About Brianne Turczynski
Brianne Turczynski is a freelance writer and historical researcher in Detroit.
She received her master’s degree in education from Oakland University with a concentration in English and history. In addition to being the author of the historical fiction novel, Proper Mourning, her fiction and poetry have appeared in Halcyone Magazine, The 3288 Review, The Write Launch, and the Flying Ketchup Press.
Brianne Turczynski’s nonfiction has been featured in Valley Living Magazine, Michigan Out of Doors Magazine, and Planet Detroit News. She has won awards for her writing through Oakland University, and she’s currently producing and directing a documentary film about economic and social change in one of Detroit’s oldest neighborhoods.
In her spare time, she whittles, repairs broken violins, and loves to fish. She resides somewhere in Michigan with her husband, children, and the fastest dog that ever lived.
Follow Brianne Turczynski on Twitter.
Detroit’s Lost Poletown: The Little Neighborhood That Touched a Nation
Poletown was a once vibrant, ethnically diverse neighborhood in Detroit. In its prime, it had a store on every corner. Its theaters, restaurants, and schools thrived, and its churches catered to a multiplicity of denominations.
In 1981, General Motors announced plans for a new plant in Detroit and pointed to the 465 acres of Poletown. Using the law of eminent domain with a quick-take clause, the city planned to relocate 4,200 residents within ten months and raze the neighborhood. With unprecedented defiance, the residents fought back in vain. In 2004, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that the eminent domain law applied to Poletown was unconstitutional–a ruling that came two decades too late.
Get your book through Brianne Turczynski’s website.
Support this blog by:
- Subscribing to our YouTube Channel.
- Subscribing to our podcast through your favorite podcast app.
- Subscribing to our newsletter.