What Kansas Means to Me

To understand why people say 'Dear old Kansas! is to understand that Kansas is no mere geographical expression, but a 'state of mind, ' a religion, and a philosophy in one, writes historian Carl Becker in the classic 1910 essay that leads off this volume. Like Becker, the twelve other essayists and four poets try to map the spiritual topography of Kansas and explain why this particular patch of prairie is so dear. They share the conviction that Kansas represents something powerful, something significant, something noteworthy. The seventeen selections are put into perspective by Thomas Fox Averill's headnotes and introductory essay, which makes its own contribution to our understanding of Kansas. The essays and poems (all previously published except for the last essay) are arranged chronologically, from the earliest (1910) to the most recent (1990). Illustrated with woodcuts from the Prairie Print-makers.