Jacob Krumm Nature Preserve, Jasper County, Iowa. Photo by Kiran Jones.
Far from Flyover: The Literature of Iowa
A First-Year Tutorial offered fall 2020, taught by Phillip Jones, associate professor, library
Learn about the past, present, and future of Iowa, your adopted home for the next four years, by exploring its rich, surprising literature. Through study of historic documents, short fiction, a play, memoir, film, and two acclaimed contemporary novels, we will consider questions such as: What distinguishes the literature of Iowa? Are there common literary elements — themes, characters, or settings — found across Iowa’s literary history? And what can these texts teach us about our state, our community, and ourselves? We will also seek out diverse voices sometimes omitted from Iowa’s literature and learn from their stories. By the end of this tutorial, you will have established yourself as a college-level writer, discussion participant, academic researcher, and an honorary Iowan.
Why I Chose This Tutorial
My family is from Iowa so I've always felt a connection to Iowa but being from New York City, I didn't know much about the literature or history of the state.
In class we had interesting discussion about the historical demographics of the state and the effect they have on Iowa today and its literature. In this class we often discussed the relationship that Iowa and the Middle-West has with the rest of the country. Besides reading historical literature we also read more contemporary novels that are about the modern-day Iowa.
– Stella Lowery ’24
After Taking This Tutorial from a Distance
I feel very prepared to enter a rural community in Iowa with the ability to really appreciate the culture I am going into. Professor Jones is very friendly, passionate, and easygoing in terms of requirements. Our readings have all been interesting ranging from Native folklore to thriller novels (all based in Iowa of course).
– Nora Leahy ’24
