Midwest Adventuring
ISSUE 2
Š 2014 Driftless. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the creative directors, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. Printed in Louisville, Kentucky.
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................... 6 | Victor Axe + Tool interview with Victor Sultana with photos by Maguire Photography and Overland Empire ............... 10 | Great Lakes Surfing with words and paintings by Jack Flynn and photos by Justin Lee Beckman, Jack and Younsoo Kim Flynn, Rusty Malkemes, and Mike Killion ....................................................... .. 16 | Grow, Eat, and Love: Squash at the Midwestern Table with words, recipe, and photo by Amanda Paa ............... 18 | Apple Picking with words and photos by Shelly Westerhausen ........... 22 | Alvie June’s Apple Pie Filling recipe by Alyson Hanus ............ 24 | Madison City Guide with words and photos by Sadie Dempsey .............. 40 | Midwest, You are Worthy with words by Alex Swartzentruber and photo by David J. Hanus ................. 42 | Deam Wilderness wtih words and photos by David J. Hanus .............. 46 | It Would Lose All Purpose with words and photos by Elaine Miller .................. 52 | Architectural Wonders of Beverly Shores with words by Daniel Lund, images created by the Historic American Buildings Survey, and provided by the Library of Congress .............................58 | Thanksgiving Sides with photos and recipes by Lisa Adams, Cheryl Stockton, Sonja and Alex Overhiser, and Shelly Westerhausen ........ .............................. 68 | The Whirlaway Lounge with words by Hannah Thompson and photos by Alicia Bock .................... 72 | Metric Coffee interview with Xavier Alexander with photos by Nathan Michael .................... 80 | Midwest Tastemakers Gift Guide Edition ............................................ 82 | Winter Desserts with photos and recipes by Leah Fithian, Sonja and Alex Overhiser, Annie Wang, and Shelly Westerhausen ........... ............................................................ 90 | I Once Bowled a 300 and Won with words by Mike Adams ............................................................. 92 | Munster Rose Floral Shop with photos by Photogen Inc.................................................................... 98 | Frozen with words by Alyssa Johnson and photo by Alicia Bock .................................................
ISSUE TWO | Fall + Winter 2014
This magazine is for anyone who has ever felt a connection to America’s Midwestern states. One of the many things we love about this part of the country is its seasons. There is nothing more beautiful than being a part of this yearly event, and seeing how drastically the landscape changes from one season to the next. This issue celebrates the land and, consequently, our activities as they transition from the rustling pace of changing leaves in the fall to the pristine silence of icy winters. The following pages are filled with photo essays, stories, must-try recipes, and inspirational guides that are sure to get you excited about the calming months ahead. Grab a cup of tea, your favorite throw, and sink into this issue in your most inviting chair. This magazine is a reminder that creativity can grow anywhere—but that it most certainly thrives here in the Midwest. CONTRIBUTORS Mike Adams is a musician, father, humorist, failed business owner, talk show host, and I guess now a writer, too. Mike is a lifelong Indiana resident and was recently sincerely described by a friend as “cult leader-like.”
David J. Hanus was born and raised in Indiana. He is currently working as a web developer and freelance photographer in Chicago. He loves to travel, play the banjo, and eat onions.
Lisa Adams was raised in the Midwest and is now a food writer and personal chef in New York City. She posts weekly food and thought on her blog, All Good Things.
Alyssa Johnson is an amateur gardener, casual cyclist, constant learner, and lover of Minnesota’s good ole fresh air.
Xavier Alexander & Darko Arandjelovic founded Metric Coffee in 2013. It is their vehicle for fulfilling their coffee dreams. Justin Lee Beckman loves shooting fine art landscapes and documentary. He strives to capture the small details in everyday life that simply pass us by. Sadie Dempsey is a film photographer studying sociology and gender and women’s studies at the University of Wisconsin. When she is not taking photographs, she spends her days adventuring, collaging, making zines, and blogging at Amber Moments. Jack Flynn is a graphic designer, artist, musician, explorer, swimmer, surfer, and lover of the hidden aesthetic. Younsoo Kim Flynn is a budding photog phenom, and is currently the gallery manager at Walsh Projects in Chicago when she isn’t in The Lake with her ever wet partner. Alyson Hanus is a life-long Midwesterner, reigning from the beautiful state of Indiana. Her free time is spent going on adventures and exploring the world, making boat loads of jam, and making music with her husband, David.
Mike Killion is a Midwest-based photographer focusing on actions sports and lifestyle imagery. He is the founder of Great Lakes Surfer Magazine and when not in the studio, Mike finds his way to the road to travel and surf on the Great Lakes. Daniel Lund is a history museum professional currently living in the Chicago suburbs, where he was born and raised. Apart from the museum, he spends a good deal of time exploring Lake Michigan locales with his camera in tow. Rusty Malkemes is a photographer based in the Midwest. When he’s not working for commercial clients, he’s exploring the Great Lakes through surfing and free diving. Elaine Miller currently works in the commercial photography industry. Her personal work continues exploring themes of death, transience, memory, and preservation. When not on-set or behind her view camera, you’ll find her enjoying life with family, friends, and her little cat, Loki. Sonja & Alex Overhiser are the husbandand-wife team who develop and photograph healthy whole foods recipes published on their blog, A Couple Cooks. Advocates of fresh
seasonal eating and home cooking, they live and work in Indianapolis, Indiana. Amanda Paa is a born and raised Minnesota girl who fell in love with fresh wholesome food after discovering the passion of talented local growers and their dedication to the health of the community. Her first book, Smitten with Squash, was published this July, and she is the author of the seasonal food blog, Heartbeet Kitchen. Jackie ‘Rose’ Reisenauer is the owner and creative director of Munster Rose, a Minnesota-based floral and event design boutique. She is an advocate for warmer weather, buying local, and cake. Victor Sultana is the owner and crafstman behind Victor Axe + Tool. With quality materials, Victor creates covetable tools and gear that are designed to live on. Alex Swartzentruber is a writer and musician from Goshen, Indiana. Hannah Thompson works as a doula, nanny, and girls’ lacrosse coach. She likes new countries, telling stories, cheese, and dreaming of a career as a backup dancer. Hannah lives in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood with her new houseplant. Annie Wang is a freelance food photographer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She’s the editor of the website Tasteseekers Kitchen and keeps a blog, Frites and Fries. Special thanks to Amy Lukas for her proofreading help, to our friends and family who never stop believing in us, and to all our early supporters.
Hop on over to readdriftless.com to read more about these wonderful folks!
Leah Fithian Creative Director Shelly Westerhausen Creative Director Jessica Kleoppel Designer Alicia Bock Photographer Claire Woods Illustrator
VICTOR AXE + TOOL interview with Victor Sultana by Shelly Westerhausen
photos by Andrew Maguire Photography and Overland Empire
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Victor Axe + Tool is a designer, manufacturer, and curator of covetable tools designed to live on. It was a journey that began with the restoration of one simple handle tool. Through the process, I gained an appreciation for products that don’t need replacing, but instead last a lifetime with proper care and maintenance. Victor Axe + Tool creates purposeful, heirloom-quality tools, as well as the gear to maintain them.
Although I began with refurbished tools, we’ve begun to build newly crafted ones as well. In order to reach the desired level of quality, we partner with the best manufacturers in the United States. In the case of our axes, they’re forged in North Carolina by Council Tool. The axes travel to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where they go through final edge honing, finishing, painting, and customization. Lastly, they’re paired with a premium leather head cover fit to each individual axe, cut and sewn right here in Grand Rapids. Each axe takes about four days to finish.
How did you get into building axes? What inspired you? It all started when I began refurbishing a vintage axe head and carving a handle for it. It took me over 40 hours, and reminded me how rewarding it is to successfully breathe new life into a tool and not just toss it aside. A feeling I had lost after spending so much time moving from place to place while attending college.
Why did you choose to start your business in Michigan? Michigan is where I’ve grown up and I’ve had the opportunity to spend a good portion of my life shared between the vastly different sides of the state. I grew up in the Metro Detroit Area and left for Grand Rapids to attend college. Grand Rapids is a uniquely warm city and seems to carry a vibe of creativity throughout.
After sharing my restoration with others, they began to contact me about restorations of their own—axes of their fathers or grandfathers that they found laying around a shed or garage. They would bring them to me, often accompanied by a story of the person who owned it before them and their hard work. These stories were my favorite part. I realized I wanted to design these types of products. Items that would not only last a really long time, but ones that would be used for a lifetime. Tools and goods that get maintained and repaired, not thrown out. Victor Axe + Tool is focused on creating tools of great quality, purpose, and covetable nature, or what we call “Designed to Live On.” Can you tell us a little bit about your process? How long does it take from start to finish to create one of your axes?
It’s a fitting place for Victor Axe + Tool because Grand Rapids is a city built on craftsmanship and design, and the place that so many talented artists, makers, and design-centered companies call home. Better yet, when you live in Michigan, you are surrounded by arguably the most beautiful lakeshore in the world and you’re only moments away from thousands of acres of the most exquisite National and State forests.
Let’s start by having you tell us a little bit about Victor Axe + Tool.
Where can people purchase your items? All of our products are currently available at VictorAxe.com. We also have a handful of merchants throughout the United States who carry our products in store and we’re continuing to add more as our business grows. Our list of merchants can also be found on our website.
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GREAT LAKES SURFING words and paintings by Jack Flynn photos by Justin Lee Beckman, Jack and Younsoo Kim Flynn, Mike Killion, and Rusty Malkemes
As a kid, I had a reoccurring dream about swimming in a deep, natural, clear pool of water that appeared in my backyard. Being from a landlocked suburb of Chicago, this was quite a bit more sensual and surreal than the mundanity of my franchised environs. A fascination with water developed over the years, being further fueled by trips around the Great Lakes and saltier coasts. Picking up surfing was a no brainer. Here was a way to experience the moist half of the world in a way that appealed to my hormone spiked rationale.
to stumble across. During this ordeal, I would fantasize about big-name surf spots and exotic locales around the world that offered better waves and dreamy backdrops. I was fortunate to have the ability to travel quite a bit, but what I found more often than not, was an ever shrinking frontier. Any wave that broke with some semblance of regularity was smothered. Any point of interest was documented and digitally captured a thousand times over. Any accessible beach had a surf school on it. Hummers with Quiksilver logos plied the frozen fjords of the arctic circle, while the cruise ships full of surfing’s one-percenters trolled far flung tropical archipelagoes. Surf exploration had become just another brand. It had become as tedious as the drive-thru skyline of my suburban origin. This was not the dream of my youth.
Surfing the Lakes, however, proved to be difficult. Twenty years ago, I found myself calling Coast Guard stations and town halls along the coast for wave reports (as this was the dawn of the internet). I only had swim trunks and the water was damn cold. Good surf spots were very hard
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Evanston Art Center | Oil on Canvas | 2012 | 96 x 17 inches
Over time, I began to pass on opportunities to find surfing treasure at the ends of the earth, and instead focused on gems hidden in plain sight. Yes the Lakes are a fickle lot, but within their indecision lies their secrets. A perfect point break created by an unannounced urban project disappears weeks later, washed away by an autumn storm. A slabbing rock-reef break, crowded due to social media, becomes unrideable with dropping water levels. A waveless stretch of sand within view of thousands of people comes alive as a perfect A-frame wave twice a year due to obscure wind conditions. You can’t build on this. You can’t bottle and sell this. This is the intangible. This is the ephemeral. This is the dream of my youth. This is the transcendental heart of surfing.
Earlier this year, I had an art exhibition at a gallery along the Lake in the Chicago area. The director of the gallery took great interest in one of my paintings and offered to buy it as a permanent part of their collection. I told her that unfortunately the painting was on loan, as it had already been sold. This painting depicted an almost perfect set of waves along a breakwall, and she was curious as to where such a lovely moment unfolded. I told her that it was from a couple of years ago. Right behind her gallery.
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GROW, EAT, AND LOVE Squash at the Midwestern Table
words, photos, and recipe by Amanda Paa of Heartbeet Kitchen and Smitten With Squash
It’s no surprise to those living in the Midwest that Mother Nature brings some challenges, but they are both beautiful and humbling to those who call this land home. They’re what keep us here even though we may sometimes dream about living next to the crashing waves of the ocean, the dry dessert sun, or the steady breeze of mountain air. Surely those challenges affect how we grow our food, as well as what we serve on our dinner tables throughout the year. Despite much shorter growing seasons and bone chilling temperatures, our farmers markets continue on. Most move indoors, but the vendors at the Minneapolis Farmers Market, which has been running in the same location since 1937, brave whatever comes their way, twelve months a year. Although there may not be fresh cucumbers, peppers, or juicy citrus that you might find in other parts of the country, these farmers have become masters at growing foods they can cellar throughout the winter. Thankfully, that provides us with local produce like parsnips, cabbage, potatoes, apples, and squash even when the fields are frozen over.
odd-shaped ugly ducklings. With a little research, I stumbled upon a butternut squash risotto recipe from the brilliant Melissa Clark buried within the New York Times recipe archives. And from there it all started. I sank into a rhythm as I peeled away the sandy brown rind of the bowling pin shaped butternut squash, revealing its gorgeous burnt-orange flesh—true beauty straight from the ground. I stirred with a patient hand, the golden flecks of the grated squash melting in the heat. The aromatic finished dish was so perfectly creamy, as lush and colorful as the deepest hues of autumn—exactly what I needed on that blustery day. From that moment, my passion for squash seemed limitless, and I sought to cook with all varieties, from the slender yellow or green thin-skinned summer squash to the heavy and bulbous winter varieties like red kuri, with its rugged orange skin meant for winter preservation. As I wrote Smitten with Squash, I found that the possibilities are truly endless thanks to squash’s versatility. It is difficult to find a vegetable that can truly span the seasons here in the Midwest, but that is one of the things that makes this cucurbit family so unique. In the dog days of summer, zucchini is promiscuous without even trying to be, and when all you want is piping hot soup and good crusty bread for every January meal, winter squash is there to save the day.
On a blustery November day a few years back, I strolled through the market to pick up the makings of comfort food for the weeks ahead. I wasn’t all that experienced in the kitchen, but I enjoyed experimenting and letting my creativity flow—a sense of relaxation away from the internal roar of a stressful job. Walking towards the end of the last row, my shopping list complete and a few extra artisan cheeses in tow, my eyes locked with the last lone farmer, his cheeks cherry red from the harsh wind. Sitting in front of him were dried herbs, bundles of garlic, and a few burlap sacks full of foreign looking winter squash. Little did I know that I would be walking away with the source of inspiration for my first book.
I sought to fill Smitten with Squash not just with recipes, but also with a growing guide, squash variety identification tips, and how-to’s for working with the vegetable in your own kitchen. There are nearly 80 recipes for all types of cooking inspiration from sweet to savory, breakfast to dessert, plant-based to hearty meat mains. I wanted this book to be a resource for anyone interested in growing and cooking with squash, as the vegetable holds a special place on Midwestern tables.
As I looked into the sea of squash I had brought home, I was a little stumped as to how I would transform these
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CRANBERRY BUTTERCUP CLAFOUTIS In this seasonal take on a classic French dessert, buttercup squash puree is blended like a pancake batter, then studded with tart cranberries and baked into fluffy, custardy decadence. This golden cloud’s texture is similar to flan, but not as heavy. One of the benefits of using squash puree in desserts is that its rich, creamy texture can be a replacement for fat or cream, similar to how applesauce works in baked goods. Squash’s natural sweetness can also replace part of the sugar you might normally need. Serves five.
1 Tbsp. butter 1½ cups cranberries 1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp. sugar 3 large eggs 1 cup + 2 Tbsp. milk ½ cup buttercup squash puree ½ cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp. cinnamon 2 tsp. minced fresh thyme ¼ tsp. kosher salt powdered sugar or whipped cream Preheat oven to 375°F. Place butter in a 9- or 10-inch glass or ceramic pie pan. Set in oven for a few minutes to melt the butter. Remove pan from oven and swirl to coat bottom and sides with melted butter. Spread cranberries evenly in pan and sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. sugar. Set aside. Add eggs, milk, and squash puree to a blender. Blend on low for 30 seconds to combine. Add in flour, remaining 1/3 cup sugar, cinnamon, thyme, and salt. Blend on medium for 30 seconds to mix thoroughly. Pour over cranberries. Bake 35–40 minutes, until puffy and golden brown around the sides. Let pan cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack. Best served warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with powdered sugar or topped with whipped cream.
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APPLE PICKING words and photos by Shelly Westerhausen
There is nothing more quintessentially fall to a Midwest native than the adventures of apple picking. Something about the crisp air biting at your nose, the smell of leaves turning to orange hues, and the beckoning of throwing on a flannel that makes us Midwesterners want to spend an entire afternoon engulfed in varieties of Red Delicious, Braeburn, Jonathan, Cortland, and Granny Smith apple trees. These photos are a reminder that the orchard is calling, and your opportunity for apple foraging will soon be over for the season—so do not delay! Claim your bushels of fruit before the icy snow begins to fall and reminds you that it’s too late.
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ALVIE JUNE’S APPLE PIE FILLING photo by Shelly Westerhausen recipe by Alyson Hanus This recipe is perfect for preserving your fall bounty of apples—and makes it easy to bake a fresh homemade pie in a pinch! Produces six quarts of apple pie filling.
4½ cups sugar 1 cup cornstarch 2 tsp. cinnamon ¼ tsp. nutmeg 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1 tsp. salt 10 cups water 6 lbs. Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced Wash jars, lids, and bands while preparing your boiling water canner. Place jars in simmering water until ready to fill. Be sure not to boil the jars. Heat lids and bands in a separate pot. Prepare your jar filling station. You will need a measuring cup, a funnel, a butter knife, and a wet rag. In a large saucepan, whisk together water, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Cook and stir until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Then, add the lemon juice. Remove jars from the water canner as well as bands and lids from the additional pot. Pack apples into hot jars, leaving one inch of headspace. With the measuring cup, ladle hot syrup evenly into jars. Fill to within half an inch of the top of the jar. Use a butter knife around the edge of the jar to carefully wiggle the jelly around to release any trapped air bubbles. Use the wet rag to wipe jar rims and thread. Then, place the lid on the jar and screw the band on tightly. Once jars are filled, carefully and evenly place jars on an elevated rack in your water canner. Lower the full rack into the canner and make sure the water covers all jars by one to two inches. Cover the water canner and allow the water to come to a gentle boil. Once water begins to boil, process for twenty minutes. Remove all the jars and place upright on a towel to cool. Allow to sit, undisturbed, for at least 24 hours. You will begin hearing the most gratifying sounds of “POP!” as jars are sealing. After the jars cool, check the seals by pressing the center of the lid with your finger. If the lid springs back, the lid is not sealed and the pie filling must be refrigerated.
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City Guide
Madison
words and photos by Sadie Dempsey
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Macha Teahouse | 1934 Monroe Street | machateahouse.com
into a different world. My favorite way to enjoy the beautiful space Anthony and Rachel have cultivated is in the Zen-inspired tea room with a cup of freshly whisked matcha, a veggie rice bowl, and a good friend. Simply stepping inside the front door of Macha can lift your heart and fill it with a sense of serenity and joy.
Macha is a beautiful teahouse and art gallery in an old converted house. The bottom floor is a contemporary cafĂŠ and art gallery space, where you can often find co-founders Anthony Verbrick and Rachel Fox behind a counter filled with baked goods and enveloped by jars of tea leaves. Walk up the stairs to find four unique tea rooms that will transport you
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Afterlife Antiques & Oddities | 2332 Atwood Avenue | facebook.com/afterlifeantiques
that CPR mannequins have left behind. For those of you that may not be interested in things quite that odd, the shop is also home to antique globes, quirky vintage postcards and books, crystals, glassware, and even the stunning Wild Unknown tarot deck. Stepping into Afterlife Antiques & Oddities is sure to awaken a curiosity in you that will endure long after you step outside of its doors.
Afterlife Antiques & Oddities is an amazing shop that has a ton of character. Tucked away on Atwood Avenue, Afterlife Antiques & Oddities is filled with the most bizarre treasures. Inspired by owner Nicole O’Connor’s experience working in museums and historical societies, Afterlife’s shelves are filled with antique medical supplies, terrariums filled with the skulls of small creatures, and the faces
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Midwest Clay Project | 2040 Winnebago Street | midwestclayproject.com
Midwest Clay Project is a really cool creative space in Madison. Nestled in the adorable Atwood neighborhood, Midwest Clay Project is a fully equipped clay studio that offers a wide array of classes, events, and workshops. Owner Jennifer Lapham has created a unique space where people of all abilities can create with clay together in a supportive and loving community. They offer memberships, one-time visits for kids, and even host gallery openings and special events. If you ever find yourself in Madison, be sure to stop by for a class, workshop, or even one of their drop-in open studio times and check it out for yourself.
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Good Style Shop | 402 E. Washington Avenue | goodstyleshop.tumblr.com
the community. The shop regularly exhibits visual artists and hosts concerts featuring ridiculously talented musicians like Julianna Barwick and Peaking Lights (who actually founded the shop). If you stop by Good Style, you will surely leave infinitely more inspired—and also more well dressed.
Good Style Shop is probably the coolest place in Madison. This vintage collective is composed of seven independent sellers that bring the most amazing vintage clothing, accessories, and records to one inspiring brick and mortar space designed to deliver “fashion for fringe folk.” But it’s more than just a vintage shop—it’s a creative hub for
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Bradbury’s Coffee | 127 N. Hamilton Street | bradburyscoffee.com
its simplicity—focused on providing the highest quality coffee, homemade pastries, and innovative, seasonally inspired crepes filled with locally sourced produce. Once you have your first bite of one of their crepes, I can promise that you will be dreaming of the day when you can return for more.
Bradbury’s is my favorite café in all of Madison— and there are many good ones! They do a few things, and they do them very well. On a slow Sunday morning (or any morning, for that matter), there is nothing better than the taste of a Bradbury’s crepe hot off the griddle. Their menu shines in
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MIDWEST, YOU ARE WORTHY words by Alex Swartzentruber photo by David J. Hanus
When I tell people in New York City that I am from Indiana, they usually respond with things like, “That’s in the Midwest, right?” Or, “India? What? Oh . . . Indiana . . . cool.” A 19-year-old kid from Manhattan once asked me where I grew up, and to make it easy for him I replied, “I grew up two hours from Chicago.” His reply: “Is that by Texas?” My jaw dropped and I immediately inquired about his elementary education.
Upon hearing my recollection, the blanket New Yorker’s response is, “Oh, I need to go there!” and my impulse reaction has been to say “No, you don’t! It’s boring! There’s nothing there! Don’t go!” which is always confusing to those who just heard me describe Indiana so fondly. It is a knee jerk reaction—something that I have been conditioned to say, but don’t actually believe. At first, I thought my response was due to the rest of the nation’s notion of the Midwest, but I lived there for 25 of the 26 years of my life and no one on any of my short jaunts outside of the Midwest ever said anything negative to me about my origins. It’s the Midwest itself that conditioned me to have this response. It’s the people inside of it who complain about it.
I often end up having to explain the Midwest to these people who have never ventured from the coasts. “It’s a lot of wide open spaces. Corn fields. Nature. Everyone is nice and the pace of life is slow. We go swimming and camping in the summer and sledding in the winter. Lots of lakes and forests. All of my friends are in bands. Cool house shows and stuff.”
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The Midwest suffers from low self-esteem. We grow up watching television and movies whose cameras point away to the east, south, and west; and we spend much of our adolescence dreaming of these cardinal directions. When we come of age, many of us move away to pursue these dreams. This search for success, money, fame—or whatever it is your friend, son, daughter, sister, brother, or cousin is chasing on either coast—is really a pursuit of worthiness.
moved to New York and I am surrounded by structure. Not just in the looming concrete buildings, but a mental structure, as well. There are unspoken rules of conduct. It’s hard to find a place to pee. Don’t look people in the eyes. Cash rules everything. And, hey, the cops here are actually scary. I imagined it would be easy to create here because of the surplus of stimuli and inspiration, but it’s seemed more like the opposite. I’ve found creation more difficult, because so much already exists. Privacy and the space to clear the mind are hard to come by.
Too often we Midwesterners are like Wayne and Garth bowing down to Alice Cooper backstage in Milwaukee. Too often we search outside of ourselves for validation. We move away in haste, not realizing what we have left behind until we have rooted ourselves someplace else. Midwest, you are worthy.
Grass, trees, stars, swimming in a lake, silence, frogs, bats, cheap bars, camping, night hikes, house shows, living in a house, my family, my friends, and even the smell of cow poop . . . these are the things I miss about the Midwest. The more I think about it, the reason I tell New Yorkers not to visit Indiana isn’t because I have low self-esteem about being from the Midwest (though that is a real thing that exists!), it’s because I know that they probably aren’t equipped with the weird tools to enjoy it. I would have to come along to show them how to have fun—take them fishing or something.
The Midwest is the void that formed me. All of my friends are creative. This is because we were bored growing up! We had to make our own fun. We learned to see beauty in every abandoned factory, in every mailbox we smashed. The big emptiness of the Midwest is the perfect incubator for a young dreamer. As Alan Watts brings to light, “Nothingness is necessary for creation to occur.” I
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DEAM WILDERNESS words and photos by David J. Hanus
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I took my first trip out to the Hickory Ridge Firetower at the peak of Autumn. The trees in this particular region of Indiana are known for their beautiful turning colors, and I knew this vantage point would present a unique view from above the canopy of this painted flatland forest. After crossing the causeway over Lake Monroe in Bloomington, Indiana, we soon came upon a signpost indicating that the tower was near and we quickly found ourselves turning onto a dirt road that led us winding through the shadows of the yellow Charles C. Deam Wildnerness forest. Upon arriving at our destination, we discovered many others who had the same plans for this bright and crisp afternoon, and found ourselves patiently waiting for an opportunity to ascend the tower as we
watched others climb down sharing excited chatter and bright faces. The steel lattice work was strong and reliable enough to expel any fears concerning our escalating height, but there was a certain anxiety to be had knowing that others would soon be coming up to take their turn. As we made our way about halfway up, nearly each step of foot and grasp of the handrail revealed an enormous population of bright red, ink-spotted ladybugs that were habitating the spire like a great beard of barnacles on a whale. Taking this as a sign of good fortune we hurried our ascent on the stairs and up the ladder to emerge from a square-cut door in the floor of the tower, only to discover our horizon had become a fiery sea of cascading colors extending endlessly in every direction.
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IT WOULD LOSE ALL PURPOSE words and photos by Elaine Miller
That moment we encounter something familiar, yet simultaneously distant and foreign, can leave us feeling discombobulated. A person, an object, place or specific occurrence can trigger this sensation. It often leaves us feeling uncomfortably strange, lost, and uncertain of our experience. The unexpected death of my sister rapidly following the expected passing of my father caused this similar repetition of unbearable heartache, and left me dwelling in an eerie atmosphere of the uncanny. My work explores the themes of death, transience, memory, preservation, and both the frailty and resilience of the human spirit through challenging experiences. Accepting a new reality is necessary to continue on with life. We can choose to live with those who no longer physically exist by carrying them with us in our memory and preserving the tactile remains of their past. I began photographing my family with objects symbolic of my father and sister, in places significant to our histories together. This created a means of producing new memories of the living interacting with the dead, thus keeping those departed alive. By preserving my family through my photographic work, I felt I had control over time—I was capable of stopping and capturing it for that particular moment, which brought about a sort of catharsis for me. Taking my nieces and nephews to the places which hold our families’ roots helped me bridge the gap I saw forming between the relationships of then and now. I visit Indiana often to continue this photographic adventure with my family, where we come together and work to create images celebrating our past, present, and future in a place that will always hold our stories no matter where we are.
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