My New Novel about Detroit in the 60s

[Susan Messer]

I've been reading posts in this forum for quite a while, but am just posting today for the first time. I admire the interest and passion and grit in evidence in this forum. I grew up in Detroit, but work and family took me to Chicago about 25 years ago. In reflecting about the city as I wrote and researched my novel, I settled on Rodin's Thinker, in front of the DIA, as the operative symbol, trying to puzzle out exactly what had happened.

My novel, Grand River and Joy, published by University of Michigan Press will be released on July 1. The title refers to the intersection where my main character's business is located, but it also refers to intersections in general--between races, classes, neighborhoods, and generations. Chris Walton has a piece about it in the Free Press today.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...=2009906280305

One thing I love about my novel is the cover. The image was taken by Detroit photographer Bill Rauhauser in the 50s or 60s. You can see it on my website http://www.susanmesser.net/

Bill is 90 years old, and when I tracked him down to ask him whether we could use his image on the cover, he said, "Why I used to sell newspapers on that corner when I was 10 years old."