Fiction on a Stick

“Our title suggests a more grounded and democratic image of the state than its whimsical reference first presents. For if we see the State Fair as an opportunity for people from all walks of life, to get together at one time, we see this anthology as a similar celebration of the changing yet enduring face and personality of Minnesota.” —From the introduction

Widely regarded as one of the most literate states in the nation, Minnesota has a distinguished literary history, from Sinclair Lewis to Louise Erdrich, and F. Scott Fitzgerald to Charles Baxter.

Originally published as the state marked its sesquicentennial in 2008, Fiction on a Stick presents a fresh and invigorating portrait in prose. This anthology suggests what residents of the state have known for some time: Minnesota has changed enormously since 1858. The population has grown quickly in the burgeoning suburbs that ring the cities. Family farms have given way to industrialized agribusiness. And several waves of immigration have left the state far more diverse than the nation’s image of it would suggest.

Rich, compelling, and often surprising, Fiction on a Stick offers a provocative and promising glimpse of the Minnesotan experience at the outset of the twenty-first century.