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.

A Garage in Dearborn Becomes an Artist Sanctuary for Daniel Michelsen

It looks like every other garage on the block in this quiet Dearborn neighborhood, but multidisciplinary artist Daniel Michelsen is...

Freep Film Festival Highlights Boblo Boats, Unsung Motown Musician With 2021 Schedule

Freep Film Festival The Freep Film Festival is now in its eighth year of highlighting Michigan-made documentaries as well as...

Xiao Dong Wei’s Livonia Home Is a Celebration of Music and Chinese Culture

The Artist Next Door illuminates and celebrates Detroit area artists from a variety of cultural backgrounds and disciplines to enhance awareness...

Art in the Elements Brings Floral Installations to Meadow Brook Hall’s Scenic Grounds

Katie Alexis Photography An outdoor event celebrating the art of floral design is taking over the paths around Meadow Brook...

Allison Scout Waite Helps Others Find Vulnerability and Identity in Her Self-Portraits

The Artist Next Door illuminates and celebrates Detroit area artists from a variety of cultural backgrounds and disciplines to enhance awareness...

In Danya Zituni’s Artwork, Arab American Women See a Reflection of Themselves

The Artist Next Door illuminates and celebrates Detroit area artists from a variety of cultural backgrounds and disciplines to enhance awareness...

From Nigeria to Detroit, Timothy Orikri Preaches With His Paintbrushes

The Artist Next Door illuminates and celebrates Detroit area artists from a variety of cultural backgrounds and disciplines to enhance...

In Her Detroit Garden, Halima Cassells Honors Her Ancestors With Her Art

The Artist Next Door illuminates and celebrates Detroit area artists from a variety of cultural backgrounds and disciplines to enhance awareness...

Grady Hendrix’s New Novel Flips the Script for the Final Girl

Horror flicks take viewers through a whirlwind of stomach-knotting excursions. The suspense and scare thread an internal angst that forbids...

Detroit Artist Lisa Waud Bringing Immersive Floral Installation to Port Austin, Michigan

Detroit botanical artist Lisa Waud is taking her floral installations out of the city and bringing them north to Port...

WDET Listeners Say Farewell to the Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak

It might be the end of an era for metro Detroit movie-goers. The Landmark-owned Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak shut its...

A New Curator at Cliff Bell’s Brings Detroit Jazz Back to the Stage

A new curator at downtown jazz club Cliff Bell’s is putting the spotlight on local musicians. As a bassist himself,...