Library of Congress subject headings can be wonderful things. Whether you need a plumbing manual or a GRE study guide, they can help you find exactly what you’re looking for in a matter of seconds.
But they can also be imperfect things. (I can say that — I’m a librarian.) For example, there’s no subject heading for “Rust Belt — Fiction.” And even if you look up something like “Pittsburgh — Fiction” or “Cleveland — Fiction,” there’s no guarantee that the book is really going to be about that place, if you catch my drift. For some stories, the setting is irrelevant. They could take place in Youngstown or on Jupiter — it would make no difference.
So how do you find these elusive Rust Belt tales? Well, that’s the tricky part, something I plan on sharing as I go. For now, though, I’ve come up with five worthy candidates to start with. Here’s what’s on my current to-read list:
Crooked River Burning (Mark Winegardner; 2001)
The Keepers of Truth (Michael Collins; 2000)
The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread (Don Robertson; orig.pub. 1965; reissued 2008)
Steel Ashes (Karen Rose Cercone; 1997)
Good Roots: Writers Reflect on Growing Up in Ohio (ed. Lisa Watts; 2007)
I’m happy to accept suggestions, so feel free to leave them in the comments or email rustbeltreader [at] gmail [dot] com.
