A story I hoped I’d never have to write :(

My favorite skatepark, Skate Naked, announced they’re closing at the end of the month, and I’m sad.

Skate Naked was the place where I truly fell in love with rolling on ramps and I wouldn’t have written Midwest Shreds without it.

I wrote an essay about the closing for Matter News and am thankful they gave me the space to process this grief. Give it a read for some behind-the-scenes info on Midwest Shreds and stories that didn’t make it into the book.

Mandy Shunnarah

Mandy Shunnarah is an Alabama-born writer who now calls Columbus, Ohio, home. Their essays, poetry, and short stories have been published in The New York Times, Electric Literature, The Rumpus, Entropy Magazine, and many more. They’re currently working on a book about their half-Southern redneck, half-Palestinian family. They run the book blog Off the Beaten Shelf. You can learn more about all their writing endeavors at mandyshunnarah.com.

https://mandyshunnarah.com
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Midwest Shreds is an Amazon bestseller!

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Shoutout Ohio interviewed me about Midwest Shreds!