Detroit deaf rapper Sean Forbes brings American Sign Language to the Super Bowl
Hip-hop isn’t just a love language for deaf rapper Sean Forbes. He’s funneled that passion into American Sign Language for...
Ryan Patrick Hooper is the award-winning host of "In the Groove" on 101.9 WDET-FM Detroit’s NPR station. Hooper has covered stories for the New York Times, NPR, Detroit Free Press, Hour Detroit, SPIN and Paste magazine.
Hooper grew up reading the Sunday paper with his dad. That’s where he learned the basics of writing while dreaming of one day writing the stories himself. At 16, he knocked on the door of his hometown paper and asked for a job as a reporter. Since then, he's written extensively for the Detroit Free Press -- the same paper he grew up reading.
Since joining WDET in 2017, Hooper has expanded the station’s arts and culture coverage and received numerous awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasting along the way. Nationally, Hooper was awarded a 2020 RTDNA Regional Edward R. Murrow award for feature reporting for his story “Would You Rent a Stray Dog From the City of Detroit?“ In 2018, Hooper was named the Associated Press Michigan Editors Broadcast Rising Star in broadcast journalism. He received the prestigious Crain’s Detroit Business “20 In Their 20s” award in 2014. His commitment to volunteerism was recognized by the State of Michigan in 2007.
His juggalo-inspired I.C.Pizza costume was selected by the Huffington Post as one of the best Halloween costumes of 2014.
How “hustle culture” has become status quo in the American workplace
Detroit hustles harder. It’s a slogan that’s printed on thousands of T-shirts, and it comes from an identity that defines...
Sober curious. Nondrinker. A new language around sobriety is emerging
Sarah Wood is a writer who covers topics like mental health, relationships and sobriety, which she most recently tackled for...
Going sober? Detroit bars and brands are embracing “dry January” and beyond
The idea of “dry January” -- giving up alcohol or other vices for a month to kick off the year...
Didn’t learn much about sex in school? Zoë Ligon fills in the gaps with “Carnal Knowledge”
Sex educator Zoë Ligon has made a name for herself as the “dildo duchess of Detroit." There's plenty to back...
“Grandmothers of America” captures the beauty and wisdom of aging
The new photo book “Grandmothers of America” is highlighting the beauty of an aging population and the advice they’d give...
Kenny Washington broke the NFL’s color barrier. Why don’t we know his story?
When it comes to sports history, Kenny Washington isn’t a household name like Jackie Robinson. At least one writer wants...
Khana Detroit brings Pakistani street food to Michigan, one pop-up at a time
Khana Detroit is likely the only place in metro Detroit where you'll see twists on Pakistani and Desi dishes like...
“Book Smugglers” exhibit arrives at the Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills
"Would you risk your life to save a book?" That's the question at the new exhibit "The Book Smugglers: Partisans,...
That’s So Cheugy: Here’s the Most Mispronounced — and Misunderstood — Words of 2021
What were the words and ideas that we struggled to understand in 2021? Even if we did get them down...
New Book “Poetic Song Verse” Explores When Poetry and Popular Music Collide
University Press of Mississippi A new book is inventing a new musical genre. “Poetic Song Verse: Blues-Based Popular Music and...
$100 Million Investment from Wilson Foundation Makes Detroit’s Art Scene A Whole Lot Richer
Meta Stange A handful of arts organizations and museums in the city and around metro Detroit are about to get...