From 1935 to 1942, the WPA created a series of guide books that captured what life was like in each of the 48 states. Inspired by that series, the editors of State by State paired together some of today’s most interesting authors with each of the fifty states (D.C. is an afterword) to paint a picture of our nation today.
There are a couple of entries that left me a little dry, but each essay is so completely different in tone and style that it makes for a great ride. Anthony Bourdain crafts his memories of growing up in New Jersey with such detail that you can practically smell the funk wafting off the page. In the Massachusetts entry, John Hodgman equally makes me want to avoid that state at all costs, yet find a nice place there to retire. And there’s more than one state that is presented in graphic novel format.
The entries vary wildy from “facts” about their founding fathers, to memoirs of growing up to basic observations of daily life. Somehow it all works and when you’re done you feel just a little bit more knowledgeable about that neighbor state you only visited to buy fireworks. Plus if nothing else, you’ll be able to come away knowing the state bird of Oregon. It’s the western meadowlark.