Is Indiana Caught in the Middle?

This What-Are-You-Reading post was written by Kristen Fuhs Wells, communications director at the Indiana Humanities Council.

I admit it. We’re three months into the IndyTalks series, centered around Richard Longworth’s “Caught in the Middle: America’s Heartland in the Age of Globalism,” and I just now picked up the book. The main reason: It took me this long to get it from the waitlist at the library.

I’m only a few chapters in, but I’m already hooked. It’s a brilliant analysis of the Midwest (note: I do disagree with how Longworth classifies the Midwest–he claims only the northern half of Indiana as Midwest, and says the southern half belongs to the South), and it’s 21st century globalization issues.

It’s a must read for anyone living in the Midwest–and that’s why the collaborative IndyTalks group chose it as a theme for this year’s series. Already, we’ve heard from Longworth himself, during an interview on WFYI (listen to the podcaset, here). Next, we explored the arts. On Thursday, March 18, we’ll discuss public leadership and ethical questions at Marian University. Other discussion points include food and how it relates to sense of place and culture, Hoosier values, aging, and ultimately, “Is it good to be a Hoosier?” Find out more about the series, here.

Please join us for one of these exciting conversations, and don’t forget to read the book! If you don’t want to wait for the book at the library or go out and buy it, start a book club, and request it from our lending library, Novel Conversations.