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A Different Plain: Contemporary Nebraska Fiction Writers

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When I think of Nebraska writers I am reminded of Wright Morris, Pulitzer Prize winner Willa Cather, and Ted Kooser, recently named Poet Laureate of the United States. I know there are other fine writers from Nebraska but with over 175,000 books published yearly in the U.S. it is sometimes difficult to find them unless they are specifically brought to your attention or have won a prestigious award or honor. That is why this collection is so important and worthwhile. This wonderful anthology brings together twenty-five contemporary Nebraska fiction writers and showcases some of the best emerging literary talent available to the reading public.
I especially like anthologies because the stories are self-contained and do not need to be read in any particular order. The reader can scan the table of contents and go directly to a story that piques their interest without fear of missing something in other parts of the book. For example, I noticed that Kent Haruf, author of the best selling finalist for the National Book Award "Plainsong," had a short story titled "Dancing" and turned to it first to see if he is as good as I remember. He is and the theme of coming home is treated in a soft-spoken, gentle manner. I next turned to "Playing Horses" by Karen Shoemaker because Mary Pipher in the Introduction especially recommended it and I am a fan of Pipher's writing. It was worth the effort and may bring back memories of your growing up, friendship, loss, and other issues that affect us all in one way or another. One of my favorites was "This is the Last of the Nice" by Brent Spencer. It is the story of a man that is a cold-caller for an insurance company that lately has been a little-you know-crazy. He is tired in a way that sleep can't cure and I suspect his problems and feelings will resonate with more than a few readers. After all, it's only fiction, right? This is one story you don't want to miss. There are more stories, twenty-five in all, that are so diverse in style, theme, and subject matter that something will appeal to any reader.
The Midwest has never been so well represented in contemporary fiction as it is by these Nebraska connected writers. The writers are first rate and the characters are, well, Plain in a different way. This book is a delightful read.

This collection is something of a mixed bag, it's title being somewhat misleading. Here, a "contemporary Nebraska fiction writer" is just about any writer who has spent some time in Nebraska, either as a creative writing student or as a member of a creative writing faculty. Unlike Cather and Sandoz, whose work represents an intimate firsthand knowledge of living on the plains, these writers have been shaped more by an academic landscape, which has no particular geographic boundaries (perhaps that's the "different plain" of the book's title). Fewer than half of the writers are native to Nebraska, and only a few stories are set there.

Setting these matters aside, a reader will find selections from some fine, recognized writers, among them Dan Chaon, Tom McNeal, Jonis Agee, Kent Haruf, and Ron Hansen. The best story in the bunch is the opener, Chaon's "I Demand to Know Where You're Taking Me," a young woman's introduction to her creepy brothers-in-law. Ron Hansen's "My Communist" tells a wryly amusing and bittersweet story of two Polish expats in California. Rick Barba's "Guys" traces the career frustrations and gender-related laments of a freelance video producer.

An excerpt from Jody Shield's "The Fig Eater" reveals a meticulously researched police procedural set in Vienna, 1910. Meghan Daum's "Alternative Lifestyle Alert" is a fictionalized account of the author's decision to leave cutthroat, yuppie New York for a new life in Nebraska. Gerald Shapiro's "Bad Jews" is as outrageously hilarious as an episode of Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Also, there's the grimly humorous father-son story, "The New Year," from John McNally's terrific collection, "Troublemakers." Altogether the 25 stories in this collection offer a wide range of talent and subject matter. And there's ample evidence that Willa Cather would approve.