There’s no feeling like finishing a book that pulls you in so completely that you want to learn more about who wrote it — only to learn they’re from the very place you grew up.
The local authors on this list write in ways that are unique, enthralling and all-around immersive. They hit a multitude of age ranges and demographics and write in a way that inspires even the most stubborn anti-readers to engage in a book. They tell stories about grumpy polar bears, rowdy roommates and plenty more.
We are constantly being encouraged to consume locally made products, but are you reading books by authors who may live — or have spent time in — your backyard? Who help boost our local arts scene and make our region eclectic, even if they no longer live locally, because they represent the rich culture that comes from Ohio? If the answer to these questions is “no,” this month’s Words on the Street is a great place to start.
1. Rita Dove (poetry)
Rita Dove is a powerhouse of a writer with a resume I’m convinced could span the entire Midwest. Some highlights of this Akron-born writer’s career are her stints as the U.S. Poet Laureate, a position that required her to promote poetry across the United States, and as the Poet Laureate of the Commonwealth of Virginia. She was awarded both the National Humanities Medal and the National Medal of Arts, the only poet to ever receive both. Dove is now a professor at the University of Virginia.
Dove’s work engages with current events and our political climate, something especially prominent in her most current collection, “Playlist for the Apocalypse.” This collection highlights how seemingly unrelated time periods connect and how those echoes affect our view of history. She writes about the similarities between 16th century Venice and the Black Lives Matter movement as well as the ties between Roe v. Wade and the rise of neofascism. The collection can feel grim in the way it shows history from all angles, but there are moments of levity where Dove eases the tension, such as in the witty and alliterative “Ode to My Right Knee.”1.
2. Mary Biddinger (poetry and flash fiction)
There are certain writers who have an immense talent for finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. From the performance that comes with walking into a job interview to life as a high school student whose dark lipstick and witchy appearance marks them as different, Mary Biddinger’s poetry holds up a mirror and asks us to really look at the reflection in it. Her poetry contains an inviting airiness that makes the reader imagine themself dressed in their best business casual waiting to be called back for their interview, or walking past their old locker.
Biddinger is the chair of the English Department at the University of Akron and the program director of the Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts program. She is the author of numerous books of poetry, including “Department of Elegy” and “Partial Genius.” She has also co-edited a self-help book, “A Mollusk Without a Shell: Essays on Self Care for Writers.” Her most recent novella, “The Girl with the Black Lipstick,” is a book of flash fiction that chronicles a late ‘90s Chicago full of odd jobs and even odder fashion choices.
3. Jess Everlee (romance and historical fiction)
While completing her bachelor’s degree in English and gender studies at Ohio State University, Jess Everlee swore she was someone who “wouldn’t be caught dead reading a romance novel.” The publication history of the Akron-based author begs to differ. Everlee is the author of several queer romances set in Victorian-era London. She has published four books in the series “Lucky Lovers of London,” which highlight several unlikely pairs. While these books are part of a series, and those who read them sequentially may see some familiar faces and recurring settings, they can also operate as stand-alone stories.
Romance is the primary genre Everlee writes in, but these books also act as historical fiction. We see the work Everlee does to ensure historical accuracy through the societal expectations her characters face, such as how Warren Bakshi of “To Sketch a Scandal” is expected to leave his job at the underground queer club to be more engaged in “higher society” once his family strikes an unexpected fortune.
4. David Giffels (creative nonfiction)
When it comes to documenting the ins and outs of the Rust Belt, David Giffels is the writer to turn to. Every book he writes feels like a love letter to the Midwest. Giffels is a former columnist for the Akron Beacon Journal, a former writer for the comedy series “Beavis and Butt-Head,” and a current professor at the University of Akron. Giffels’ most recent book, “Barnstorming Ohio: To Understand America” documents his year of travel across the state and his conversations with people from Cincinnati to Youngstown. Through this, he reflects on how Ohioans — and, he argues, all Americans — long for politicians to see them and hear their stories.
From documenting the history of the creative misfits that made up the American new wave band Devo in “The Beginning Was the End: Devo in Ohio,” a book he co-wrote with Jade Dellinger, to facing the dread of his 50th birthday by deciding to build himself a coffin with the guidance of his father in “Furnishing Eternity: A Father, A Son, A Coffin and a Measure of Life,” Giffels treats all his subjects with the perfect mixture of love, care and deadpan humor.
Editor’s note: David Giffels is a member of Signal Akron’s local advisory board.
5. Michael Buckley (young adult and middle grade fantasy)
You’ve heard of the Brothers Grimm, who brought us iconic fairytales like Cinderella, Rumpelstiltskin, and Hansel and Gretel, but what if there were a Sisters Grimm? In Akron-born author Michael Buckley’s children’s fantasy series by that name, the sisters Sabrina and Daphne Grimm — descendants of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm — live in a place where fairytales are real. They become fairytale detectives, tasked with keeping the townsfolk of Ferryport Landing safe from mythical creatures. The sisters solve mysteries such as the murder of Sabrina’s teacher and determine how to defeat the Scarlet Hand, an evil group that is holding the girls’ parents prisoner using an enchanted sleep. Though there are instances of violence and mentions of mental health issues in these books, which can be upsetting to members of this author’s target audience (ages 8-12), those scenes are not graphic and are only used to further the sisters’ character development and the plot.
In addition to this series, Buckley has authored middle grade series such as the “N.E.R.D.S.,” which highlights a group of unpopular kids who are part of a spy network within their school, and “The Weirdies,” a trilogy of books that follow the ongoing tragedies of a set of triplets who were abandoned by their parents.
Buckley is also a television writer and TV producer. He co-created the animated series “Robotomy” and is currently writing a screenplay for a 3-D animated movie based on his “N.E.R.D.S.” series.
6. Philip Metres (poetry)
A writer who is always examining lineage, family, place and how they intersect, Philip Metres has won several awards for his poetry, and his work has been published in numerous well-known journals and anthologies, including “Best American Poetry.” He returns to themes, like reflections on war, inspired by his Arab-American identity and the feeling of otherness he often felt following a 20-year involvement in peace initiatives in the Middle East. Metres also documents his family’s ancestry and the journey they took as refugees — from Lebanon to Mexico to the United States.
His best-known collection, “Sand Opera,” reflects on life post-9/11, and especially focuses on the way many Arab Americans were silenced at that time. The beauty of this collection lies in its contradictions, including the existence of love and everyday joys, like marriage and fatherhood, against the devastation of war.
Metres’ other collections of poetry include “Fugitive/Refuge” and “Shrapnel Maps.” He is a professor of English and the director of the Peace, Justice and Human Rights major at John Carroll University in Cleveland.
7. Thrity Umrigar (fiction and creative nonfiction)
Thrity Umrigar is a distinguished professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. She was also a reporter for the Akron Beacon Journal for about 15 years, where she and other colleagues talked about story ideas, and writing, “all the time.”
Umrigar is the author of several works of fiction, such as “Bombay Time”and “The Space Between Us.” Her best-known novel, “Honor,” tells the story of Smita, an Indian-American journalist who reluctantly returns to India to study the case of Meena — a Hindu woman who was brutally attacked by her own family because she married a Muslim man. This attack, an attempt to wipe away the dishonor Meena inflicted upon her family by marrying someone outside her faith, has left Meena disfigured and her husband dead.
“Honor” highlights the potential dangers of blindly following tradition and describes a society where honor seemingly means more than family. As Smita gets to know both Meena’s family and her village, including the person who encouraged the family to commit this crime, Smita is reminded of why her family moved from India to the United States and why she never wanted to return. Other themes addressed in Umrigar’s books are family, forgiveness and the class and gender roles within modern-day India.
8. Lindsay Bonilla (picture books)
Lindsay Bonilla is a children’s book author from North Canton. In addition to writing, she has taught workshops and performed the stories from her books in schools, bringing them to life with props and audience participation.
Her books explore themes such as grief, inclusivity and the power of storytelling. Bonilla’s picture books make those complex themes easy to understand for children between the ages of 3 and 8. She accomplishes this by creating bold characters who stray from norms and, in doing so, teach readers valuable lessons. These characters include Kirby the Penguin from “Polar Bear Island,” who challenges the mayor to open up the exclusive island to other animals. They also include the grandmother of Griffin, in “The Storyteller,” who tells him about his family’s history and teaches him the power of storytelling and keeping memories alive. Bonilla’s books are sprinkled with silly phrases like “flipper slippers” and “sled beds,” both used in “Polar Bear Island.”