PSR Volumes I - V

Edited by Joy Arbor

INTRODUCTION 3

INTERVIEW
Interview with Ted Kooser by Mary K. Stillwell 5

PHOTOGRAPHY

Susan Murnan Cover, 26, 43
Faith Mills 4, 37
Katie Niedbalski 10
Michelle Bishop 13
J. Lynn Batten 16, 24, 54
Erin Blobaum 28
Amy Plettner-Lind 32, 34
Holly Brobst 29, 56

POETRY

Wind at Sunrise Renee Lanik 11
Red Lights in the Morning Deborah T. McGinn 14
My Thunderbird Fran Higgins 15
Driving Highway 6 Shelly Clark 22
Sweet Corn Shelly Clark 27
Wayne County Mitchell Ahlschwede 23
Ingrained Lucy Adkins 33
Migration Lucy Adkins 53
Jeff's Widow Kathleen Timperley 35
Canned Tomatoes Kathleen Timperley 36
A Farm Sale at Dusk Kathleen Timperley 56
Geometry Problem Becky Faber 41
AIDS in Nebraska J. Eileen Durgin-Clinchard 42
Sweat Marilyn Dorf 44
Catechumen Kelly Madigan Erlandson 46
Origins Kelly Madigan Erlandson 58
When I Ride Carole Barnes-Montgomery 55
Moon Dreams, Shaman Vissions Roy Reichle 57
Nemaha County Nocturne Amy Fleury 59

PROSE

Married to Blonde in Omaha Steven Wingate 12
A Park in Perspective: The Story of Henry E. Pressey Curt McDermott 17
A Trip to the Grocery Store Jan Chism Wright 20
[Excerpt from] Picture, Memory Scott Peterson 25
[Excerpt from] Something Beautiful Scott Peterson 30
Jade's Daisies Nicole Church 38
Baptizing Cats Deb Carpenter 45
Raptured Bonnie Crumly-Fastring 47

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS 60

Edited by Margie Rine

INTRODUCTION 3

INTERVIEW
Interview with Jonis Agee by Genevieve Critel 5

PHOTOGRAPHY

Shelley Fuller, Cover
Amador Garrés 4
Sara Fuller 5, 18, 29, 40
Michelle Bishop 10
Heather Glemboski 14
Lori Armiger 16
Dave Read 18
Clint McMillen 46
Susan Murnan 56
Stacey L. Eggers 60
Crystal Corman 61

POETRY

Funeral for a Farmer's Wife Lucy Adkins 7
Butchering Lucy Adkins 7
Milking Lucy Adkins 8
Re-entry Sara Adkisson 9
Sonnet for I20 South Sara Adkisson 9
Grandmonther's Prairie Stories Ruth Armstrong 10
Sunday ... cutting wood Carole Barnes-Montgomery 11
Cowbosy Carole Barnes-Montgomery 12
Sundays Melissa Beery 13
Feeding the Town Chickens Melissa Beery 13
The Band Plays On Dale S. Biggs 15
Salvage the Heart, Mend the Mind Mary Ann Bowman 17
Friday Night at the Singles Dance Ardiss Cederholm 21
The Price Ardiss Cederholm 21
Pet Bulls Jan Chism Wright 22
The Whole Childe Nicole Church 23
Letter from a Soddy Marilyn Dorf 24
A Wednesday in Summer Tigerlily Ernst 25
Road Trip Tigerlily Ernst 25
We Walked Danielle Friesen-Bethune 26
We are on Nine-Mile Prairie When Twyla Hansen 27
Deer at Dusk Twyla Hansen 28
Free Cheese William Kloefkorn 30
Sergaent Patrick Gass, Chief Carpenter: On the Trail with Lewis and Clark William Kloefkorn 30
Palmyra Renee Lanik 33
Chicken for Sundays Renee Lanik 34
Aunt Tessie's Apron Strings Ann Matzke 38
Shelling Peas Sandra McBride 39
Shaped Like War Deborah T. McGinn 42
Driving across Nebraska in the Time between Darkness and Dawn Scott Peterson 42
Traveling in a Funeral Procession on Highway 2 to Prudum June Rainbow 46
707 Florence Boulevard Jim Reese 47
Strike on the Stoop Jim Reese 47
Afternoon Chores Jim Reese 48
Spring Creek Prairie Dee Ritter 49
Sometimes I Stray Off Deliberately Marjorie Saiser 51
Wind Lies Down Marjorie Saiser 51
Adios, Goodby Marjorie Saiser 61
1:30 am Michael Salas 52
The Bookmobile Mary K. Stillwell 55
The Red Barn Mary K. Stillwell 55
Off the Map in Nebraska Beth Torgerson 57
Legacy of Images Deb Walz 59
Lineage Deb Walz 59
shithole Steve Werkmeister 60

PROSE

The Dance of Opposites Jon Brt 19
Bangboard Marilyn Dorf 24
Estate Sale, Palm Sunday, Lincoln, NE Karen Head 29
Equinox Kelly Madigan Erlandson 35
The Miracle Tree S. Scott Massin 37
Young Man Brendan McGinn 41
Tree Tales LoRee Peery 43
Long Drive Home Cara Pesek 44
Grandma's Diaries Dee Ritter 50
A Little Nebraska Sara Smith 53

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS 62

Six Poems William Kloefkorn 1
Circumference Margie Rine 8
Journey Home Sarah Hector 14
Birth Place Willa Bitney 15
Snow Day Ellen Pillar 16
American Quarter Horse Youth Association World Show Amy J. Ryan 18
First Flight Nathan McConnell 23
Growing up Playing Cowboys and Indians Pate Pike 28
At the Edge of Town Gladys Haunton 30
Request Mary Ann Bowman 33
Summer of '68 Deb Walz 35
Iron Threads David Oschner 36
End of an Era Gary Renzelman 46
All There Is, Is Paper Lois Bauer 47
In David City Park Nancy McCleery 62
#1 Gerald Giraud 63
To the Sower Yi Zhang 64
Star of the New Moon LoRee Peery 67
Matress Melissa Beery 71
Staying Put Jon Brt 73
Three Miles West of Russell, Nebraska Ardiss Cederholm 77
The Longing Chase Smith 78
Never Realy Leave Christopher Hammack 82
A Poem Written While Driving Through Nebraska and Iowa Dane Stickney 89
In the Nebraska State Department of Roads We Trest Dale Biggs 91
The Great Deeds of G.W.N. Matt Callicoat 93
Sandoz and Cather: Are Jules and Alexandra Really So Different? Barbara Sawatzki 96

Special Forum: Nebraska Constitutional Amendment 416 and GLBT Issues in Nebraska:
A Lesbian's Response to Initiative 416 Kris Gandara 108
Lacks Signs of Intelligent Life Genevieve Critel 109
It Wasn't You Kris Gandara 110
Collected Scenes Where Every Frame is Filled with Hair Michael Richman 113
In Defense of What? Jewlya Lynn 122

Disintegration Chad Weidner 130
A Non-tradional Student Neil Boring 131
My College Life Tanishia Butler 134
The Day the Huskers Died Mary Iltzsch 135
Of You The McNeelees 136
Sketch at the Mill Peter Storonsky 137
The Mill Deborah T. McGinn
Girl Talk Nancy McCleery 139
My People Zeljka Pavjasevic 140
Where We Begin Gretchen Bergen 141
The True Seasons of Farming Laurence E. Ackland 149
Farm Trucks and Old Men Lucy Adkins 152
Farm Girl Danielle Friesen-Bethune 153
Installation of Personality Amy Hock 154
The Night of the Storm Aaron Stutzman 159
The Day After Charlene Neely 162
Harvest Time on the Farm Jeff Fritz 164
The Farm Carole Barnes Montgomery 168
Grandma's House Deb Walz 169
Father Marjorie Saiser 170
Weathered Wood David Hartman 172
Eulogy Luke Bonkiewicz 173
Leave Only Your Footprints Adam Brosz 181
Settling for Less than Less Rex Walton 190
Siege Lawrence E. Ackland 191
Five Details of Fall David Hartman 192
November Renee Lanik 193
Reflections in a Nebraska Field Mel Krutz 194

NOTES ON THE CONTRIBUTORS 195

O Pioneers! An Opera Based on the Novel By Willa Cather Tyler White 1
Frost in the Morning Dorothy Thomas 4
Anna in the Swing Marjorie Saiser 7
A House in the Country Dee Ritter 10
Going Home Brent Warren 14
The Thing We Did Renee Lanik 20
My Grandfather's Legacy Rebecca Weaver 21
Carrying Leroy Kelly Madigan Erlandson 24
A Question of Possession Tony Cacioppo 25
The Top of the Hill Mary An Bowman 26
Ever So Humble Dale S. Biggs 39
Lloyd Grasinger Revisited Bryan Jones 40
Buffalo Dreams Tigerlily Ernst 43
American Dreams Rebecca Weaver 45
Photo: Lincoln City Scape Susan Kiene 47
Tillie Olsen: Writing about and from Working Class Motherhood Gretchen Obrist 48
Women in Nebraska Politics Mary Schulte 58
Living Over the Store Ruth Raymond Thone 61
Blood Sisters Renee Lanik 64
Me and My Soapbox Amanda Fechner 66
Poem About My People Kris Gandara 68
The Haircut Lois Schaefer Bauer 69
A Questions of Mercy Luan Pitsch 81
The Preacher's Son Susanne Sarah Novak 93
The Meaning of Christmas Jessica Intermill 102
Evolution Revolution: How Nebraska Authors are Taking Control of the Evolution Debate Amanda Schindler 106
Fligloudli The McNeelees 113
Wintry Awakening Ellen Pillar 114
Lost Boots Kimberly Sallans 116
Daddy's Spur Lew Kaye-Skinner 124
Backstage Pass -- Interviewing Mustang Dick Jim Reese 134
The Catch Jim Reese 135
Seedless Cones Bobby Peru 136
Mice Cara Pesek 139
Mice in the House Lucy Adkins 146
A Morning of Writing Virginia Wright-Peterson 147
Road South Scott Abels 149
In the Car Mary Johnson 150
Howard Takes a Bath Bryan Jones 154
The Sarben Bridge Charlotte Hogg 158
My Favorite Place Lindsay Richardson 163
The Mailbox at the Top of the World Jan Chism Wright 164
Nebraska Sand Mary Andersen 166
A Cathedral is the Plains Mel Krutz 167
Photo: Nebraska Barn Susan Kiene 168
Still-Life With Barn Charlene Neely 169
Don't "Red" On Me Dale S. Biggs 171
Black Shirt Tom Pappas 172
Big Red Mania Brandee Illingworth 174
The Skybox Takeovers, or How I Learned to Stop Worry and Love the Tuskers Debra L. Devonshire 176
A Nebraska Indirective Steve Langan 181
The A.M. Radio Danielle Friesen-Bethune 183
Spots on my Silverware: Poem & Photo Danielle Friesen-Bethune 184
The Barada Hills of Nebraska Jan Chism Wright 186
A Day at the Duck Races Kate Flaherty 187
Euchre At Two Jim Reese 193
Mary Howard's Grocery Jan Chism Wright 194
The Pioneer Inn of Gilead Luella Corliss Sphon 196
Making Tomato Soup Jason Miller 197
A Child Mary Jackson 199
Springtime Comes to Laron's Place Lucy Adkins 200
An Altar for the Rain Jason Miller 201
Season in Nebraska Melissa Mecham 202
Nebraska Haiku Kathy Disney 203
Climbing Lucy Adkins 204
In Season Blake Anderson 205
October Renee Lanik 206
Family Tree Lindsay Siem 207
The Night the Lights Went Out Pat Pike 216
The Year We Gave Stories Mary Jackson 217
Nebraska From Every Angle but Above Graham Lindsey Skaluba 223
Willa Cather and the Art of Human Experience: The Power of "Camille" in My Antonia Chelsea Schievert 225
Photo: Church and House, Virginia City, 1941 Wright Morris 234
Small Pleasures: A Memoir of a Wright Morris Weekends Joseph J. Wydeven 235

THE CONTRIBUTORS 242

Plains Song (of J. Alfred Chimneyrock) Dale S. Biggs 1
A Plains Song Companion Dale S. Biggs 1
Give Me This Dance Jenny Hasenauer 2
Fences Sommer Jindra 18
View From the Highway 11 Bridge Todd Robinson 28
The Homecoming Lucas Schulte 30
A Glimpse of History Jeremy Martin 33
The Sandpit Rebecca Branting 39
They Linger On Danielle Bethune 44
Little Brother Steven Janssen 45
Farmer's Poem Brian Vance 50
The Summer I Can't Forget Michael Vech 53
The Home Place Teri Lynn Imus 58
Ole's Salvation Chris Halligan 61
Great Plains Center Ron Larson 76
Mapping Loren Eiseley: A Bonehunter's Geography Deb Derrick 79
Landscape in Bess Streeter Aldrich Carol Miles Petersen 87
Journey Shelly Clark 94
Out at Kildeer Yasmin McEwen 95
Nebraska Wind Danielle Bethune 96
Peering Out Ramona L. Lindbloom 97
Nebraska Storm Justin Gill 98
Waiting for the Sun Rick Guilliams 102
Nebraska Winds Kaycee Bridger 103
Then & Forever Tycho McNeelee 104
Emerging at the Surface Danielle Bethune 106
A Brighter Future for All: Economic Development in Nebraska Katie Harr 108
Memories for Sale Brian Vance 114
How to Live in the Heartland Twyla Hansen 117
Mid-West Misunderstanding Kristy Sorensen 118
Saturday Night at the View Jim Reese 119
The Jive Jim Reese 121
Carny Amie Perlman 124
Nebraska Boxer Harold B. Wilson 132
Heoll, My Name is Chris Chris Bonnema 136
Raves Emily Elowsky 139
Falling Off the Edge of the World Joanna Findlay 147
The Logic of Hate Adele Stevens 154
Journalistic Giant Trips on Load of Cow Chips Joe Starita 160
Political Culture of Nebraska Katie Sup 162
Nebraska Political Culture Mike Schuering 164
Tastes Like More Jim Reese 166
Breeding Grounds Michael Garcia 168
Bishop Bruskewitz and Orthodox Catholicim in Nebraska Matthew Robbins Johnson 170
Wings Amanda Lighter 178
Delia's Place Andria Skaff 179
The Last Day Mary Trauthen 185
Wright Morris and Chautauqua Oliver Pollak 189
Wright Morris Holograph Wright Morris 194
Reflections on Wright Morris' November Plains Song Donna Kortje 195