Afterculture: Detroit and the Humiliation of History

by Jerry Herron

AfterCulture is a book of essays about the making and un-making of middle-class culture, a phenomenon which has occurred nowhere more decisively than in America's most representative city, Detroit.
In this insightful book, Jerry Herron analyzes what has happened since the decline of middle-class culture in Detroit, a city he labels the first postmodern city, because it exemplifies the failure of traditional history to make sense of contemporary urban experience. By looking at media coverage of the city, violence, urban rehabilitation projects, and the proliferation of suburban shopping malls, the book traces the divestiture of Detroit and helps make sense of the plight of America's cities.

Genres: Nonfiction

216 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Johnrschulte]

about a decade ago, I got into Jerry Herron's occasional pieces for Detroit's weekly entertainment rag, the Metro Times. He wrote clever pieces on pedestrian traffic; shopping at Target, etc. At the time, I had this sorta idea or resolution that I would get into postmodern thought. I wanted to talk about deconstruction, signs, texts, and whatever. I never bought the Idiot's Guide, but I've read a few things here and there. I really enjoyed Afterculture, though it feels a bit above my "level" in the sense that I need to stop and look into certain references to so-and-so's critique of this-or-that. Anyway, I enjoy Herron's discussion of my city and it's role in what Herron argues is a post culture world. At times I feel like the discussion is a tad elitist (e.g. 'nobody goes to a tailor anymore, everyone just grabs stuff from a rack at the mall'). Overall, I enjoyed this for some witty discussion of places that I know by heart, as well as thoughtful observations on how we look at the city and why we can't stop looking at it.