The Ann Arbor Independent Editorial Team 2257 posts 224 comments

THE ATLANTIC RECENTLY compiled a year’s worth of writing advice from authors like Amy Tan, Michael Pollan, and Stephen King, all condensed into one tidy article. Notably, Pollan credits digging around in the dirt with helping him solidify…

I think you need to check your math. You say the AnnArborChronicle.com received for City advertising about $18,000 during a 30 month period (two and one half years). If the AnnArborChronicle.com has annual revenues of about $100,000,…

by Lynn Parramore CAN ART DO anything for the 99%? The case of Charles Dickens argues that yes—when genius, perseverance, activism, and admittedly, luck, combine, artistic creations can spark fires that burn through encrusted layers of…

by P.D. Lesko THE ANN ARBOR OBSERVER, recently published a piece about staffing and standards within Ann Arbor’s fire department. Council members and former Council candidates have alleged that The Observer takes pains to support the…

The Great Lakes and our scenic natural lands are keystones to who we are as Michiganders. We need politicians who will strive to protect these unique resources. Governor Snyder’s campaign led us to believe that he was this leader, but…

by Jason Mark Canadian author Naomi Klein is so well known for her blade-sharp commentary that it’s easy to forget that she is, above all, a first-rate reporter. I got a glimpse into her priorities as I was working on this interview.…

Dear Mayor and Council, The Mayor, with the help of a couple city councilors and Mary Jo Callan, assured us at their January 6 meeting that Ann Arbor city government is functioning just as it should. However, Ms. Callan was nodding…

by Diane Nilan WITHIN 3 MINUTES of sitting down for a haircut at one of those places that asks for everything but your social security number to cut your mop, I heard about two more homeless families, known to my hairdresser-du-jour.…

by Steve Rosenfeld IN COMING DECADES, America will face an economic crisis of epic proportions as tens of millions of citizens lean toward poverty as they reach their senior years. What is done about it will define what kind of country…

by Richard Eskow “OVERCOMING POVERTY is not a task of charity,” said Nelson Mandela, “it is an act of justice.” When the War on Poverty began a half-century ago, it was widely seen as the moral obligation of a wealthy nation.…