personal stories about the places of Midwestern literature
Editor’s Note
Literary Landscapes Volumes 13-14 are the result of “Literary Landscapes in Kansas: From the Ground to the Airwaves,” a collaboration between The New Territory and High Plains Public Radio.
“Literary Landscapes in Kansas” begins with the same question as the rest of Literary Landscapes: how is the literature of a place relevant to the people who live there? The ten contributors to this project — all current or former Kansas residents — are particularly well-suited to provide answers.
Our contributors reflect on a wide range of literature: poetry, a play, memoir, short stories, essays, journals, and novels, including graphic and nonfiction varieties. They visit sites all across the state, including a public park in Independence, a ranch outside Manhattan, a high school classroom in Topeka, a family home in Garden City, a dirt road in Kingman County, the Wichita State University library, a failed settlement in Allen County, the sod house museum in Kinsley, a wagon trail in Franklin County, and Rock Springs Ranch, the state 4-H camp south of Junction City.
We would like to thank Humanities Kansas for funding this project and High Plains Public Radio for bringing it to life over the airways. If you are interested in contributing to Literary Landscapes — focusing on literature from any Midwestern state (broadly construed, of course) — send me a pitch! Check out this blog post for more information and a list of potential sites.
Enjoy!
Andy Oler, Departments Editor
The New Territory