A Different Plain: Contemporary Nebraska Fiction Writers Summary and Reviews

A Different Plain: Contemporary Nebraska Fiction Writers

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Book Summary Information

Editor: Ladette Randolph
Introduction: Mary Pipher
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2004-09-01
ISBN: 0803290020
Number of pages: 398
Publisher: Bison Books

Book Reviews of A Different Plain: Contemporary Nebraska Fiction Writers

Book Review: Huskers write on . . .
Summary: 4 Stars

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.

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