Midwestern Monologue

Beginning with a short story detailing the investigation of a mysterious lettuce hybrid, William Orban’s anthology consists of a range of deeply personal works interlinked by his and his characters’ experiences in the Midwest. The descriptive fiction in “Green Peril” details how a D.C. USDA employee hailing from Montana leads a team through an atypical investigation of an Arizona lettuce farm. The story’s plot-thickening perspective change and multilingual writing are sure to entice a variety of readers. Next in the anthology is “Cuyler to Park Avenue,” a personal memoir describing Orban’s two elementary alma maters and the uprooting of his urban life during his fourth-grade move. Following this memoir, Orban writes about his mother in “Mamo.” He roughly outlines a timeline of her life, the challenges she overcame, and how her kindness and foresight in her parenting have impacted him. Regardless of background, Orban’s three-part Midwestern Monologue is sure to resonate with people from many walks of life.