Somewhere in the Middle

Over thirty years ago, I left the Midwest to pursue a career in pharmaceutical research. Despite living on the East Coast,  my connection to the Midwest was solid. As our nation began its trudge through the current political divide, alienation and disconnection from the place I once cherished set in. The Midwest I knew had been slowly changing for a long time, even though my idea of home had not.

Eventually, this identity dissonance gave way to intense curiosity about the central states' political and geographical landscapes. In 2018, I struck out for a 6-week road trip on a lark. History lessons long forgotten came back as backroads wound through towns that once drew fortune seekers, warriors, pioneers, and hustlers. Equally moving were remnants of towns bearing scars of industrial decline and the lack of plausible, forthcoming economic solutions. No matter the view, utilizing landscapes and interiors of local community spots seemed the most neutral way to collect impressions of a place.

Over the last six years, my continuing travels have crisscrossed over 40,000 miles in the geographic middle of the USA. Personal curiosity ignited the work here, but now it progresses in the hope that my continued work will foster greater understanding in this time of national division.