Middle Literate

Middle Literate is a traveling reading series, in the form of a podcast, which features poetry, fiction, and nonfiction by writers from across the Midwest. Our staff seeks literary work that stays true to the Midwestern state-of-mind and effectively represents the intricacies of the people who call the Great Plains home.

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Episodes

Little Literate

Middle Literate teams up with Meatheads Burgers for a children's poetry workshop. This is Little Literate!

Aug 15, 2015•18 min

He Sang It Like Mellencamp

Middle Literate gets a makeover and heads to the Music City in episode 5, where we meet writer Nick Rossi, a high school teacher and UIUC graduate.

Dec 05, 2014•37 min

Who is Johnny Werd?

Middle Literate returns with a short story by William Gillespie, "Death of a Rabbit," a story he wrote while attending Illinois State University, where he studied under David Foster Wallace.

May 28, 2014•22 min

Rule of Three

In our March episode, Middle Literate travels to Bloomington, Indiana, to hear poetry from Scott Fenton, Brianna Low, and Paul Asta, three MFA students at Indiana University. It is no secret that all good things come in threes.

Mar 31, 2014•31 min

Nothing is Extinct

In our sophomore episode, Middle Literate travels to Monmouth, IL to chat with writer Chad Simpson. Chad shares three stories, two of which appear in his award winning collection of stories "Tell Everyone I Said Hi," and he talks about living in the town he spent part of his childhood, and how he has gained a new perspective on the Midwest. Visit middleliterate.com for photos and additional information about this month's show.

Feb 26, 2014•2 hr 9 min

Pilot-Happy Endings

Middle Literate makes our debut with “A Girl Named Mercedes,” a story about the elusive “happy ending” by John Rubins, an award winning instructor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Photos to accompany this episode at middleliterate.tumblr.com

Jan 10, 2014•26 min

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