The Columbus Anthology

Edited by Amanda Page 

A part of Belt’s City Anthology Series, a unique take on the Buckeye City through the eyes of longtime residents and recent transplants.

 Columbus, Ohio, is a place whose identity centers on its supposed lack of identity—an American “every place” that has launched countless chain dining restaurants. Enter the contributors to this wide-ranging volume, who are all too happy to fight back against that reputation, even as they recognize it as an inevitable facet of the ever-growing city they call home. “Maybe we’re not having trouble designing a definitive identity,” writes Amanda Page in her introduction. “Maybe we are a city that is constantly considering what it will become.”

Race, sports, the endless squeeze of gentrification, the city’s booming literary and comics scenes, its reputation as a haven for queer life, the sometimes devastating differences in perspective among black and white, native and transplant residents—and more than one tribute to Buckeye Donuts—make this anthology a challenging and an energizing read. Contributions include:

• Hanif Abdurraqib’s urgent portrait of Columbus’s vital immigrant culture 
• Nick Dekker’s insights into breakfast as a vehicle for getting to know a city 
• the poetry of Maggie Smith and Ruth Awad.

Perfect for the reader who wants a portrait of Columbus that’s far more nuanced than any test marketer could dream up.

Published in partnership with The Ohio State University Press.

In Praise of The Columbus Anthology:

“What a vibrant, diverse collection of voices. The Columbus Anthology is a memorable chorus from a city too often overlooked.” —Lee Martin, author of Pulitzer Prize–finalist The Bright Forever

“Most all of us have love/hate relationships with our hometowns. But what’s remarkable here are the myriad lenses through which the writers in this anthology view Columbus, its residents, its histories and everchanging present. This is a bountiful collection I will read again and again!” —Kathy Fagan, author of Sycamore

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Amanda Page is a writer and editor whose work can be found in Belt Magazine, Assay Journal, and the Belt anthology Midwest Architecture Journeys. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with two senior dogs.

APRIL 7, 2020 | ISBN: 9780998018805 | REGIONAL INTEREST | PAPERBACK | 6 X 9 | 224 PAGES

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