Undeniably Indiana: Hoosiers Tell the Story of Their Wacky and Wonderful State

by Indiana University Press (Editor), Nelson Price (Introduction)

In this first crowdsourced book about Indiana, ordinary Hoosiers from all corners of the state share the eclectic, wonderful, and sometimes wacky stories that are undeniably Indiana. These true tales highlight the variety of Hoosier life fond recollections of hometowns, legendary anecdotes of the past, Indiana s unpredictable weather, favorite foods (there s more than corn!), and chance encounters with unforgettable and infamous people. And, of course, there s always basketball. Written for anyone who has ever called this great state home, Undeniably Indiana provides the answer to the widespread question, "What is a Hoosier?""

Genres: Travel

312 pages, Paperback

Published August 8, 2016

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I edited this book, so I'm a little biased, but I loved it! :) I'm so proud that I got to work with current and former Hoosier residents to help tell the story of Indiana. What a great way to celebrate the state's bicentennial year!

[Granne52 · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a lifelong Hoosier, I enjoyed reading this compilation of homey stories.

[Wren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently moved to Indiana, and I'm interested in learning how residents view themselves and their state. This "crowdsourced" collection of personal essays gave me a folksy view into what it means to be a Hoosier. The book is probably a 3 stars because of run-of-the-mill prose; however, because it's a collection of personal essays by "the man on the street," it's accomplishing its objective to represent the common person in Indiana.

Since moving here, I was determined to highlight the urban, modern, technology-driven aspects of Indiana in an effort to defy the country bumpkin' reputation many forward about the state. This book actually focused more on personal stories from past decades, stories from rural regions, stories about regional food, regional lore, and regional heroes. It's full of stories featuring tractors, fishing, basketball and parades.

It was interesting to hear multiple voices of down home people relaying multiple narratives in contrast to the more formal histories I first read when I moved here the summer of 2016. The formal histories take a broader scope of land development, manufacturing, state politics, improvements in transportation and the explosion of tech businesses. The common person's histories relayed in _Undeniably Indiana_ focus more on family, farm, and town folk. I plan on reading more histories, perhaps one about the state capital, to complicate my view of Indiana further.