“When people live in Iowa, they are rather apt to like it” observed Ruth Suckow, the author featured in the display that is visiting the library from October 20th to November 16th, and she would know. Ruth (1892-1960) was born and raised in Iowa and, if my count is correct, lived in nine different towns in Iowa. During her career she wrote nine novels and 43 short stories, most set in Iowa.
Ruth was part of a Middle Western Literary Movement that included authors such as Mark Twain, Willa Cather, Sinclair Lewis, and Edgar Lee Masters. The authors in this movement sought to realistically depict rural and small-town life in the Midwest. Through their writing they explored themes of agrarian values, the impact of industrialization, and the region's growing identity.
As Ruth describes in her essay “Middle Western Literature”, the Midwest “is naturally what it is. It has not the pure, stylized distinction of New England-and in its essential conglomerateness it never will have-nor the thrilling picturesqueness of the Southwest, nor the forlorn charm of the South. But it has, in a sense, a greater homogeneity, a firmer stamp, than any other section. It is the solid center, the genuine interior, of the United States. It is the seat of American complacency and American rebellion.”(1)
If you’re interested in exploring Iowa life at the turn of the 20th century, you can check out Ruth’s books on display or in the catalog. You can learn more about Ruth’s life by perusing the display in the Klauer 2nd Floor Commons and attending the presentation “Ruth Suckow: An Iowa Treasure” on November 5th at 11:00 in the 3rd Floor Commons. The presentation will be given by Dr. Kenneth Lyftogt of the Ruth Suckow Memorial Association. Dr. Lyftogt is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of History at the University of Northern Iowa. He is the author of eight books, six of them on Iowa and the Civil War, including the award winning three volume narrative, Iowa and the Civil War.
1. Suckow, Ruth. “Middle Western Literature.” The English Journal, vol. 21, no. 3, 1932, pp. 175–82. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/804070. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.