Abstract Describes the evolving nature of the small Midwestern town, from 1800s to present. Long held as an iconic place in American culture, the reality is more complex. This is a collection of writings from historians, novelists, social scientists, poets and journalists featuring well know authors such as Sherwood Anderson, Carol Bly, Willa Cather, Hamlin Garland, Sinclair Lewis, Garrison Keillor, Mark Twain as well as many lessor know but important writers. The five chronological sections trace...

Table of Contents Institutional cooperation to improve access to the humanities in western Minnesota / Gerrit Groen -- Evaluation and funding of course modification proposals / Mary Hickerson -- Adapting English courses to independent study / Vern Thompson -- Creating computer-assisted instructional programs for the Iliad and The Oddyssey / Gary L. Litt -- An Adaptation of an elementary Spanish course for the rural adult learner / Janice Wright -- Adapting three English courses for off-campus delivery / David...

Abstract "This book's immediate predecessor drew on the writings of many southwest Minnesota authors to create a portrait of the land and its peoples. In this book, Amato and Pichaske explore the region's rich culture in their own words. From Amato's analysis of regional lead cities like Worthington and New Ulm to Pichaske's meditations on smaller towns like Minneota, Slayton, and Hanley Falls, the authors examine the ways this region has reacted to the changes and challenges of the late twentieth...