Has anyone seen the fantastic new book State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America, edited by Matt Weiland and Sean Wilsey?
Don't let the rather drowsy cover fool you. It's meant to look retro; the editors wanted a modern equivalent of the state travel guides produced in the 1930s through the Federal Writers' Project (part of FDR's Works Progress Administration job creation). That's right, the U.S. government put $27 million into paying authors and artists to create books and art. Can you imagine how that sort of thing would go over today? Just imagine valuing authors and artists enough to want them to continue their work. Stunning.
But the history of this volume is not the great part. What is great is the list of contributors Weiland and Wilsey have managed to pull together: Dave Eggers on Illinois. Sarah Vowell on Montana. Anthony Bourdain on New Jersey. Louise Erdrich on North Dakota. Jonathan Franzen on New York. Jhumpa Lahiri on Rhode Island. David Rakoff on Utah. And many, many more.
You don't have to read the whole thing. Get it, and read about your state. (I did, and although it hurts me to report this, I didn't enjoy the essay about Wisconsin, by Daphne Beal. Ms. Beal talked mainly about the east side of the state and Racine, which is not my part of the state, and she maintains that all Wisconsinites say "soda," not "pop," which is not true.*)
When my duty to my home state was done, however, I went right for Anthony Bourdain's piece on New Jersey, which was awesome (of course), and then I proceeded merrily along to Dave Eggers's piece on Illinois, which blew me away and reminded me, instantly, how I felt upon first reading his memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, lo those many years ago, and how I fell in love with him over that book. Who would have guessed that an essay about the state of Illinois (a state Wisconsin natives largely disdain from birth; it's in our water) would have knocked me over? As Eggers says:
"The slogan on all license plates in Illinois, for as long as anyone can remember, has been Land of Lincoln. Everyone in Illinois and all sensible people elsewhere believe it to be the best license-plate slogal of all the states in our union. The closest runner-up would be New Hampshire's fiery Live Free or Die, but that slogan scares children. A license-plate slogan shouldn't scare children and shouldn't include the words 'or die.' A license-plate slogan shouldn't encourage death in the face of curtailed personal liberties. A license-plate slogan should, without threats or hysterics, evoke the moral essence and scenic grandeur of a state, and if possible it should be alliterative and should mention everyone's favorite president." (p. 130.)
I'm still a little in love with Dave Eggers, if you must know the truth.
*It's not just me. Mr. CR deigned to read it, nonfiction though it was, and concurred with my sentiments.
Ooooh, still love Dave Eggers, even though I'm from a cruddy little suburb near Lake Forest (and am roughly Egger's age) and therefore am officially obligated to hate his arrogant mug.
I've had this on my list since I ordered it months before it came out for my library's collection. Will have to move it to the top of the list...
Posted by: Rachael | 24 April 2009 at 10:28 AM
Rachael,
I know just what you mean. Just when I think I can't stand Dave Eggers's earnestness, or high standing in the "literary" literary world, or I just get sick of him, or I don't enjoy novels by his wife Vendela Vida, etc. etc.....along he comes with something like this and knocks me over all over again. Damn him anyway.
I have no such complicated relationship with Anthony Bourdain. I love him, love him, love him.
Do let me know what you think of the book. I didn't read the whole thing but I was generally pretty pleased with all the essays I read.
Posted by: Citizen Reader | 24 April 2009 at 11:21 AM
I love Louise Erdrich. Was there one on South Dakota? Who wrote it?
Posted by: Melanie | 24 April 2009 at 12:38 PM
Ooo, I have been meaning to read this one, but I held off due to bad experiences with themed essay collections. How are the OR, VA, and NC essays, assuming you have gotten to them yet?
Posted by: Tripp | 24 April 2009 at 01:20 PM
Melanie,
Yup, there's an essay on every state; South Dakota's is by a man named Said Sayrafiezadeh. I didn't read it--so if you do let me know how it is!
Tripp,
I think you'd enjoy it. I couldn't read the whole thing at once and want to get it back, so I'll admit that I only read WI, NJ, IL, and Utah (by David Rakoff--awesome). I started "Montana" by Sarah Vowell but the book went overdue before I could get it done! Let me know what you think if you get it, particularly of all those NW state essays. I particularly want to get it back so I can read Jonathan Franzen's essay on New York--I'm not a huge Franzen fan but I do like his nonfiction.
Posted by: Citizen Reader | 25 April 2009 at 12:13 PM
I also loved skipping around the essays in this book! You should try to get a copy of the excellent Powell's "Out of the Book" DVD on State by State. Powell's brought the contributors together for a live reading and cookout - you'll hear Anthony Bourdain read part of his essay, and the whole thing is a lot of fun! http://www.powells.com/biblio?show=dvd:new:9780971592322:7.99
Posted by: Molly | 25 April 2009 at 02:09 PM
Hey Citizen Reader! I have been telling everybody who will listen about the awesomeness of this book, which I found myself reading from cover to cover (not what I expected to want to do, but got sucked in). Full of factual tidbits to randomly share with people whether or not they want to hear them. It made me want to spend this summer driving all over This Great Nation Of Ours, visiting Civil War battlefields and obscure historical sites. I also dig Anthony Bourdain the most.
Posted by: Anonymous Library Employee | 25 April 2009 at 02:46 PM
I bought this book a few months ago and I absolutely love it. I didn't like the essay about my home state either (Missouri), but I did like the one about Wisconsin. Go figure. :)
I'm glad you're liking it. I'm still meandering my way through the west coast right now. In fact, you've reminded me that I need to get back to it!
Posted by: J.S. Peyton | 26 April 2009 at 09:18 AM
Molly,
I saw that at Powell's, and I'm glad to hear that it's fun! I'm totally going to look into that.
Hello, Anonymous!
You should go driving around this summer and see if the essays accurately reflect the nature of their states! I can't say that I've ever wanted to visit Civil War battlegrounds and I hate driving, but I must say this book did make me more curious about the people in each state. You're a trouper for getting through the whole book at once, though--it was too long for me. Also glad to hear there's another rabid Bourdain fan out there.
J.S.:
I'm with you. This may be another one I have to purchase just to keep it around for when I'm in an essay mood. Next time I get it I'm heading straight for the Missouri essay! (I think the Wisconsin essay was a fine one--it just didn't reflect what I think of as "my" state--especially as the region Beal was describing is emphatically one of my least favorite regions of the state.)
Posted by: Citizen Reader | 26 April 2009 at 07:14 PM
I'm a Wisconsinite, and I've always said "pop" instead of "soda". Funny how one little mistake like that can throw you right out of the reading.
Posted by: Pop Tart | 27 April 2009 at 12:12 PM
I've ordered the book from ILL. Hopefully it will come soon. Because I want to know what Said Sayrafiezadeh has to say about SD. It's not a name I'm familiar with - not that I know everyone in the state :)
Posted by: Melanie | 27 April 2009 at 02:04 PM
POP Tart!
Yes, you and I say "pop," and I know we're right, but evidently people over on the east side of the state say "soda" (Mr. Cr, from Fond du Lac, says "soda," and I'll never get used to it). So she wasn't really wrong. Still threw me out of the reading though!
Melanie,
Oh good. I think you'll like it. Let me know how that South Dakota essay is, will you? While I love the name "Said," (I just like the way it sounds) I didn't recognize it either.
Posted by: Citizen Reader | 27 April 2009 at 06:04 PM
Said Sayrafiezadeh has his essay on his blog, so I was able to read it yesterday. For everyone who reads the book, SD is much more than Mount Rushmore.
Posted by: Melanie | 28 April 2009 at 11:54 AM
It's "soda" in Mwaukee, too.
Posted by: Sarah | 28 April 2009 at 03:05 PM
Let me understand this. A woman I've never heard of (Daphne Beal), and whose Web sit has blurbs for her new book from Elle and Vogue magazines, writes the chapter on Wisconsin? She doesn't seem to be in quite the same league as the other folks on that list.
Posted by: EACH LITTLE WORLD | 28 April 2009 at 11:12 PM
Melanie,
I wonder if anyone likes the essay for their home state! Now you've got me curious about that South Dakota essay, though.
Sarah,
I know it's soda over there in the east side of the state. I still say they're wrong. The beverage is clearly "pop." :)
ELW,
That's what I'm telling you. I know...where is Wisconsin's Anthony Bourdain? In Beal's defense, I didn't recognize the names of lots of the other essay writers either. What's her new book about, did you notice?
Posted by: Citizen Reader | 29 April 2009 at 09:42 AM
It's called "In the Land of No Right Angles" and here's the Elle blurb: "An unpredictable journey of the spirit and the flesh. . . . [An] enchanting, at times perilous, tale of love, magic, and illusion."
Here's a link to Beal's own description: http://www.daphnebeal.com/novel.html
Does not look like my cup of tea to put it mildly.
Posted by: EACH LITTLE WORLD | 29 April 2009 at 09:59 AM
Are they drinking fountains or bubblers?
Posted by: Sarah | 29 April 2009 at 01:10 PM
Hmm, ELW, thanks for the link. Can't say it looks like my cup of tea either but it's got a beautiful cover--yes, I am that shallow--so I may still try it.
Sarah,
what kind of fancy-ass people drink out of "drinking fountains"? Bubblers, sister, Bubblers.
Posted by: Citizen Reader | 29 April 2009 at 04:28 PM
The same people who say "soda".
Posted by: sarah | 30 April 2009 at 11:47 AM