Unfair Dismissal of Ypsilanti

Dear Editor,
    I'll be the first to admit that it makes little sense to film a Texas story in Michigan, even in the summertime, but Josh Rosenblatt and the Chronicle were less than fair in their dismissal of Ypsilanti (“On Ypsilanti Roller Girls and Inverse Proportions,” Screens, July 11).
    More than just home to Eastern Michigan University and the Sauk Indian Trail (Belleville Road is actually in Belleville, guys), Ypsi has given the world Rosie the Riveter, Iggy Pop, Preston Tucker, the striped referee shirt, the perfection of pizza delivery, and the “Paul Is Dead” rumor.
    The “Rust Belt despair” that Rosenblatt maligns has made for cheap rent, which fuels a thriving local arts scene, one surprisingly large for 3 square miles. These days, as the threat of gentrification looms, “Keep Ypsi Weird” stickers have been popping up around town. Because, like you guys, we dig indie businesses and eschew corporate chains, even if we're happy to do business with movie studios.