The Book Nook

A House of One’s Own   In the mid-2010s, a Detroit arts organization announced plans to boost their literary community by offering a free house to low-income writers.  The hope was that giving them a place to write would offset the city’s literacy problem.  Sounds like a dream, but one writer’s experience was such a nightmare that it inspired her to write a book. In her memoir “Gentrifier”, Anne Elizabeth Moore uses a series of anecdotes to relate her story and cover sobering subjects in an enlightening way.  Her tale is infused with humor, no small task considering the financial and emotional price she paid to participate in what she thought was a charitable gesture. In order to have the deed transferred in their name, each writer had to live in the house for two years and be available for any promotional activity the organization asked of them.  Moore agreed and moved into a small, neglected bungalow in Motor City’s Banglatown neighborhood.  Although considered an outsider at first, she was able to bridge the cultural gap with neighbors.  Her problem-solving skills and a desire to help others quickened acceptance into her new community. One project she started was to help local schoolgirls understand the value of literature and how to use it as an agent for change.  She asked about their challenges, expecting to hear academic complaints.  Instead they were worried about gas leaks and unsafe drinking water at school.  Adults voiced concerns related to high unemployment rates and dwindling infrastructure.  At the time, the author didn’t know that a bizarre series of events would soon unfold. One problem was losing income.  Being available for the organization’s promotions cut into her writing time, and sometimes getting little advance notice forced her to cancel speaking engagements or other paid work.  When she contacted one of the organization’s representatives to work out an arrangement, she was told to “get a real job”. Another setback was not being told the house needed major work to keep it habitable and that she was expected to pay, causing her to take out loans she couldn’t afford.  She also needed homeowner’s insurance, but was barred from buying it due to “redlining”, a practice where companies can refuse to provide services to people in specific geographic areas. After completing her part of the bargain, Moore faced a difficult decision.  She wanted to stay in her house but felt the city’s job market was too sluggish to make a living.  When she received a job offer in Chicago, she accepted and went to sell her home.  That’s when she learned the deed wasn’t in her name because the association that gave her the house had never legally owned it.   She had to find the legal owner, which required legal proceedings that would put her further in debt. Frustrated by events and curious about the causes behind Detroit’s decline, she started a one-person investigation, unearthing suspicious practices that had contributed to a massive number of foreclosures.  One such practice was not informing homeowners about fees they owed before the final deadline for payment passed. She did find one bit of good news.  Concern over soaring foreclosures brought federal funds to help low-income people keep their homes.  Unfortunately, many qualified people were turned away and money was diverted to those with higher incomes.  New policies let companies buy foreclosed homes in bulk and resell them individually with stipulations that limited buyer’s rights while increasing their risks.  Foreclosures became a major money-maker for government and companies, who grew to rely on profits made from seizing and reselling homes.  Michigan gained the dubious honor of being the first state to destroy homes using funds intended to save them. As realization dawned on the author that she’d been lured into a branding project intended to boost Detroit’s dismal reputation, she weighed in on the ethical aspects of her own role in gentrification.  She uses her research to educate readers in an entertaining way, relating information in easy-to-understand language. At the end of her experience, Moore was $30,000 in debt yet her focus is on the positive, such as the new friendships she gained.  Her attitude and abilities provided entry beyond doors that might have remained shut to others.  What she acquired was an appreciation for her new community as she discovered what made it unique. One central theme is Virginia Woolf’s statement that “a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction”.  This isn’t meant as specific advice for individual women but as a general message for society in general.  Moore presents this idea in a new light, including quotes from Woolf at the start of each chapter.  While this non-fiction is presented in a linear fashion, each chapter is told in the present tense and offers non-chronological reflections and stories. What’s amazing is that during this time Moore was dealing with a potentially life-threatening illness.  Somehow she found the energy to take on huge challenges in the hopes of making a difference in others’ lives.  Her research explores the subtleties of America’s housing crisis in ways that are thought-provoking.  It also provides a cautionary tale to provide information about pitfalls she hopes we can avoid.