As Kurt Vonnegut, Indiana's most famous writer, once remarked, "Wherever you go, there is always a Hoosier doing something important there."
A Flame Called Indiana features 65 writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry who have all had the pleasure of being Hoosiers at one time or another. Curated by the Indiana University Bloomington creative writing department, this diverse anthology features everything from the immigrant experience to the Indianapolis 500 to science fiction. Altogether, the work stands testament to the vibrancy and creativity of this Midwest state.
An excellent gift for your favorite reader and an important resource for creative writers, A Flame Called Indiana serves as both a chronicle of where Indiana's writing is today and a beacon to those who'll take it where it's going next.
Table of Contents:
Introduction, by Douglas Case
1. Part 1: Nonfiction
What It's Like to Swim in the Ocean for the First Time at 28, by Ashley C. Ford
Fifteen Things I've Noticed while Trying to Walk 10,000 Steps per Day: Muncie, Indiana Edition, by Silas Hansen
Caves, by Rajpreet Heir
Buckethead, by B.J. Hollars
Quick Feet, by Kiese Laymon
The Elvis Room, by Katie Moulton
Useless Beauty, by Scott Russell Sanders
2. Part 2: Poetry
Orchids Are Sprouting from the Floorboards, by Kaveh Akbar
Looking for Mushrooms, by Dason Anderson
The Creator Takes the Stand, by Noah Baldino
Atmosphere in Our Bullshit Little Town, by Bryce Berkowitz
Red-Winged Blackbird, by Joe Betz
Pretend, by Callista Buchen
Deer Whisperer, by Steve Castro
Hello, My Parents Don't Speak English Well, How Can I Help You?, by Su Cho
Ode to the Tongue, by Nandi Comer
Feast Green and Stained, by Paul Cunningham
This Afternoon, Kirkwood Avenue Breathes, by Mitchell L.H. Douglas
Little Eagle Creek in Seasons, by M.A. Dubbs
Our Relationship as Embrace b/w Icarus & Light, by Samantha Fain
Self-Portrait as Hammer, by Maggie Graber
Quiet after Rain in Indiana, by Joe Heithaus
Junk Food, by Allison Joseph
Besaydoo, by Yalie Kamara
The Indianapolis 500, by Christopher Kempf
Portrait of Boy in Greyhound Bus Window, by Patrick Kindig
Portable City, by Karen Kovacik
Maturation Theory, by Kien Lam
The Merchant Seaman's Wife, by Jacqueline Jones LaMon
Good Friday, by Rebecca Lehmann
The Poet Encounters a Moose in Winter, by John Leo
Museum, by Keith Leonard
Night Swim at Shadow Lake, by Anni Liu
Umbra, by Nancy Chen Long
Berries, by Alessandra Lynch
Television, a Patient Teacher, by Orlando Ricardo Menes
Self-Portrait, Wearing Bear Skull as Mask, by Michael Mlekoday
First Milk, by Danni Quintos
Still Animals, by Sam Ross
Map, by Bruce Snider
Bare Necessities, by Lana Spendl
Mother's Coat, by Maura Stanton
Red State, by Jacob Sunderlin
Train People, by Gin Faith Thomas
The Fens at Mounds State Park, by Chuck Wagner
First Flight, by Shari Wagner
Incident with Nature, Late, by Marcus Wicker
World of Desire, by Brandon Young
3. Part 3: Fiction
You Perfect, Broken Thing, by C.L. Clark
Insults for Ugly Girls, by Tia Clark
Cash 4 Gold, by Laura Dzubay
Tom's Story, by Kelsey Parker Ervick
Penny and the Rakshasi, by Shreya Fadia
The Boys, by Scott Fenton
The Sixth Door, by Megan Giddings
The Fish Is Gone. But the Cake Is Here., by Brian Leung
The Moon over Wapakoneta, by Michael Martone
Glossolalia, by Kyle Minor
A Death Foretold, by Xavier Navarro Aquino
The Warhol Girl, by Susan S. Neville
Icicle People, or The Lake Effect Snow Queen, by Jasmine Sawers
Versus the Brown Socks, by Pablo Piñero Stillmann
After Yang, by Alexander Weinstein
Night Shift, by Tessa Yang
Recommended Reading
Contributor Bios
Permissions
About the Author :
Doug Paul Case is author of the book of poems Americanitis and four chapbooks, including Contemporary Aesthetics. He is Academic Specialist of English and Assistant Director of Creative Writing at Indiana University and lives in Bloomington.
Review :
"A Flame Called Indiana is a wonder and a delight—a beautifully wide view of the world and how art can help us make our way through it, as seen by those who call Indiana home. Each story, poem, and essay takes us deeper into its hidden places and stories, the people they've touched, and the human mysteries they pass along to us like fires in the dark. A tour guide for the heart of the heart of the country. I dare anyone to read this and call Indiana a flyover state again."—Patrick Coleman, author of The Churchgoer and Fire Season
