State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America
by Matt Weiland and Sean Wilsey, Editors
Published by Ecco (A HarperCollins imprint)
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Reviewed by Claire Vath
Indie singer/songwriter Sufjan Stevens set out on a mission a few years ago: He wanted to record 50 albums—one on each state. While Stevens has currently only recorded two, Matt Weiland and Sean Wilsey have achieved a similar literary goal.
State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America, is a collection of essays from “50 writers on 50 states.” Each story is told by a different novelist, essayist or journalist, and each captures a distinct writing style and flavor. Writers include luminaries such as “The New Yorker’s” George Packer and Susan Orlean, movie producer Alexander Payne and NPR journalist Jacki Lyden.
When I opened the 608-page book, I turned to my own home state of Louisiana Louisiana doesn’t sound particularly savory as the author grapples with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the ghosts that roam the streets of New Orleans.
Topics from other states run the gamut from suicide, civil rights, the military, religion and politics to stunning vistas and lonely evenings.
While it’s difficult to sit and read this book cover to cover, perhaps the most fascinating aspect is “The 50 States in Numbers.” These tables in the back of the book record population increases, foreign-born population, mean travel time to work, classic movie theaters and drive-ins per capita, breastfeeding rate and even toothlessness rate (Louisiana came in fifth).
The proof is in the pudding: The United States is one big melting pot of characters, ideals, morals and life experiences. After reading this book, it’s clear that each author has been successful in his or her mission: to capture single moments in time that comprise the American landscape. The experiences they write about are as rich as the alluvial Gulf Coast soils and those of the Midwestern corn fields.
The essays are haunting, poignant, humorous, heartbreaking, desolate and filled to the brim with optimism. State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America –a stunning portrait of America from sea to shining sea—is diverse as America itself.
Armchair Interviews says: Most interesting