Books

Thrive Detroit Street Paper

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Welcome to Thrive Detroit

At Thrive Detroit, we honor our roots as a street newspaper, a proud member of the international network of street papers. Our mission has always been to empower individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness by providing dignified opportunities to earn income while sharing stories that matter.

While we’ve paused print publications, Thrive Detroit is transitioning to an online platform to continue this vital work. Through donations and advertising revenue, we support those in need by partnering with organizations like COTS and offering direct opportunities for individuals to contribute stories and be compensated for their work.

Our Commitment

Keeping the Mission Alive: As an online street newspaper, we remain dedicated to amplifying voices and providing a platform for empowerment.

Supporting Writers: Those who qualify as vendors can choose to write for us, earning income while sharing their stories and perspectives.

Building Community: Collaborating with organizations and exploring microenterprise opportunities to create sustainable solutions.

At Thrive Detroit, we believe in the transformative power of stories—not just to connect us, but to create pathways out of poverty. Join us on this journey by reading, contributing, or supporting our mission.

Visit thrivedetroit.org to learn more.

Blog

Latest Post from Thrive Detroit

Detroit’s Black Reading Month

I remember watching movies like Roots in my youth and being so moved by the passion and desire our ancestors—enslaved people—had for reading. While I thought I loved reading, I realized their longing was much deeper. The risk of being caught learning to read could have been enough to stop many, but it didn’t. They knew

Delphia Simmons (Founder of Thrive Detroit)

Sep 252 min read

Book Review: Entitlement by Rumaan Alam

Published late last year, Entitlement by Rumaan Alam has been on a few “best of” lists this year--earning praise from authors such as Roxane Gay and Rebecca Makkai--and it’s very well done, if

Laurie Fundukian

Jun 173 min read

Book Review: The Women by Kristen Hannah

I don’t remember being taught much in school about Vietnam. The Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and World Wars I and II were covered, but

Laurie Fundukian

Mar 185 min read

Book Review: Wellness by Nathan Hill

Wellness is a beautiful book, with so many themes I had to slow down my pace while reading in order to take it all in. At its heart, it seem

Laurie Fundukian

Jan 73 min read

A Galaxy Far, Far Away

The news the other day featured a picture that had been captured of a galaxy far, far, far away that looked like a huge question mark. I’m s

Diana Creel Elarde

Oct 7, 20243 min read

Book Review: True Gretch by Gretchen Whitmer

This September, with construction all around metro Detroit and the election looming, it was a good time for me to read Governor Gretchen Whi

Laurie Fundukian

Oct 7, 20244 min read

More Powerful Than We Know

With every season of life and every level of growth, it seems a reconciliation of our understanding and use of power is required.

Delphia Simmons (Founder of Thrive Detroit)

Jun 28, 20244 min read

Hoarding: My Way

Now that I’m in my sixth decade of life, I can admit to my unique habit of hoarding. Except for a couple of things, I finally stopped in my

Delphia Simmons (Founder of Thrive Detroit)

Feb 28, 20244 min read

Book Review: Tom Lake, A Novel by Ann Patchett

Tom Lake, Ann Patchett’s latest novel (out last year) has a lovely Michigan connection, along with nods to Chekov and Thornton Wilder.

Laurie Fundukian

Jan 29, 20243 min read

Book Review: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver, a master of storytelling as well as research, was awarded a well-deserved Pulitzer Prize for fiction early this year...

Laurie Fundukian

Aug 10, 20233 min read

Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder

Nomadland may have been published in 2017, but with inflation and other challenges in our country these days, it’s a very timely concept...

Laurie Fundukian

Mar 16, 20234 min read

Book Review - The Other Black Girl

It can be difficult to find a riveting, original book that also contains social commentary, mystery, humor, and thought-provoking...

Laurie Fundukian

Feb 4, 20223 min read

The Spirit Level: Exposing deeply rooted societal inequity and inequality

‘The Spirit Level’ author and epidemiologist Richard Wilkinson: “We have to be very vigilant against all the ways that hate is built up”...

Thrive Detroit

Jul 25, 20184 min read

Melissa Love: Candle Maker by Day, Writer by Night

Melissa Love is a multi-talented Detroit entrepreneur with three novels to her credit as well as her own candle business. A product of...

Thrive Detroit

Jul 25, 20183 min read

Inspiring and Aspiring from the Heart

Inspiring & Aspiring from the Heart By Denise Ervin RN, BSN, NC-BC What does it mean to inspire and aspire from the heart? Why is it an...

Thrive Detroit

Jun 24, 20183 min read

Book Review: A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley

A Long Way Home Saroo Brierley

Thrive Detroit

Jun 24, 20181 min read

The Chaperone

A Book Review by Laurie Fundukian Laura Moriarty, who teaches creative writing at the University of Kansas, has written three other...

Thrive Detroit

Jun 9, 20163 min read

The Sandcastle Girls

A Book Review by Laurie Fundukian Chris Bohjalian, with his sixteenth novel, has managed to tell the horrific tale of the Armenian...

Thrive Detroit

Jun 9, 20164 min read

Fat Girl Walking: Book Review and Interview

Brittany Gibbons is a woman who speaks her mind, and her mind is hilarious. She has decided to make people uncomfortable and change the...

Thrive Detroit

Aug 19, 20158 min read

Book Review: Station Eleven

Book Review: Station Eleven Laurie Fundukian Emily St. John Mandel’s fourth novel, Station Eleven, begins with the ending of one person,...

Thrive Detroit

Jul 6, 20155 min read