Overview:
-Larissa Diem, a member of the spring 2025 Neighborhood Reporting Lab, shares her journey to Detroit's Cass Corridor, a new job, and new faith.
-Diem publishes her creative writing in various zines and her newsletter, "Goose Watch."
-"My dream is to have a couple of zines that I'm able to publish monthly," she says.
This story is published as part of Planet Detroit’s 2025 Spring Neighborhood Reporting Lab, supported by The Kresge Foundation, to train community-based writers in profile writing. This year’s participants will focus on highlighting grassroots leaders driving positive change in Metro Detroit.
Larissa Diem never hesitates to make choices that are a true reflection of her values and goals in life. In her last year of college at Eastern Michigan University, Diem decided against a career in fashion, a subject she studied for four years.
She found a new spiritual home in Judaism, moved to Detroit’s Cass Corridor, and unapologetically publishes her creative writing and views in a variety of zines and her newsletter, “Goose Watch.” Diem is also a passionate member of Detroit’s fiber arts community.
What is it like living in the Cass Corridor?
It’s funny because when I moved in, my parents talked about how they would never come to the neighborhood. They didn’t even want to help me move and they don’t want to come visit. But for me, it’s like living in Ann Arbor.
What’s your favorite neighborhood restaurant or store in the neighborhood?
I like Cafe Sous Terre. It has a lot of ambiance. Every time I go there, it’s packed. The best time to go is right in the morning, especially on weekends. That’s when everyone’s sleeping in, but I don’t do that.
When we were talking earlier, you mentioned a career change. Tell me more about that.
Right now, I’m really making my decision based on money, because I have student loans and I’m really committed to maintaining my independence and not moving back in with my parents. My new job is in HR at a hospital. Before, I used to work at a synagogue. The synagogue was lovely, I really liked it, but I also had some political disagreements with our rabbi.
Tell me about what you studied in college.
I was a fashion major, but when I got to my senior year, I realized I hated it. I didn’t want to compete with those people. I have some ethical issues with the industry.
Since you studied fashion, do you sew?
I don’t, but I knit and crochet. I’m really into the fiber arts.
You also mentioned you were planning for a journalism minor. Do you still write? What do you see yourself doing with it long term?
I love zines. They’re little self-published booklets. They started in the 1920s as part of the Harlem Renaissance when a lot of Black authors had trouble getting published through traditional means, so they started their own publications.
Then in the 1930s and 1940s, zines really took off with science fiction writers and fans. There was a revival during the punk era and in the 1990s — it was popular with the Riot Grrrl scene. It’s all self published, self managed on a shoestring budget. And then distribution happens within the community. My dream is to have a couple of zines that I’m able to publish monthly.
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Have you written and published your own zine yet?
I am currently writing for other people’s zines, but I used to run a literary magazine in college.
What are some of the things you’ve written about?
I’ve written about mental health and class consciousness. I’ve also written short stories and poems.
Do you prefer to write fiction or nonfiction?
I feel like nonfiction is less personal, because you can make it very utilitarian. So it’s something I don’t feel bad about putting out into the world. But with fiction, it’s an art piece that has to justify itself. So I’m very preoccupied by not wasting anyone’s time when I’m writing fiction. Whereas with nonfiction, I’m usually communicating something very directly.
Tell me about your newsletter.
It’s called “Goose Watch” because I had a period in college where I was obsessed with watching Canadian geese at the park. That period of my life was so monumental for me, that I just wanted to memorialize it. “Goose Watch” is all about what I read. I love to read things outside my comfort zone.
I’m curious about your conversion to Judaism, how did that happen?
I met some friends who were Jewish and I wanted to get to know them better, but I felt like we weren’t close enough for me to ask them about their religion and lifestyle. So I started researching Judaism.
I wanted to know — what does it mean to be Jewish? The more I learned, the more it made sense to me. The Jewish interpretation of the scriptures is much more aligned with my politics and my point of view than Christianity is. There’s an emphasis on rebellion and asking questions. Now I attend a Reconstructionist synagogue. Their emphasis is reconstructing Judaism for the modern day instead of trying to adhere to ancient mandates.