2020 JNT Dialogue "Detroit as a Narrative Space"

I’ve been attending the JNT Dialogue since I joined the English department at EMU as an undergrad, so to work on the event behind the scenes as a graduate assistant was an illuminating experience. The Dialogue is always at the forefront of discourse in the field; we try to focus on relevant issues that affect the world we live in today, with past events focusing on topics such as climate change, migrancy, and globalization. Also, being the Journal of Narrative Theory, we sometimes focus on more niche issues of narrative, such as last year's Dialogue on the cultural work of fantasy, or this year’s event, titled “Detroit as a Narrative Space.”

The Dialogue always produces interesting conversations, and this year’s event was no exception. We hosted two wonderful speakers, kim d. hunter and Desiree Cooper, who presented from short story collections they wrote that were centered on Detroit. The stories that they shared were incredible, and JNT makes it a habit to purchase copies of speakers' books for those who are interested, so I was able to read the rest of their books on my own. And who doesn’t love a free book? After speakers present at the Dialogue, we always have a Q&A session to give attendees a chance to speak to the presenters directly. I always find this part engaging, but even more so this year, as I served as moderator for the Q&A session, which was an amazing experience.

There were a lot of things from the event that really stuck with me. In kim’s book, The Official Report on Human Activity, he touches on how factories can be dehumanizing workspaces, and as someone who has had to work in factories over breaks to put myself through school, I completely agree. A short story that Cooper presented from her collection of short stories, Know the Mother, entitled “Night Coming” also had a lasting effect on me. The story takes place primarily at the Detroit Institute of the Arts and examines the failing relationship between a couple. The story includes some vaguely supernatural elements, and without giving too much away, the story’s haunting ending really sat with me for a while after reading it. I’ve always enjoyed short stories but reading Cooper’s book made me fall in love with the medium all over again.

If you’ve joined us for past Dialogues, please consider participating again for more stimulating conversations. If you haven’t had the opportunity yet, my hope is that you’ll engage with us during the 21/22 year. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.