What do You think about Devil's Night: And Other True Tales Of Detroit (1990)?
Zev Chafets is one of our most eclectic contemporary authors whose observations are insightful and laced with humor. I have long enjoyed his books which range from this one to a biography of Rush Limbaugh and then to a drive he took in search of American Jews in farflung places. A native of Detroit and its environs, Mr Chafets returned there after a long sojourn in Israel to try and understand what had become of his beloved city. In addition, he had been very close with an African American friend in his youth and wished to see if he could find him. This friendship, in a certain way, shows the complications and yes - joys- of friendship between whites and blacks.This is not a diatribe against Detroit nor does it exaggerate its sorry state. As always, Mr Chafets is even handed, humorous and humble.
—Jane
This book was fascinating; it definitely addressed a lot of the political climate I didn't know about in the late 80's and early 90's, as well as some of the more *interesting* characteristics and political tendencies of Coleman Young. I did have a problem with this book though, and that was the author's treatment of the friction between the suburbs and Detroit while reporting very scarcely on what was happening in some of the smaller suburbs during that time. Apart from actually spending time IN Grosse Pointe, Southfield, Melvindale, etc. there was really only brief mention of places like Bloomfield Hills/West Bloomfield. The only moment when Chafets really *ventures* into the northwestern suburbs is during a particularly dark trip to Livingston County for a KKK rally. My experience of Metro-Detroit in the early 90's happened during a very rapid development of the burbs: new shopping centers and huge subdivisions right and left where acres of woods and dirt roads had been before. At the same time, I recall my school district being one of the most racially diverse in the area, because students came from many different corners of the area: Walled Lake, Novi, Wixom, West Bloomfield, Bloomfield Hills, Farmington Hills, Southfield, and in some cases, Detroit. From the time I began school, I had classmates from every race and background, and there was almost never any animosity because of this. I know that my experience is particularly unique, but perhaps Chafets could have sought out more areas with a similar demographic. It would have painted a more ambiguous portrait of what was happening to Detroit at the time, rather than concentrating on the continued divide between the north and south sides of Eight Mile.
—Leslie Sullivan
After a few years living in Michigan, I got curious about Detroit and started picking up books about the city at the library. This is a great snapshot of Detroit in the late eighties with plenty of historical and cultural background to help people, like me, who didn't grow up in the area. It captures suburban/urban relations well, and portrays both sides critically and empathetically (although I think it's hard not to come out rooting for Detroit given the underdog status). The latter half of the books spends a lot of time on the former mayor Coleman Young, who makes for great material... The man was charismatic, outspoken, and unyielding. I'll be picking up his autobiography soon. Ze'ev, born near Detroit not in it, and having spent decades away from the country before returning to write the book, is definitely an outsider providing an outsider's perspective. so this isn't a great book for someone looking for an "insider's view" of Detroit. That said, it's an engaging, casual introduction to the city culture and politics.
—Megan
