METRO TIMES 5TH ANNUAL FICTION ISSUE FEATURING KRESGE FELLOWS
Cover art by Chris Gazaleh
The 5th Metro Times Fiction Issue Out Now
For the 5th year, Kresge Arts in Detroit partnered with the Metro Times to publish the Fiction Issue. The issue features work by 19 literary and visual artists from the Detroit area. Contributors include current and previous Kresge Artist Fellows.
This year’s theme, “Resistance Across Borders,” is a homage to the ways humans persist and survive.
Featured Artists
Ghassan Abou-Zeineddine
Adam Tlaib
Claretha “Peace” Bell
Nandi Comer (2019 Kresge Artist Fellow)
Marcus Elliot (2020 Kresge Artist Fellow)
Eric Froh
Chris Gazaleh (cover artist)
Hadassah GreenSky (2022 Kresge Artist Fellow)
Jenna Hamed
Noor Hindi
Dave Messry
Wafaa Mustafa
Dave Robberts
Edward Salem (2023 Kresge Artist Fellow)
Darius Simpson
Eli Underwood
Jenin Yaseen (sr7aneh)
Hawwa Youngmark
Kamelya Youssef
Bayan Founas, 2021 Gilda Award recipient, led as editor of the 2024 Fiction Issue. Founas is a high school English teacher and teaching artist in Detroit schools who centers her teaching methods in culturally responsive and restorative justice pedagogies. Born in Hamtramck to Algerian immigrants, she writes poetry on themes of home, diaspora, belonging, and womanhood.
Founas has published two poetry collections: Diary of a Daughter in Diaspora and HERE TO STAY: The Literary Mixtape (paired with a spoken word album). She is published in Brittle Paper and Koukash Review.
I'm incredibly moved by this year's contributions on the theme of 'Resistance Across Borders.' At a time when people's basic human rights and humanity are being attacked, these pieces speak to the importance of using our voice to resist collectively and individually. Now more than ever, art and writing are needed to stand against injustice and oppression, particularly for people who come from historically marginalized communities.
Bayan Founas
2024 Fiction Issue Editor, 2021 Gilda Award recipient
Drew Philp, 2017 Kresge Artist Fellow, served as deputy editor this year. Philp is an award-winning author and journalist. He founded the MetroTimes Fiction Issue in 2020. It has become customary for the Fiction Issue editor to serve in the role for two years. Once their tenure ends, the position transitions to a fellow artist.
With artist honoraria provided by Kresge Arts in Detroit and wide publication from Metro Times, the Fiction Issue annually brings Metro Detroit quality and accessible literary and visual content.
Our ultimate goal with the Metro Times Fiction issue is to create an establishment that our artists and the larger community can look forward to each spring. Coupled with the 40 year history of the Metro Times, support to individual artists by Kresge Arts in Detroit has added significant and necessary stability to keep the project going and provide the arts community with a recurring and well paid opportunity each year.
Drew Philp
2024 Fiction Issue Deputy Editor, 2017 Kresge Artist Fellow
“We have an incredible group of artists this year,” Philp added. “We’re excited to publish more of our amazing homegrown talent in the years to come.”
Metro Times and Kresge Arts in Detroit will celebrate the release of the 5th Fiction Issue at 27th Letter Books on Saturday May from 4:00–6:00 PM. The gathering will feature contributing artists reading their work. This event is free and open to those interested in celebrating and supporting Detroit artists.
“Our power is within us and within what we create,” Founas concluded. “We have the power to disrupt hate through the love of writing and art and this issue does just that.”