Call for Submissions: August Reading Period Now Open!

the museum speaks to Issue Five contributor Keith Lesmeister about his flash piece "Under the Cottonwood Tree." We were struck by the juxtaposition in your flash piece “Under the Cottonwood Tree,” which places an iconic Iowa landscape against the backdrop of a cross-cultural relationship. Can you tell us what inspired the work? KL: The piece started with … Continue reading Q & A With Issue Five Contributor Keith Lesmeister

the museum talks to Issue Five contributor Allison Coffelt about her essay "The Mud Hut." “The Mud Hut” addresses what it’s like for friends and family to see a loved one enlist in the military and go to basic training. What led you to write about this particular topic? AC: I would say that rather than … Continue reading Q & A With Issue Five Contributor Allison Coffelt

Editor M.E. Silverman converses with Michigan poets Carol Smallwood (CS); Elinor Benedict (EB); Foster Neill (FN); and Robert Fanning (RF). In a grandiose style, how would someone introduce you to a crowded room? (CS): Carol Smallwood’s great grandparents homesteaded in Michigan; she has lived in Michigan all her life, and her children are Michiganders. While … Continue reading Interview With Four Michigan Poets

Issue Three contributor Kevin McKelvey interviews Midwestern writer Lee Martin. ~  ~  ~ Lee Martin’s novels, short stories, memoirs, and essays are infused with local history, geography, and culture, mostly from his native rural Illinois. But it’s not just setting.  He’s engaging local stories that became legends in the novels The Bright Forever (Pulitzer finalist) … Continue reading Interview With Lee Martin

Check it out: part two of Quiddity's radio program entitled "Finding Place in Placelessness," recorded in conjunction with the museum of americana's Midwest issue, is now live. In this segment, Midwestern Gothic editor Christina Olsen and the museum's own Justin Hamm talk about Midwestern literature. Here's the link: http://www.prx.org/pieces/112738-untitled-march-5-2014#description

Friends, we're excited to point you in the direction of Quiddity for the first part our Midwest-themed collaboration: a discussion with Issue Five contributor Monica Berlin and one of the museum's favorite fiction writers, Chad Simpson, about writing from the Midwest: http://quidditylit.com/?p=1109. And stay tuned: Issue Five is just around the corner, and Quiddity will have … Continue reading Monica Berlin and Chad Simpson on the Midwest @ Quiddity

Issue Three’s nonfiction includes Robert Iulo's essay on growing up in the parish of Old Saint Patrick’s in New York’s Little Italy. The essay, part history and part memoir, reveals what it was like going to church surrounded by a fortified wall built as protection against anti-Catholic nativists, and using an  eighteenth century graveyard for … Continue reading Interview With Issue Three Contributor Robert Iulo

Reviews/Interviews Editor Ann Beman interviews poet Tony Barnstone about Tokyo Burning, the music CD based on Tongue of War—Barnstone’s book of poems that perceives World War II in the Pacific from the worm’s-eye view. What incited you to write Tongue of War? The origin goes back seventeen years, to the night I was invited to sit down … Continue reading Tokyo Burning Interview with Tony Barnstone

Fred McGavran, whose "The Art of Bloodletting" is a highlight of Issue Three, writes to share some good news about recent publications: "Recycled Glass" appeared in January 2013 in Rougarou at http://english.louisiana.edu/rougarou/Content/f_McGavran.html. "Insight" was published in the first edition of The Fairhaven Literary Reviewand won $250 as best of the issue. The Fairhaven Literary Review is available in hard copy and as an … Continue reading Contributor News from Fred McGavran

Editor Justin Hamm talks to Justin Evans about his collection Hobble Creek Almanac, which traces the history of one small town in Utah from its Mormon settlement to Evans's own childhood. Read Hamm's review of Hobble Creek Almanac here. We appreciate your time, Justin. To begin with, I'm particularly interested in how you came realize you wanted to write this particular … Continue reading Interview with Hobble Creek Almanac Author Justin Evans