The modernist poetry (and fiction) of a century ago has been on our mind during our travels across small-town America, since so much of its subject matters was the bleakness, cruelty, but also grit of early-20th rural and small town life. This is what Spoon River was about! So it was a privilege to be able to discuss this with an actual expert. As the years go by, I find poetry and fiction rising in their relative explanatory power and value — and obviously I’m talking about changes in my own perception rather than difference in the work. Thanks to Lisa New and her team for making this course available.”
– James Fallows