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.
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.
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 Pinero Stillmann After Yang, by Alexander Weinstein Night Shift, by Tessa Yang Recommended Reading Contributor Bios Permissions
"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
