Happy Anyway: A Flint Anthology [Paperback]

A collection of essays and personal narratives, the book captures a confounding, contradictory city, proving that Flint is far more than the common narrative of an industrial town picking itself up after a big company has moved out or as the site of a devastating public health crisis. The stories delve into the lives within the city—what it was like to be a child on the east side; how it feels to be a parent today, without clean water; who is able to truly lay claim to being “from Flint;” and what it means to finally leave—or to stay, even when bikes, jewelry, or love continually disappear.

“Flint may have had tough times, but that history makes for tough people: good neighbors, brave physicians, hard workers, selfless earth scientists, and, as we see here, creators of a vibrant cultural life. The voices in this collection reveal the talent and scope of storytelling in and around the city. These pieces . . . stand as proof of the determination and optimism of a city that just won’t quit.”  —Thomas C. Foster, author,How to Read Literature Like a Professor

Scott Atkinsonis a freelance writer, a regular contributor toBelt Magazine, and a former reporter forThe Flint Journal. He has written about Flint forThe New York Timesand other publications. He lives in Flint, Michigan.