Michigan native Anna Clark was born on the west side of the state and raised in St. Joseph.

Best known for her piercing investigative writing on America’s fallen civic infrastructure in cities like Detroit and Flint, Anna is one of Michigan’s most heralded narrative journalists and non-fiction storytellers – a master of unearthing fault lines and speaking truth to power.

Anna Clark earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan’s Residential College, where she majored in literature and creative writing with a minor in crime and justice.

From there, she continued on to Warren Wilson College, where she obtained an MFA and trained in fiction.

It was at Warren that Anna began developing an early interest in social justice, which eventually led her to nonfiction, where she got to work telling stories that mattered and shining a light on issues such as failing infrastructure, policy injustices, and more.

Today, Anna Clark serves as a reporter for ProPublica, where she covers issues relevant to the Midwest with a strong focus on education, civil rights, environmental justice, and public accountability.

In addition to that, she serves as the editor of “A Detroit Anthology” and spotlights the state’s cultural history through “Michigan Literary Luminaries.”

Her journalism has appeared in The Washington Post, magazines such as Elle, Politico, and The New York Times, as well as many other national outlets.

She also published her first book, “The Poisoned City: Flint’s Water and the American Urban Tragedy,” in 2018, which got her the Hillman Prize for Book Journalism and the Rachel Carson Environment Book Award, thanks to her honest account of the major human rights violation that was Flint’s water crisis.

Beyond journalism, Anna Clark teaches creative nonfiction in Alma College’s MFA program and has participated in fellowships with the Knight-Wallace program and the Fulbright Foundation.

She is also an active volunteer in her community, leading writing workshops in high schools, community centers, and prisons, and lending a hand in literary events across Detroit.

In short, Anna Clark doesn’t just document injustice and decline; she reveals the resilience that comes along with it.

She’s not just a journalist. She’s Detroit’s conscience in the literary world—dignified, unflinching, and honest.

Victoria Jackson (Editor In Chief)

Victoria Jackson is a lifelong student and sharp-eyed documentarian of all things Detroit, from its rich musical roots and cultural icons to its shifting neighborhoods, storied architecture, and underground legends. With her finger firmly on the pulse of both the city’s vibrant past and its rapidly unfolding future, she brings a deeply personal, historically grounded lens to every piece she writes.

Published on: October 3, 2025