This article nods to a writing project in a Detroit Metro area writing class where students were challenged to take a metaphorical walk inside the walls of inner-city Detroit. Modeling the intersection of theory and practice embedded in this method of seeing the city, it introduces terms from compositionists and other scholars who write about place theory. It suggests that the development of vocabulary for seeing and re-seeing a place can help writers, who are also citizens, interpret the material world around them better and, in the best case, invest or reinvest in their communities. Readers are also asked to consider what Detroit “streetwork” can teach them about consuming and producing text twenty-first century style.
Link to PDF