personal stories about the places of Midwestern literature

After my brother died, a friend reached out, sharing in that loss, and she talked about “how hard it can be to be a human sometimes.” The essays in Vol. 18 of Literary Landscapes are focused on just that.

Sometimes our contributors are thinking through family histories, sometimes on how life feels different for people on opposite sides of economic divides. Sometimes an essay is more lighthearted, the struggles of turning into the person you want to become. In others, the contributor focuses on the ways we overcome structural barriers.

One essay explores what happens when agents of the state decide that a person can’t live any longer. On 7 January 2026, Jonathan Ross, an agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, murdered the poet Renée Nicole Good when she and her wife stopped to film ICE activity in Minneapolis.

It’s hard to be human sometimes.

Each of these essays show us moments of collectivity and connection. Two of them are set in the Twin Cities, and right now that feels best.

While you’re reading Vol. 18, I hope you’ll figure out some of the ways you can be there for your neighbors. Please share — these essays are too good not to. And if you have an idea for a Literary Landscapes essay of your own, I would love to receive your pitch! See here for a list of potential sites and a bit of description about the goals of the series.

Andy Oler, Departments Editor
The New Territory