20 Miles Out
Four writers take off from the center of the city to meet the people just beyond Richmond's reach.
A spot less symbolic, perhaps, but easier for people to find on a map. So the true heart of the city shifted from grass to concrete, subtly changing exactly where we all stood.
Distance is relative, as we discovered on a mission to explore the places 20 miles north, east, south and west of that imaginary point on the city sidewalk. We asked VDOT to draw us a map, plotting the precise locations 20 miles from the city's center. Twenty miles as the crow flies a flash on the Interstate, a few blisters to walk, a gallon of gas. A distance great enough to break the rhythms of the city, but close enough that people's lives are still tied to the ebb and flow of Richmond's arteries if they want them to be. Twenty miles. Melissa Scott Sinclair