The Huffington Post recently spoke with Pam Sporn about the politics of storytelling in Detroit.  Sporn also goes in-depth about her new documentary Detroit 48202.  She will screen a portion of this film at the November 19th reading.

Here’s an excerpt:

What makes a Detroit story “right” depends on your point of view. For me, a Detroit story that “gets it right” is one that foregrounds the experience of everyday Detroiters and one that has a social justice framework. I emphasize social justice because I think working-class Detroiters have been dealt a great injustice by having wealth, jobs, and public services being sucked out of their city.

I don’t think an “outsider” can pop in and tell a story like that, but just by virtue of living in Detroit doesn’t mean a person will tell a story that asks the critical questions needed to create social change. It’s probably easier for an outsider to create a story that exploits Detroit’s situation but an “insider” could also be so invested in a kind of boosterism that might prevent them from including anything that might make Detroit “look bad.”

To read more, go here.