When Greg Esser and Nicole Underwood were brainstorming ideas on how to best capture the spirit of Roosevelt Row, they quickly discovered the neighborhood’s history couldn’t be contained in a single story.
It was evident that in order to capture all the little stories that came together to make Roosevelt Row, they needed a much bigger idea, which is why they decided to co-write a book titled “Phoenix’s Roosevelt Row.”
“There’s a huge power to tell a story and for people within a community to be able to tell their stories and share it on their own,” said Underwood, a staff member at the Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation. Esser is the vice president of the organization’s board of directors.
The book takes a historical look at Roosevelt Row and its transformation over the years, from the 1800s to the present. The largely picture-based book is part of Arcadia Publishing’s Images of Modern America series, which seeks to chronicle the history of communities across the country. Esser and Underwood took photos and collected submissions from local artists and business owners.
“This is a very open and modern neighborhood and we really tried to capture that spirit,” Esser said.
While he is excited for the book’s release, Esser said he wishes they could have highlighted more of the people who helped make Roosevelt Row what it is today.
“It was a long research and editing process depending on quality of images and learning on all the dynamic installations that helped define this community.” Esser said.
The book highlights many local artists, business owners and public figures who helped shape the arts district, including MonOrchid owner and artist Wayne Rainey.
“It’s really beautiful, it’s a great labor of love,” Rainey said. “It’s really tough when you do something like that because it’s really hard to be super inclusive.”
Rainey said he hopes the book will update as Roosevelt Row grows.
“It’s a project that should be a living book that you update every few years and add in the stories,” Rainey said. “Having a record of an active arts neighborhood that’s so unique to the country, not just Phoenix, is super important.”
The last portion of the book reflects on what the future may hold for the next decade of Roosevelt Row. Underwood said she hopes this portion will help inspire younger and newer residents.
“I hope new residents and new students will take this story and start writing the next chapter of prioritizing arts and local businesses,” Underwood said. “It’s really important that this is sustainable.”
The book will be available at Changing Hands Bookstore on March 5 at 2 p.m., where the authors will be available for signing. It will also be available on the Changing Hands and on Arcadia Publishing’s websites.
Contact the reporter at Kara.Carlson@asu.edu.
