Driftless: An Anthology of Voices from Where We Live

by Christina Kubasta (Editor), Sherree Greer (Editor), Stormy Stipe (Editor)

142 pages, Paperback

Published July 29, 2025

Reviews

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Driftless is an area in Iowa and Wisconsin where the glaciers didn’t go, so the topography is very original, not deposited with boulders and stones from far. Trilobyte fossils abound from when the area was an equatorial sea! This anthology, which my brother sent me, was put together by colleagues he worked with and know from his Iowa town. It’s beautifully done with facts about the area, revealed through personal stories, essays and poems. Very well done.

[Michaela · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. I appreciated learning about Edgar Hellum & Robert Neal of Mineral Point, their life, and work in saving and promoting MP history. The poem, "My Grandmother was an Unwanted Child" was also touching and thought provoking. An American only by grace of a grandfather who didn't wait until Spring to emigrate.

[George Hesselberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a short piece in this anthology. I was familiar with a couple of the authors of the diverse elements of this collection. I grew up in the Driftless area, so I was eager to sample this anthology. It delivers on several fronts, but especially on what I believe to be the key attraction of an anthology: The Unexpected. Parts hilarious (why IS it called "Shake Rag Ally?"), parts sad (a granddaughter's memories of unfair treatment of an immigrant grandmother), parts heartfelt and fun (how could a down-to-earth builder dream of trilobites) and pure land romance. I recommend this book as a good reflection on just what it advertises: an anthology of voices from where we live, or lived, or want to live. There is good writing here of all sorts: Rants, poetry, explanations, even streams of consciousness. I wish it luck, and thank the National Endowment and local Mineral Point advocates for its quick publishing turnaround. It hasn't gotten much press or buzz, but it deserves it.