I Was a Revolutionary

by Andrew Malan Milward

Grounded in place, spanning the Civil War to the present day, the stories in I Was a Revolutionary capture the roil of history through the eyes of an unforgettable cast of characters: the visionaries and dreamers, the radical farmers and socialist journalists, the quack doctors and protesters who haunt the past and present landscape of the American heartland.

In these stories, each set in the author's home state of Kansas, Andrew Malan Milward traces how we live amid the inconvenient ghosts of history. "The Burning of Lawrence" vibrates with the raw terror of a town pillaged by pro-Confederate raiders. "O Death" recalls the harrowing, desperate journey of the exodusters—African-American migrants who came to Kansas to escape oppression in the South. And, in the collection's haunting title piece, a professor of Kansas history surveys his decades-long slide from radicalism to complacency, a shift that parallels the landscape around him.

Using his own home state as a prism through which to view both a nation's history and our own universal battles as individuals, Milward has created a fresh and complex new palimpsest of the American experience.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical, American Fiction, Adult, American

247 pages, Hardcover

First published August 18, 2015

About the author

Andrew Malan Milward was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and raised in Lawrence, Kansas. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, he is the author of two short story collections, The Agriculture Hall of Fame and I Was a Revolutionary. His fiction has appeared in many venues, including Zoetrope, American Short Fiction, Virginia Quarterly Review, The Southern Review, Guernica, and Best New American Voices and has been a finalist for the National Magazine Award. He is an assistant professor of English at the University of Kentucky. -- https://kansaspress.ku.edu/978-0-7006...

Reviews

[Helen Simonson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just met Andrew Malan Milward at a Florida book festival where we shared a panel on historical fiction. But we agreed that neither of us is writing strictly historical fiction. Rather, we are 'engaging' with history to draw out timeless literary themes. His new book of stories offers deeply researched and stunningly vivid portraits of Kansans at critical points in the history of the state of Kansas. Andrew can inhabit any person he wants - black, white, outlaw, struggling immigrant... His sense of voice is just superb. He studied with Marilynne Robinson so if you loved Gilead and Housekeeping, you will be glad you have found Andrew's stories. And he's going to be coming out with a novel. I can't wait.

[Rachel Smalter Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Rebecca Schinsky at Book Riot tells you to read a book, friends, you listen. Rebecca messaged me early one Monday to tell me about this great little book of stories set in Kansas where I live. The next day I had a copy in my grubby little fingers and was (literally) shoving it into other people's hands. (P.S. I'm sorry if I shoved this book into your hands.)

Milward is a protégé of Marilynne Robinson and Tim O’Brien, and it shows in the way he takes well-worn history book anecdotes and transforms them into something so human, raw, and immediate. I loved the stories about the Goat Gland Doctor who claimed to cure erectile dysfunction with, well, goat testicles, and the one about the man who built a cement Garden of Eden (you can still visit the landmark in Lucas, Kansas, today).

This is a weird, fascinating, and beautiful little book for anyone who appreciates history, litfic, or an awesomely crafted short story. I adored it — it’s one of my absolute favorites of the year.

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

OUTSTANDING. Kansas is the unifying thread in these stories, which illustrate that history is the accumulation of individual lives. Quantrill, Dinsmoor, Exodusters, professors and students, Panthers and Hemp Pickers are all here and all too human. The author credits Tim O'Brien with “reminding me that fiction is for getting at the truth when truth isn’t sufficient for the task." So true. Highly recommended, whether you're a Kansan or not.

[Alec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Giving this book a high rating puts a smile on my face because it was written by one of my creative writing professors at UK. I've always wondered about how awkward it must be for a writer to have people they know dislike their work, which isn't to say that Andrew and I are best friends or that he would have been in any way affected by my irrelevant opinion, but I would have felt weird. It's one thing to diss a book when the author is just a professionally taken photo to you, but it's another thing when you sat across from them once weekly, 14 or 15 times a semester.

Now before I get too off track, I Was a Revolutionary is a short story collection that stretches across Kansas history. I'd known from what little of Thomas Frank's What's the Matter with Kansas? How Conservatives Won the Heart of America I've read that Kansas has a rich history of populism and radicalism, and Andrew uses the state's history to paint portraits of a diverse array of characters. Andrew gets to know his characters, and even the ones who remain nameless come to life. Now, I have to admit that, while I commend the characterization, I took issue with how every story reads almost the same, despite alterations in formatting. I would have appreciated more voice in each story rather than just a blasé third person narrator, but even still, it didn't detract from my enjoyment too much.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a collection of 8 short stories by the author that followed a central theme of Kansas, specifically how the history of it shaped what it is today. I never really gave much thought to the state, but after reading this, I have a newfound appreciation for it. One of the most prominent points of it's history was "Bleeding Kansas", the nineteenth-century debate over whether it should be a free or slave state. This is considered a major cause for the eventual beginning of the American Civil War.

It was really fascination to have learned a lot about Kansas history through these fictional stories. Milward did a great job of doing that. However, I give 3 stars only because a couple of them like "The Americanist" and "Good Men a Long Time Gone" weren't exactly following the historical fiction theme for the most part and so didn't really interest me.

My favorite was definitely "O Death", following two different families during the huge movement of African Americans traveling away from the south after the abolishing of slavery.

[Jace Einfeldt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a cool story collection. A mix of historical fiction and realistic fiction that deals honestly with the politically radical and socially complex history of the state of Kansas. Milward examines his home state of Kansas through looking at events such as the Burning of Lawrence, the mass exodus of black southerners to Nicodemus, the shootings of two college students during in the 1960s and 1970s, and much much more. From start to finish, this collection seriously packs a punch. Each story is well placed and well paced, and—on a personal note—this collection got me out of a reading and writing slump. Milward’s rendering of the history of Kansas feels very personal to him as if, just like the characters in each story, he is trying to understand what Kansas means to him and how the state’s history fits into his own personal history. Great collection for anyone looking to know more about Kansas and read some really good historical fiction.

[Laura Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

So very grateful for the opportunity I had at Auburn to study under this man. Such a strong sense of place and commitment to history throughout. Professor Milward made me interested in Kansas, a place I previously dismissed as pointless and boring. There's so much to learn from here, though. There is so much we lose if we ignore this. There's a variety in this collection; the different narrative styles make each new story fresh and captivating. The characters leap off the page and your heart aches along with theirs. Highly recommend this book.

[Austin Carroll Keeley · Rating 2 out of 5]

The stories won't stick with me. Even writing this review a month after reading it, very little sticks in my head as memorable. The author, an academic, sticks to what he knows and sets multiple stories in the context of a university. As such the voices never really sound distinct; not truly memorable. I did enjoy a reflection on the revolutionary status of Kansas. But I could have got as much (and have in the past) from a short history book as I did from this.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m very glad I read it. These were interesting engaging stories about Kansas. Using the individual lives of people this collection of stories tells fascinating stories of the state. The stories range from the present moment back to the founding of the state. Kansas has an interesting social and political history and this book reminds one of that - even while giving historic details in an engaging way.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as part of a Goodread giveaway. Some very interesting lenses to look at history are shown. I absolutely loved how you see the historical figure and the historians stories with equal emphasis. It shows that you are just never sure who may be part of history or your part of it. Probably the best way to look at the world that I have seen.

[CJ Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, Excellent, Excellent! I learned quite a surprising amount of history about my home state. The prose does not wander and the stories all connect with one another. The best thing was clearly picturing the places in the 3 stories based in Lawrence. Really enjoyed it all. Made me want to visit Dodge City which is a desire I have never, ever had.

[Jay Koester · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful group of stories. I won’t deny that growing up in Kansas probably helped my enjoyment; I have seen the Garden of Eden in Lucas, seen the strange populist politics first hand, etc. But I think anyone interested in the type of people who vote for Trump while electing a Democratic governor would be interested in this collection.

[Courtney Lupu · Rating 2 out of 5]

First half? Outstanding detail. After the book turned to personal life I faded. The stories felt too short- like I was waiting for the story to continue and it never did.

[Cate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating stories. I will be thinking of them for a while.

[Andrew Dewey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew Kansas could have so many good stories?

[Brandon Figliolino · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed these stories of Kansas.

[Chr*s Browning · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never thought I would find myself in the position of reading something this year that would make me deeply invested in the history of Kansas (and Kansas as a spatial entity - I'd almost consider living there after reading this), but here we are and I think most of that can be attributed to the deep empathy in Milward's writing, towards both his characters and the space they inhabit (as Kansans, as revolutionaries) - there is not a slapdash "easy answer" ending to be found here, despite the muted nature of many of the stories' conclusions. In reading Milward's first collection, I found his writing average, entry-level post-MFA stories of despair, largely without a distinct style. The style-less-ness somewhat continues here (which is to say that, if given a blind collection of stories judged only on form rather than content, I'd likely be unable to select his - but then the same holds true of most short fiction writers save Saunders, at least for me, so this is probably an unfair line of questioning). Where this collection becomes great however is in Milward's finding the content he wants to focus on, namely historical studies (ish) of Kansan revolutionaries, from exodusters to Populists to Black Panthers. It's a subject I've had no experience with, and yet the strength of the writing (and the various forms these stories take - the half epistolary nature of "What Is To Be Done," the Wikiquote framework of "A Defense of History") is immediately compelling - I am sucked into these stories and, more importantly, leave them wanting to know more. I only hold off from a five star rating as I've chosen to save those for the books that create a physically embodied emotional response when I read them - that didn't come in these 240 pages, but it did come close, and I will definitely be following Milward's next move. There is a less than 1% chance I'll ever take a fiction writing class at UK, but I am extremely pleased that such a promising writer has been brought into the department.

[Joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Note: I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.)

A book of short stories, all taking place in Kansas during different historical periods. They often concern- even depict- key pieces of Kansas history, such as Quantrill's Raiders or the turn-of-the-20th-century People's Party; which are often brought up in more than one story. The author has a particular interest in radical history; everything from radical agrarian movements (the aforementioned People's Party) to the radicalism of the 1960s (one story has characters who are part of the Black Panthers; another story concerns an ex-Weatherman- or member of some similar group- who, decades later, bemoans how staid and conventional his life has become).

They're excellent stories; not for their history, although that's quite interesting, but for the author's attempts to find the human stories concealed within the history. One of the best ones, for instance, is "O Death"; in which the Milward depicts the hardships and difficulties faced by the exodusters (black people who fled the South at the end of Reconstruction, many of whom headed for Kansas). Or "What Is To Be Done?", in which Milward attempts to get inside the head of a man who surrounded his house with fabulous and grotesque concrete statuary, much of it with a Biblical theme.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

These stories all center on events and people from the history of Kansas -- and there are plenty of fascinating people and events to draw on: Quantrill's Raid, Nicodemus, J.R. Brinkley, the Garden of Eden, to name a few in this book. Some stories read almost like a documentary account (though written in a lively, engaging style) and others are focused on characters living through certain time periods.
The writing is strong throughout, if a bit obviously "crafted" in places, but -- like most story collections -- some of the stories are a lot more interesting than others. For me, the most memorable one "What Is To Be Done?," started with the life S.P. Dinsmoor, freethinker and creator of the Garden of Eden in Lucas, and ended with one side of a correspondence about the editor of the "Appeal to Reason" socialist newspaper (which was published in Kansas). The format wasn't typical of a short story, but it worked.
You don't have to be familiar with Kansas history to enjoy this book. Especially for readers who aren't, it gives new perspective on the rich and sometimes chaotic history of the thirty-fourth state.

[mt-reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrew Milward excels in his prose with these collection of short stories. Though in its center is the history of Kansas from Quantrill's raid in the 1860s to the Goat Gland Doctor to its revolutionary activity in the 1960s, this book is about the human experience. The stories brings its historical characters to life and traditional histories are told in narrative fashion. Sometimes, historical events are foregrounded in a contemporary narrative where the main actors search for deeper meaning in these stories of the past.

As a history enthusiast and Kansas resident, I was very pleased with this book. I was engrossed in it from beginning to end and anyone curious about any of its historical topics should check it out.

[Shirley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked it up since it was short stories on Kansas History. It was an easy and mostly interesting read, but the various perversions that cropped up here and there were just odd. History can be interesting itself without making up layers to titillate readers into reading the book. The story selections did work together well. I enjoyed O Death the most.

[Lee Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this for free through Goodreads First Reads

I guess history is just not my thing at all. People from Kansas or who enjoy history would probably really like this.