{"product_id":"the-flatness-and-other-landscapes-9780820324791","title":"The Flatness and Other Landscapes","description":"\u003cp\u003eSeen from the air, the seemingly endless \"flyover\" spaces that form America's Midwest appear in rectangular variations of brown, green, and ochre, with what Michael Martone terms \"the tended look of a train set.\" In these essays, the flatness of the region becomes the author's canvas for a richly textured, multidimensional exploration of its culture and history. In the tradition of the Greek myths that inspire him, Martone begins at the beginning--his beginning--as a child who \"grew up\" in his mother's high school English classroom. As the essays unfold, provocative accounts of his experiences lead us on a path toward discovery of the stories that build our own sense of place and color our understanding of the world. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFrom depicting the details of mechanized cow-milking to relating the similarities between the Greek city of Sparta and Indianapolis, Martone subtly connects different cultures, times, and stories. \"Stories We Tell Ourselves\" characterizes the fluid, energetic writing that transforms a mundane small town into an intertwined, vibrant world shaped by the perceptions and memories of the people who live there. What begins in one classroom at Central High effortlessly builds into a discussion, by turns playful, serious, and poignant, that touches on myriad subjects. Before our eyes, Martone unites \u003ci\u003eThe Odyssey\u003c\/i\u003e, Iowa farmers, a human genome map, American Gothic, and Dan Quayle into a saga equal to any from Classical mythology, showing us that a house, a farm, a town, a country, or a civilization has energy and dimension only through the stories of its inhabitants. \u003ci\u003eThe Flatness and Other Landscapes\u003c\/i\u003e proves that our lives and the landscapes that surround us are only as flat as we perceive them to be.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Michael Martone\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Georgia Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/01\/2003\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 184\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.56lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.62h x 5.48w x 0.47d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780820324791\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMichael Martone's story \"The Death of Derek Jeter\" recently appeared in \"Esquire.\" His short fiction, essays, and articles are widely published. Martone's books include \"The Flatness and Other Landscapes\" and \"Unconventions,\" both published by Georgia. He teaches in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Alabama.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"University of Georgia Press","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":40589130629235,"sku":"9.78E+12","price":22.58,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/9255\/0515\/products\/img_e1b7f347-6d39-4142-83f6-6cf52099b7f2.jpg?v=1668783874","url":"https:\/\/bookstorenmore.com\/products\/the-flatness-and-other-landscapes-9780820324791","provider":"Bookstore N More","version":"1.0","type":"link"}