The tall prairie grasses, seemingly endless sky, and dark, fertile soil of the Upper Midwest greeted pioneers who came to the region. Although early settlers only had time and energy to carve out a meager existence, the stark beauty of the land and the quiet dignity of the people who settled it have inspired a wealth of American literature. From classic novelists like Willa Cather to modern essayists like Bill Holm, the prairie and life on the farm has provided fodder for the writer's craft. Here then are a few selections that provide a unique glimpse of the people and dreams that lived and died on the prairie. My Antonia by Willa Sibert Cather (Book 1, Chapter 3) The Music of Failure: Variations on an Idea by Bill Holm (excerpt) Horizontal Grandeur by Bill Holm (excerpt) Going Out to Get the Mail a poem by Nancy Paddock Plowing by Orval Lund Moofer by Orval Lund Just Before Fall by Orval Lund The Ancient People and the Newly Come an essay by Meridel Le Sueur Cottonwoods a poem by Phebe Hanson Rosebud Requiem by Bill McDonald (excerpt) Just Before Planting by David Heath Late Nineties Agriculture by Beth Waterhouse a remembrance from Judge Lorin Cray about events in 1859

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