BELLE ISLE

In this novella, Lockwood envisions a thriving future for Michigan’s Belle Isle—and Detroit—if free-market policies can be implemented from the ground up.

According to the author, Belle Isle, a 982-acre island near Detroit, has the potential to become “the ‘Midwest Tiger,’ rivaling Singapore, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong in its economic miracle.” Set in the near future on Belle Isle, this novella follows two main characters: Darin, the mastermind of the island’s success, and Joe, Darin’s friend, who visits after moving away from Detroit 25 years prior. Joe, curious about his friend’s work on Belle Isle, wants to see for himself how the island came to be a pinnacle of freedom and prosperity, so Darin shows him around the city. As Joe sees the sights, he learns the nitty-gritty details about how, exactly, this community works (“we respect all our residents, no matter what their station in life or our society”) and its “free-market liberty” policies. As readers learn along with Joe about this thriving, aesthetically pleasing community—a dream city with reliable transportation, exciting festivals, excellent schools, and relatively little crime—it’s clear that this fictional reality echoes Lockwood’s real-life plan to revive Detroit and its surrounding areas, a concept made clearer by following the web link included at the end of the book. The policies outlined in the story have the potential to alienate readers of opposing viewpoints, but Lockwood does take counterarguments into account—his “Epilogue and Acknowledgments” section demonstrates inclusion and provides nuance from credible experts in various fields. The writing is clear and succinct, and even passages conveying complex information that threatens to bog down readers (as in the discussions of taxes) are enjoyable to read and easy to follow. Finally, with its short length and Ryder’s engaging grayscale illustrations, this novella doesn’t require an onerous investment of time and energy—even dubious or opposing readers will find Lockwood’s ideas accessible.

An engaging narrative presenting bold, innovative possibilities for the Detroit area.