edited by Thomas Fox Averill
Below is a summary of the group's collective observations of this work.
Early polls were not looking good for this year's non-fiction United We Read selection but, by discussion time, almost everyone had found something to like in this collection of essays, poems, and art from Kansas. Contributions span the period from 1910 to present, and the The Topeka Capital-Journal hails What Kansas Means To Me as "A reflective journey into Kansas not only as a place but also as a state of mind." Our readers heard from such varied voices as William Allen White, Milton Eisenhower, William Heat-Moon, and fourteen others. One member's suggestion to begin at the back of the collection proved a successful approach for several, while others advised readers to have patience and they would be rewarded. All members said it was good to discover so many noted writers with good things to say about Kansas. One member felt that, while her efforts weren't wasted, there had been better selections for United We Read from years past. Some had already recommended the book to others.
