Interview with Stephanie Steinberg, owner of the Detroit Writing Room
This world really is full of magic. At just about the same time that I was dreaming up Gertrude’s Writing Room, Stephanie Steinberg, writer/journalist, was having the same dream. She too wanted to open a space where writers could gather to write, read, learn and play. As I was doing research for Gertrude’s whilst writing my business plan, I googled writing and Detroit – and the Detroit Writing Room appeared at the top of the search.
I was all: WHAAAATTTTTT!
I nearly fell out of my chair in excitement – there’s a writing room in Detroit too?! I quickly searched the site and found Stephanie’s email. I wrote her a message to tell her about Gertrude’s and to share the fact that we’d both had the same dream! She responded right away! In August, it will be a year that we’ve been connected. Though we haven’t yet stepped foot in each other’s spaces, we’ve talked and we’ve done yoga and written together! Last Saturday, I joined a Yoga & Writing workshop that the DWR offered. Of course, pre-COVID this would have been the opportunity to do the workshop in the space, but life shifts and we adapt. It was a lovely workshop. I did Yoga, which considering I hadn’t done it in ages, was a real accomplishment; and I had the time to write in my journal and share my thoughts with the other gals in the workshop. We are also offering a cross-border Yoga & Writing Weekend workshop in August – more details at the end of our Q & A. Here’s hoping it’ll be able to happen by then.
In any case, I’d love for everyone to get to know Stephanie and the amazing work she’s doing at the Detroit Writing Room. It’s a beautiful space in the heart of Detroit, complete with everything a writer needs to be productive including a kitchen, tables, comfy chairs and sofas, and private nooks and crannies for quiet writing.
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Shall we?
VS: When you were a child – did you love to read? Or write? Did you ever think that someday your career would be about writing?
SS: I actually knew since I was in second grade that I wanted to be a journalist! I know, it’s unusual to know what you want to do in second grade, and actually do it. It’s a long story, but the short version is that I was on a local kids TV show called “Kid Stuff.” I was a “cub reporter” and would interview locals. For example, I interviewed Detroit Zoo zookeepers, Santa Claus at holiday parades and the owners of a local cider mill. I also did book reviews from Borders. I had so much fun telling stories and interviewing people. I knew I wanted to do that for the rest of my life. I just went the print route, instead of the broadcast route, as I discovered in high school that I loved writing for the school newspaper.
VS: You’ve been a journalist for many years. Can you give us a bit of info about your writing life?
SS: My high school journalism advisor, Nikki Schuller, inspired me to further pursue a journalism career. She really showed me the power of the pen and how your words can make a difference in the world, even if you’re only 16 or 17. After high school, I attended the University of Michigan, which doesn’t have a journalism program, but it does have the greatest college newspaper in the country: The Michigan Daily. I truly learned everything I needed to know to pursue a journalism career from my peers (there are no adult advisors at the student paper). I also had tremendous mentors at internships, including CNN, USA Today and the Boston Globe. I majored in Communication Studies, but I often say my degree is from The Michigan Daily.
After graduating, I got a job at WTOP Radio, the main traffic, weather and news station in Washington D.C.. I edited their online content for a few months and then got a job at U.S. News & World Report in Washington D.C. as an assistant health and money editor. (It was fun working for a radio station where politicians and celebrities often stopped by for interviews, but U.S. News was a better fit for my editing and writing pursuits.)
Fast-forward a few years and I met my husband-to-be Jake Serwer in Washington D.C.. He happened to be from Metro Detroit and a Michigan Wolverine. We started reading about Detroit’s resurgence from afar, and we both couldn’t resist being a part of it. Thankfully, I got a job at The Detroit News as a features reporter and came back in 2016 to report on Detroit entrepreneurs, arts & entertainment and whatever cool story I stumbled on.
VS: When did you start thinking about the writing room as a viable dream to make come true? (What is the origin story of your DWR dream!)
SS: While interviewing Detroit entrepreneurs — many who were my age — who had started restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques and art spaces, I caught the entrepreneurial bug and wanted to do something that would help uplift the city. At the time, there were few co-working spaces downtown. The ones that existed catered to the tech or entrepreneur fields. I felt there was something missing for creatives like me who needed an inspiring, quiet workspace to write, design or create. Coffee shops didn’t cut it, especially when you feel guilty about sitting there all day and only ordering one cup of coffee.
I also felt the lack of spaces to give book talks. I had produced a book in 2015, , that was a collection of essays by journalists whose careers started at the Daily. I had gone on a 15-city book tour, and when I arrived in Detroit, there was nowhere to give a book talk downtown that made sense. So I wanted to create a space where local and national authors could stop to give a book talk when they’re in Detroit.
Lastly, as a journalist, I’m often asked by friends and family to look over a college application, or resume or other piece of writing. While reporting, I discovered many entrepreneurs also needed help with writing content, but also graphic design and photography. I started to think, what if there was a one-stop-shop where people could go to get one-on-one help with editing, design or photography? And what if there were coaches, who were the best in their field, that anyone could sign up with? So I gathered 25 of the top journalists, authors, photographers and graphic designers in the area to offer hourly coaching sessions for anyone in the community. (These are typically at the DWR, but they’re all virtual right now).
VS: How long did it take you to find the space that is the DWR? What was it like when you walked in – love at first sight?
SS: Finding the space was the hardest part. I had the idea for the DWR in late 2016. We didn’t open doors until June 2019. I looked at many spaces in Detroit that were too expensive, too dark or just needed too much work. I have to give my amazing husband credit for finding our space. He saw it listed online in March 2019. I was actually about ready to give up at that point, but he encouraged me to take a look. The irony is it was located right across the street from where we used to live (we had since moved), and you could see the space from our apartment balcony. Perhaps it was destiny. We went to take a look, and I’ll admit, I didn’t immediately see the potential. It was a former headquarters for a veterinarian, and there were medicine cabinets with needles and old medicine still left inside. But I did love the natural light throughout the space, and I hadn’t found that anywhere else. Not to mention, the space is a short walk from bars, restaurants and shops, which I wanted so people could go out after co-working, coaching sessions or DWR events. So we took it (and removed all the gross medicine cabinets). This week, it will be exactly a year since we signed the lease.
VS: It’s a large space – who cleans it?! That may seem like a silly question, but cleaning takes time! I just wonder about the day-to-day practical things like cleaning, getting food/supplies – is this all your job?
SS: Haha, I’ve never been asked that question! Only someone who has a similar space would think to ask that 
