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Alliance, Illinois
by Dave Etter
Northwestern University Press, 2005 Paper: 978-0-8101-2213-0 Library of Congress Classification PS3555.T68A8 2005 Dewey Decimal Classification 811.54
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS | TOC | EXCERPT | REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
ABOUT THIS BOOK
In the tradition of Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio, and Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology, each of the 222 poems in this collection is narrated by a different resident of the fictional small town of Alliance, Illinois. Their voices, individual and yet familiar, describe the ordered simplicity of life in the American small town during the second half of the twentieth century. Dave Etter's themes and images come from the very lifeblood of prairie Illinois-rivers, trees, cornfields, wildlife, county fairs, railroads and, always, the people and the ever-changing seasons. Deceptively, invitingly simple on their surface, Etter's poems reveal upon careful examination a remarkable psychological insight and a careful craftsmanship. Alliance, Illinois is truly one of the great monuments of rural American literature.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Dave Etter was born in California in 1928. He settled in northern Illinois in 1958 and worked as an editor for several book publishers. He has won prizes from the Society of Midland Authors, Poetry Northwest (Theodore Roethke Memorial Poetry Prize) and the Illinois Sesquicentennial Commission. In 1982 his book West of Chicago (Spoon River, 1981) won the Carl Sandburg Award in poetry. Etter's poems have appeared in over a hundred textbooks and anthologies. His other works include The Essential Dave Etter (Spoon River, 2001), and Sunflower County (Spoon River, 1994).
REVIEWS
"Strongly influenced by Masters, Lindsay, and Sandburg, he is a chronicler of Midwest prairie towns and the disappearing race of semi-rural people, with their inarticulate dreams and dark secrets." -Poetry "Dave Etter. . .one of the best poets in America. His poems are at once gentle and incisive; they contain universal truths." -Poetry Now "Etter's work is a joy to read, because he is, above all else, honest with himself and his attitude toward the world." -Library Journal TABLE OF CONTENTS
GEORGE MAXWELL: County Seat
CHESTER GREENE: Taking the Census AMANDA PURTILL: Four Rows of Sweet Corn HENRY LICHENWALNER: Living in the Middle MITCH VALENTINE: Billboard TANYA OWENS: Equality REX AGEE: Getting at the Truth VALERIE MAYHEW: Cornfield Virgin WADE HOLLENBACH: Hard Cider SUSAN COBB: Names TUCKER STONE: Stuttering Hands ROGER POWELL: The Talk at Rukenbrod's FLORA RUTHERFORD: Postcard to Florida ORVILLE JUMP: Me, Myself, and I STANLEY ADAMS: Country Road K CLARENCE FOWLER: Nuts and Bolts BRUCE PUTNAM: Crayola MELISSA JENKINS: Staring Into Winter JAMIE MCFEE: Big Sister YVONNE WYNCOOP: Looking at Clouds FRANK TEMPLE: Wet Spring, Dark Earth MOLLY DUNAWAY: Rainbow NEIL CAMPBELL: Humor ZACHARY GRANT: Guilt STUBBY PAYNE: Stocking Tops AMOS BLACKBURN: War of the Hybrids PRUDENCE ARCHER: Thirteen KYLE TROWBRIDGE: Bird's Eye View NINA JAMES: Writing Down the Dream LESTER RASMUSSEN: Jane's Blue Jeans WILL GOODENOW: The Red Depot MICHAEL FLANAGAN: Unemployed DREW MANNING: Harvest Dust ABIGAIL TAYLOR: Senility WAT NUGENT: Epitaph ISIAH ROODHOUSE: Putting Off the Encyclopedia Salesman TRACY LIMANTOUR: Flowers and Smoke PIKE WALDROP: For the Record CHICK CUNNINGHAM: Horse Opera GARY SHACKHAMMER: Remembering the Thirties STELLA LYNCH: The Opposite Sex MICHELLE TREMBLAY: Yellow EDGAR WILSON: Carousel DAVID MOSS: Corn and Beans REV. FELIX DIETRICH: Gospel VICKI ST. CLAIR: Home from the River TRAVIS JOHNSTON: North RANDY WHITE: From a Big Chief Tablet Found Under a Bench at the Courthouse Square HOWARD DRUMGOOLE: Hotel Tall Corn GARTH LIGHT: Muscles ARDIS NEWKIRK: At the Charity Ball RICHARD GARLAND: Railroad Strike JUNIOR IVES: Barn Burner LOGAN STUART: The Union Soldier CHARLOTTE NORTHCOTT: Insomnia PEGGY DANIELS: Moonlight Yodel JEREMY FORQUER: The Smell of Lilacs MAURY CHASE: Famous SONNY BAXTER: Spider Webs TOM RANDALL: Under a Gigantic Sky VERNON YATES: Talking About the Erstwhile Paperboy to the Editor of the Alliance Gazette URSULA ZOLLINGER: Last House on Union Street GLENN TWITCHELL: Rose Petals PERRY MEEK: Wife Killer DENISE WATKINS: Some Come Running AUGUST CRABTREE: Simple Words EMMETT BEASLEY: Man Talking to Himself RUDY GERSTENBERG: Memo to the Erie-Lackawanna DR. MALCOLM LINDSAY: Catfish and Watermelon LUCY BETH YOUNGQUIST: The Reunion WALLY DODGE: The Hat JOHNNY WILCOX: In the Barbershop GROVER ELY: Ancestoral Home TRUDY MONROE: Saturday Afternoon on Elm Street HERBERT TOMPKINS: The Crippled Poet's Dream JOE SPRAGUE: Fourteen Stones NOAH CREEKMORE: Bingo POP GAINES: After the Farm Auction YALE BROCKLANDER: Tractor on Main Street FLOYD NYE: Dog on the Stairs DEWEY CLAY DOYLE: Sleeping Bags LOUISE CATHCART: Hearing an Old Song Again MARCUS MILLSAP: School Day Afternoon HAROLD BLISS: Questions and Answers PEARL INGERSOLL: Homework NELSON HURLBUT: Last Day of Summer Vacation, 1924 STEPHEN FROMHOLD: Freight Trains in Winter CURLY VANCE: The Pool Players MISSY UMBARGER: Stories in the Kitchen EUGENE CLARK: Grass Roots BOOTH SCHOFIELD: A Dream of Old AVERY LUCAS: Apples DELBERT VARNEY: One-Way Conversation With a Rug Beater KARL THEIS: The Widower Turns Eighty SHELLEY BROWN: Acorns CHARLEY HOOPER: Schoolteacher MILO FERRIS: A Damned Pretty Rain LYLE MURPHY: Pregnant TERRY REESE: Boom Boom on B Street ALICIA JACKSON: Fire Dream EARL VAN HORNE: Monopoly BARNEY PRINGLE: Heat Wave NETTIE KERSHAW: Pickle Puss FRED DELOPLAINE: Illinois Farmers EDWINA MCBRIDE: Trademarks AARON FICKLIN: Brother JEROME HOLTSAPPLE: Flower Thief RACHEL OSGOOD: Cornhusk Dolls CLYDE ROCKWELL: Bus Stop KEVIN PRUITT: Taking Down the Flag APRIL MCINTYRE: Fishing in the Rain NED SWIFT: Downtown ANTHONY FASANO: Greenhorn CRYSTAL GAVIS: Depressed After Being Fired from Another Job BECKY FARMER: Seen and Not Heard HERSCHEL NIEDERCORN: Requiem TERESA BIRDSELL: Sunflower Queen DUSTY PICKENS: Logan's Creek JEFFREY KOHRS: Summer Employment BOOG MONCRIEF: Falling Apart PAUL SUMMERHAY: Manuscript GRETCHEN NAYLOR: Nowhere JUDGE EMIL ZANGWILL: Angry Words CARL YELENICH: One Tough Hombre BEN HILDEBRAND: Father and Son MASON SINCENDIVER: Driving to Town WOODY O'NEILL: Outside the Western Auto Store SANDRA JOYNER: Newcomer DEREK VREELAND: The Apple Trees of Pioneer Grove KIM AUSTIN: Art Class LARRY GRAHAM: Empty Beer Can RALPH C. KRAMER: Gossip SCOTT LANSING: Trotters CAMILLE WEBSTER: Bull Durham BOYD DRAKE: Staying up Late ADAM POSEY: Sunday Comics ELLEN OPDYCKE: The Fall FAYE HOCKING: At the Home for Unwed Mothers DAISY COLE: The Housekeeper's Story OTIS K. SIZEMORE: Child in the House WARREN EGGLESTON: Nostalgia KEITH APPLEBEE: Boozing Bigots JOLENE DOERR: Fat IVAN LOOMIS: The Vision ELWOOD COLLINS: Summer of 1932 LANCE BOOMSMA: Wedding Reception PHYLLIS NESBIT: Chinese Restaurant O. E. MOONEY: Working on the Railroad HOPE GIBBS: Fire and Water ROBERT EVERWINE: Son NATHAN ACKERMAN: In Kreb's Kandy Kitchen DOROTHY TILLINGHAST: Local History TINA ROMERO: The Jesus Barn CORKY NOLAN: High School Blues PHIL DUDLEY: Cow in the Creek LEWIS PERCY: Goodbye ROWENA STARK: Snowman NORBERT JOYCE: Drummers BILLY UNDERWOOD: Memorial Day GRACE RODZINSKY: Cocktail Party SAM BUCKNER: Lovers' Quarrel ESTELLE ETHEREGE: Fifty HEIDI KOENIG: Slow Day at the Office WILBURN MILLER: Tough Guy SELMA SKOGLAND: Peanut Butter DOUG CHANDLER: Television GUY HANSEN: Retirement BETSY PETTIGREW: Carnival on Eye Street LUANNE ELLIOTT: Escaping the Holy Rollers MACK SCARCE: Going Steady RUDY KIMBLE: Homecoming Game HARLAN ADCOCK: Body OWEN HENDERSON: Bad Night on the Blue Hollow Road DONALD GUEST: Boredom KELSEY JUDD: Murder LINDA FULGHAM: Ida May and Ida May Not VELMA WITHERSPOON: Mischief BRADFORD TULLEY: Lonesome HOLLY JO ANDERSON: Bein' Poor WESLEY HARKNESS: Why He Didn't Repair the Bookcase RAYMOND KAFARSKI: Wheels SALLY WHIPPLE: Great-Grandmother's Speech on New Year's Eve PETER VOSBURGH: Return to River Street IRMA GILLESPIE: Chicken Bone TOOKIE THORNHILL: Cleaning Up the Yard SYLVESTER F. BILLINGS: The Civil War LLOYD KELLOGG: The Man Who Played Clarinet in the High School Band Back in 1936, But Then Never Amounted to Anything Much After That, Is Here Again Today, Folks KATHY SCHOONOVER: Identity GREGORY DAWSON: Sick Before Supper RUSSELL HAYES: Federal Highway KERMIT OLMSTED: Roots MILDRED CESAREK: At the Crossroads LAMAR WOCKENFUSS: Friendly Persuasion CALVIN FAIRBANKS: Letter to Grandma HELEN ALBRIGHT: Booster PORTER KNOX: The Christmas Tree MOE OTT: Deathbed Words of a Life Insurance Salesman ELMER PRATT: Revelation KAREN HICKS: Loony CURTIS LURTSEMA: National Pastime REGINA WASHINGTON: Incompatibility MAYBELLE JONES: A Trip to the Bank GLORIA HAWTHORNE: Her Dying Child KATE PINCHOT: Public Library LEONARD MASSINGAIL: Fatherly Advice JACK ERTEL: The Fighter DAWN CASAGRANDE: Concert ARNOLD WHEELER: Ambition BRIAN HARDY: Little Theater JONI LEFEVRE: Bicycle Ride to the Cannery GOLDIE KLIPSTEIN: Creative Writing MICKEY CONWAY: Tornado Warning NANCY EASTWICK: Jericho Township HAMILTON RIVERS: Noon at Carl's Mainline Cafe WAYNE V. NOYES, JR.: Front Porch Swing ROSE GARABALDI: Real Estate IRWIN STREETER: Worms PHOEBE YAEGER: Cheerleader WALTER INGRAM: In the Middle of the Middle West KIRBY QUACKENBUSH: September Moon EXCERPT
David Moss: Corn and Beans You won't believe it, Uncle Max. The corn is already scarecrow high and those beans are swelling up, proud as new granddaddies. What we have here, my boy, is some good old-fashioned ag-ri-cul-ture Corn wants to fly away, Uncle Max, and beans want to spread their fire. Son, the sun is surely gospel.
REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
If you are a student who cannot use this book in printed form, BiblioVault may be able to supply you with an electronic file for alternative access. Please have the accessibility coordinator at your school fill out this form. It can take 2-3 weeks for requests to be filled. See other books on: Alliance | American | City and town life | Illinois | Poetry See other titles from Northwestern University Press |
Nearby on shelf for American literature / Individual authors / 1961-2000:
9780816502257
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Alliance, Illinois
Northwestern University Press, 2005 Paper: 978-0-8101-2213-0 Library of Congress Classification PS3555.T68A8 2005 Dewey Decimal Classification 811.54
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS | TOC | EXCERPT | REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
ABOUT THIS BOOK
In the tradition of Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio, and Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology, each of the 222 poems in this collection is narrated by a different resident of the fictional small town of Alliance, Illinois. Their voices, individual and yet familiar, describe the ordered simplicity of life in the American small town during the second half of the twentieth century. Dave Etter's themes and images come from the very lifeblood of prairie Illinois-rivers, trees, cornfields, wildlife, county fairs, railroads and, always, the people and the ever-changing seasons. Deceptively, invitingly simple on their surface, Etter's poems reveal upon careful examination a remarkable psychological insight and a careful craftsmanship. Alliance, Illinois is truly one of the great monuments of rural American literature.
See other books on: Alliance | American | City and town life | Illinois | Poetry See other titles from Northwestern University Press |
Nearby on shelf for American literature / Individual authors / 1961-2000:
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