Description
The Driftless Land is a search for the spirit of place among the bluffs, woodlands, and prairies of the upper Mississippi River valley. Bypassed by the glaciers, the Driftless’ hilly and scenic topography is a Midwest treasure. The Midwest is commonly known for its flatlands, for oceans of corn pressing toward the horizon beneath a big sky. Lesser known are the steep hills and bluffs, the ravines and towering rock outcroppings where the upper Mississippi carves its meandering path. These rugged lands amid the prairies are known as the Driftless Area, a 20,000 square-mile region of northeast Iowa, northwest Illinois, southeast Minnesota, and southwest and central Wisconsin, bypassed by most of the glaciers. Koch’s essays visit a variety of outdoor and archaeological sites within this unique region. Koch’s creative nonfiction typically blends personal narrative with historical, geological, and cultural information often derived from place-based interviews. The result is an endeavor to know place deeply.
The Driftless Land was originally published by Southeast Missouri State University Press.
