Exclusive Audio Excerpt for "How I Found Myself in the Midwest"
Plus: "Citizentube" returns, a 10% pre-order discount, and thoughts on the urban-rural divide.
Exclusive Audio Excerpt
A few weeks ago I sat down and read the final copy of How I Found Myself in the Midwest out loud, for my audio book. It was quite an experience - 30 hours of recording and a lot of coaching from a patient production technician over Zoom from New York. I’m no pro, but it gave me a whole new respect for all the voice actors I hear in the animated movies our kids watch.
Today (for readers of this newsletter only) I’m sharing Chapter 1 of the audio book. “From the Valley to the Prairie,” it shares the story of our decision to move to Minnesota, and sets up the rest of the book.
I’d love to hear what you think!
How I Found Myself in the Midwest, Chapter 1 on Soundcloud
Citizentube Returns
When I worked at YouTube, almost 20 years ago, I started a YouTube channel called “Citizentube” designed to grow the news and politics community on the brand new video site. It tracked all kind of early trends in YouTube news and politics (remember Obama Girl, or the CNN/YouTube Debates?).
Well, the channel hasn’t been active for a dozen years, but I decided to revive it... for one video.
Here’s the return of Citizentube:
CITIZENTUBE RETURNS!!! (for one video)
Greater Minnesota
Minnesotans call the rural parts of our state (outside the Twin Cities) “Greater Minnesota.” I grew up in Greater Minnesota, though when Mary and I moved here we settled in Minneapolis. One of the tensions I explore in my book is America’s urban and rural divides, and how Minnesota is navigating them.
For a long time, this state has uniquely connected our urban and rural counties through an expansive highway system, strong infrastructure programs, smart tax policies and local government aid, and some cultural anomalies: an urban population that regularly goes “Up North” to visit cabins in the summer, and a nationally-recognized Minnesota State Fair that brings the whole state together for a giant block party every August.
It’s led to a unique sense of statewide Minnesota identity and pride. People love saying they’re from here, and social scientists point to the state as an example of regional cohesion, similar to Texas and Maine.
Of course, the past 5 years have brought unprecedented tensions to the urban-rural divide in America, which I saw first hand when we moved back and I travelled around for my work in government, and now local news. It’s become common to point out how polarized we are, and there is some truth to that. But there are also plenty of pockets of hope when you go local.
My book profiles several “bridge-builders” who are challenging the idea that we’re inextricably divided - and doing something about it. For example:
A Boomerang Minnesotan named Benya Kraus who started “Lead for America,” a program that places college graduates in rural towns across the country in public service internships.
Dustin Goslin, an tribal economic development leader who helped build a childcare center in Onamia, MN that serves both tribal and white families in northern Minnesota.
Mohayadin Mohamed, a Somali immigrant in St. Cloud who’s driving the development of a community center in a city that’s become a microcosm of American industry and demography.
I look forward to sharing their stories with you on June 24!
Special 10% discount on my book for subscribers
As a thank you to all loyal readers of this newsletter, I’m excited to offer a 10% discount on pre-orders for my book. Anyone who orders the book before June 24 can now get 10% off when they buy through our Strib Store, here:
“How I Found Myself in the Midwest”
Use the promo code GROVE10 to get the discount, and thank you!
Just for Fun
Last night, a box of hard cover books arrived in the mail just a few weeks early. It was a surreal moment holding the book in my hands, a moment I’d imagined for a long time. The kids and Mary had a fun time with it, too.
