Detroit's Alternative Press gave a voice to a generation of artists. A new book tells its story

The Metro

Detroit's Alternative Press gave a voice to a generation of artists. A new book tells its story

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Published on Apr 28, 2026, 3:16:54 PM
Total time: 00:29:41

Episode Description

When political tensions are high, artists and creatives use their work to weigh in. In 1960’s Detroit, a poet and a painter built a place for that work to live and be shared across the country and the world. In 1969, Ann and Ken Mikolowski launched The Alternative Press in the Cass Corridor. For 30 years, the periodical published writings and poetry from their contemporaries that spoke to the political and cultural moment.  

Rebecca Kosick, an associate professor of comparative poetry and poetics at the University of Bristol, is recognizing those efforts in her new book "Dispatches from the Avant-Garage.” In it she details the Mikolowski's story and their efforts launching "The Alternate Press." Kosick joined the show to discuss the publication's lasting impact.

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"The Metro" covers local and regional news and current affairs, arts and cultural events and topics, with a commitment to airing perspectives and uncovering stories underreported by mainstream media in Detroit.