The Distance of Language

Five of my Favorite Books Written by Midwest Writers

Feb 11, 2023

Language transcends borders. There are many Universal Truths that comprise human existence, and this we know because we have spoken to it; we’ve translated and met through movement and learned to use our words to reach to the far corners of the earth.

For those of us artists who have chosen language as our medium, our work reaches further depths as an inherent trait, no matter where it begins.

Writers are producing amazing work all across this country. Here are five books by writers in the Midwest that I personally love.

1. Storm Lake: Change, Resilience, and Hope in America’s Heartland - Art Cullen

Pulitzer Prize-winner (and fellow Iowa Writers’ Collaborative columnist) Art Cullen brings color to western Iowa with this part-memoir, part-local history, part-expose. His insights into the experiences of immigrants in Storm Lake were illuminating for me, and I really began to understand the geopolitical situations in my state better. I often find myself disregarding Iowa as a state with no story; this book truly encouraged me to think deeper about place and find the story where it’s at. There’s an excellent short film about Cullen’s work uncovering corruption in western Iowa that I highly recommend.

2. Somebody’s Daughter - Ashley Ford

At some point in college, I began to follow nearly every writer I came across on Twitter in hopes I could absorb some part of their genius. While maybe a lofty ambition, it led me to brilliant writers like Ashley Ford. Ford’s memoir recounts her life growing up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with a single mother struggling to provide for her children and a father incarcerated for nearly her entire life. She is nuanced and sympathetic in her portrayal of both of her parents - difficult people who made bad choices, who struggled under their circumstances without the tools they needed. The ability to balance both the good and the bad in a human is a trait I deeply admire. Ford moved to Indianapolis after time spent in New York City, and still lives there with her husband today.

3. The Anthropocene Reviewed - John Green

John Green is a YA superstar author (something broke inside me the first time I read The Fault in Our Stars as a teenager), but this ruminative collection is a thoughtful turn from his usual work. Using the conceit of the “anthropocene,” defined as “the current geologic age, in which humans have profoundly reshaped the planet and its biodiversity,” Green examines facets of human existence as they intertwine with his own life. I find Green to be genuine and well-intentioned in his quest to understand the world. Green is another Indiana-based writer - he writes about his fear of moving from New York City to Indianapolis, and his journey to seeing the city through more forgiving eyes. Obviously, this spoke to me.

4. How We Fight for Our Lives - Saeed Jones

I will dedicate many future columns to my love and respect for Saeed Jones as a writer, podcaster, and all-around human being, but for now, let me just say - this man is brilliant. His memoir centers on his experiences growing up Black and gay in the south, losing his mother, and moving through young adulthood in a body that is constantly devalued by society. Jones is a fearless writer and a prolific poet, and the artistry in his words bleeds into this nonfiction. There are pieces that I have not stopped thinking about since I read this memoir a few years ago. While he did write this while he lived in New York City and worked at Buzzfeed, Jones moved to Columbus, Ohio shortly after it was published. He’s written about his need to get out of the city and settle into an easier pace of life, and his move to the Midwest was a huge inspiration for me in starting the Midwest Creative.

5. Nightbitch - Rachel Yoder

Rachel Yoder’s fiction debut, Nightbitch, is not for everyone - it’s strange, experimental, and a true reading experience. Yoder’s main character is a mother struggling with the increasing isolation of raising a toddler. Her husband is often gone on work trips, and she can’t connect with the other moms in her neighborhood. Her life starts to unravel as she gradually begins to exhibit signs of transforming into a dog. Yes. A dog. I could not stop reading this book, the narrator dragging me with her through her descent into some type of madness. Yoder holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Iowa, and lives in Iowa City today. Nightbitch is currently being adapted into a film starring Amy Adams.