detroit’s New Center area. It’s the first location outside of Chicago for the comedy club chain, which was founded in 2011. (Detroit Metro Times)
What’s Going on in the D?
- The Fisher Theatre is kicking off the Detroit run of the Broadway show, “Hadestown,” on Tuesday. The Tony-award-winning musical intertwines two mythic tales — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice and of King Hades and his wife Persephone — as it invites the audience on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. Tickets begin at $81 with the play running until Sunday.
- The Carr Center is opening its latest exhibit, “Everyday People,” with a reception 6-8 p.m. Friday. A partnership between the Detroit and Dayton chapters of the NAACP, the show features more than 40 artists and more than 100 works that capture ordinary moments in life. Part one of the exhibit runs until April 11 and then part two will run April 25 to June 19.
- Dive bar The Old Miami is celebrating its 45th anniversary in the Cass Corridor Saturday with its first annual Lugefest. Attendees can enjoy iced cocktails from liquor brands Crown Royal, Jameson, Jack Daniels, Absolut, Bacardi and more. The night will also include winter games and prizes as well as musical performances. Tickets are $20, which includes access to the patio and seven iced cocktails. Ticket proceeds will benefit Little Blessings Veteran and Community Outreach.
- Comedian and radio show host Rickey Smiley will deliver laughs at the Sound Board inside MotorCity Casino Hotel 8 p.m. Sunday. Tickets begin at $47.