Becca Hawk is an MFA candidate at Arkansas Writers Workshop, though she is a native Michigander and proud to be from America’s high five. Her work can most recently be read at Juked, and her illustrations can be seen at beccahawk.com. She most enjoys walking the line between prose poetry and flash fiction, illustrating her hometown, the 1955 military practice bomb that inconspicuously sits in her living room, and breaking parallel structure. This is Traverse City is an ongoing illustrated narrative project you may follow at thisistraversecity.com.
What a fantastic illustrated narrative!
I like seeing Traverse City from a decolonized Anishinaabe perspective. I don’t see Traverse City this way and I find Traverse City very bourgeoisie. I live on a reservation in Northern Michigan and yes I am I Native American. I don’t like this graphic. I would like to do a graphic on how I feel about colonization and how people view the territory occupied by the State of Michigan. When tourists arrive they don’t appreciate the land and water as we have for hundreds of years. I’m glad I live in a place that tourists eschew because it has industry and heck of lot more diversity.
Cecelia, we are open to the idea of a follow-up to this piece. Please contact us at cahoodaloodalingATgmailDOTCOM with a proposal.
Warmly,
Raquel