A thought-provoking collection of essays on life and living Voices from the Heartland is a celebration of women’s contributions to Oklahoma’s recent past. It records defining moments in women’s lives—whether surviving the Oklahoma City bombing or surviving abuse—and represents a wide range of professions, lifestyles, and backgrounds to show how extraordinary lives have grown from the seeds of ordinary girlhoods. From former Cherokee principal chief Wilma Mankiller, First Lady Kim Henry, novelist Billie Letts, and prima ballerina Maria Tallchief, to OU basketball coach Sherri Coale, the authors share their personal reflections on finding balance as they look back on defining moments in their lives, mull over what they wish they had learned sooner, and convey the wisdom they’ve unearthed on their journeys thus far. Touching on topics from adultery to left-handedness, from losing children to losing perspective, these essays speak from the heart to reveal what it means to be an American woman today. Readers will meet activists and writers, advocates and artists—some of whom are household names, while others work outside the public eye. Voices from the Heartland speaks to readers all across America and demonstrates that women in Oklahoma represent the heart of us all.

Despite progress in recent years, Oklahoma hardly ranks as woman-friendly. The state holds the highest incarceration rate of women in the nation. It offers women no legal protection against being fired due to sexual orientation or gender identity. Its Native American and immigrant populations struggle for access to community resources. And Oklahoma is still governed largely by men, leaving women without adequate political representation. In 2007, the highly acclaimed anthology Voices from the Heartland provided a much-needed platform for Oklahoma women—prominent and unknown—to tell their stories. This timely sequel reflects an even broader cross-section of women’s experiences. Just like its predecessor, Voices from the Heartland: Volume II offers memorable accounts of struggle and transformation. It does not sugarcoat the problems that women face in contemporary Oklahoma—and in many parts of underprivileged America: racism, sexism, homophobia, poverty, addiction. The 38 contributions gathered here are honest and, at times, raw. They cover such varied topics as girlhood, trauma, the workplace, parenting, politics, and religious beliefs. Taken together, the essays comprise a living artifact of women’s history, accessible and, as an anthology, ideally suited for classroom use. In the wake of the #MeToo movement, it is more important than ever to listen to what women have to say about their own lives, including—and perhaps especially—women from flyover states like Oklahoma. As Sara N. Beam states so eloquently in her preface, “You’ll read their stories here as they want them told: in a mix of poetry and prose, in the voice of a relative, in the voice of a tired person across the breakroom table, in a secret hush, or in a voice not unlike that of your best friend or mother.” These voices from the heartland inspire us to pause, to listen, to understand, to evolve, and to make a difference.

Discover the stories passed down over time from the people of the Ozark region. Oral history is shared through the years to provide a perspective on the landscape and people who inhabit the beautiful, culturally rich area. These oral histories show essential connections among settlers in a challenging landscape. Written to inspire history buffs, outdoor enthusiasts, travelers, tycoons in training and students of all ages, this path-breaking collection will take readers deep into a region averse to change, tricky to know, yet brimming with American culture.

This is a lively history of three Rocky Mountain states in the twentieth century. With the sure hand of an experienced writer and the engaging voice of a veteran storyteller, the well-known historian Duane Smith recounts the major social, political, and economic events of the period with verve and zest. It is obvious that Smith is thoroughly familiar with his subject and has a genuine enthusiasm for the history of the region. Written with the general reader in mind, Rocky Mountain Heartland will appeal to students, teachers, and Òarmchair historiansÓ of all ages. This is the colorful saga of how the Old West became the New West. Beginning at the end of the nineteenth century and concluding after the turn of the twentyfirst, Rocky Mountain Heartland explains how Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming evolved over the course of the century. Smith is mindful of all the factors that propelled the region: mining, agriculture, water, immigration, tourism, technology, and two world wars. And he points out how the three states responded in varying ways to each of these forces. Although this is a regional story, Smith never loses sight of the national events that influenced events in the region. As Smith skillfully shows, the vast natural resources of the three states attracted optimistic, hopeful Americans intent on getting rich, enjoying the outdoors, or creating new lives for themselves and their families. How they resolved these often conflicting goals is the modern story of the Rocky Mountain region.

More than just a diverse collection, this book represents the heart and soul of modern writing. For these authors, it is a dreama destination that often seemed at the end of a distant rainbow. For readers, it is a rare opportunity to sample a mosaic of engaging new voices, to be one of the first to appreciate the fresh talent of authors destined to make their marks in the literary world.