First responders, once called to duty, refuse to abandon their posts, even when their towns change around them. They rise far and above their job descriptions, putting aside their own PTSD until the boom is over. But the trauma they endure at the hands of newcomers and outsiders is real, persistent, and contagious. Emergency response is the kind of work that will change a person, the kind of work that leaves an indelible mark. Each person in that profession finds some way to cope with the horrors of mankind. Or, they don’t survive.

Robin Lynn Behl's means of coping was to drive. For years, she drove long distances across the country, across the continent, until she had seen all fifty states and every province in Canada. Her years on the road included six months living in her truck and talking to the people on the front lines. Along the way, she ran into friends--her brothers and sisters—in the badge. She found the other people who were still doing the work she had done, and they started to tell her their stories. By telling their story, she can tell hers, and maybe be rid of the burdens. 

Rethinking Rural: Reflections on Today, Insights for the Future
Rethinking Rural Series, Volume 1

250 pp. / paperback

Matt Ehlman, Series Editor

Contents

Introduction

Matt Ehlman, Rethinking Rural Series Editor, host and organizer of the Morning Fill Up, a series of public gatherings intended to inspire and engage and to put creative energies into action for the betterment of the entire community.

Chapter 1:   My Second-Generation Immigrant Experience in Rural America

Taneeza Islam, attorney at law specializing in civil rights and immigration law and co-founder of South Dakota Voices for Peace and Justice

Chapter 2:   The 2020 Census: Counting Everyone Once, Only Once, and in the Right Place

Deirdre Dalpiaz-Bishop, geographic advisor and coordinator for the 2020 Census, chief of the Decennial Census Management Division

Chapter 3:   Indian Country

Antonia Gonzales (member of the Navajo Nation), anchor and producer of National Native News; past associate producer for Native America Calling and television reporter for a CBS affiliate in New Mexico

Chapter 4:   An Educated People—Higher Education in Rural America

Heather Wilson, PhD, president of the University of Texas—El Paso, past president of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and the twenty-fourth Secretary of the United States Air Force

Chapter 5:   One Farmer’s Rural Perspective

Ron Rossman, co-owner of Rosmann Family Farms, founding member of Practical Farmers of Iowa; nationally known for testifying before the US Congress on agricultural issues and hosting international guests learning about new farming approaches

Chapter 6:   Stories That Bring Us Together

Paula Kerger, with Craig Langford; Kerger: president and CEO of PBS and initiator for access to early learning through PDS KIDS; Langford: speechwriter for the mayor of Washington, DC, and the president of PBS

Chapter 7:   Resilient, Vibrant, and Always Changing—the Rural I Know

Kathleen Annette, PhD, member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, past president and CEO of Blandin Foundation and past deputy director of field operations of the Indian Health Service

Chapter 8:   Getting Things Done in Rural America: Examining Trends in Rural Philanthropy

Laurie Paarlberg, professor of philanthropic studies at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University

Chapter 9:   Rural America

Adam Steltzner and Pam Gildersleeve-Hernandez; Steltzner is a NASA engineer working for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and chief engineer for the Mars 2020 Project; Gildersleeve-Hernandez is executive director at CUE, a member-driven education nonprofit.

Chapter 10: Righting Relationships: One Perspective on Rural America

Robert Grant, pastor during the 1980s farming crisis; currently professor of Environmental and Historical Theology at St. Ambrose University (Davenport, IA); author of books on environmental ethics; winner of the Eddy Award for environmental education

Afterword

Matt Ehlman

Bibliography

About the Contributors

Index

About the Series

About the Press

We Are Called . . . To Do the Right Thing: A Practical Guide for Leaders Based on Personal Reflections & Experience from a Longtime Higher Education Leader

Prakash Mathew’s debut guide on leadership offers a compelling invitation to principled leadership with prudent and practical habits, gleaned from his almost four decades of student affairs work in higher education. We Are Called illustrates lessons in leadership with stories from a life well lived. Expounding on his 80/20 Principle, Prakash provides a plan for doing the right things for the right reasons.

We Are Called is of interest to leaders in higher education institutions (public and private), business leaders and organizations, religious organizations, start-up companies, search firms, and any organization seeking a change process, and as a training resource for boards, councils, and commissions.

Hardcover, 120 pp., photos, index 

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, poet Kevin Carollo struggles to navigate the sudden and jarring changes to everyday life. To help find meaning and purpose in the "new normal," Carollo straps on his shoes and returns to a part of his identity that he has neglected: long-distance running and long-form writing. It's not easy. Pandemic restrictions and the harsh, upper Midwest weather are discouraging. At the same time, Carollo's personal life is increasingly filled with questions and uncertainty, but as Carollo pushes through the miles he discovers the enduring forces and relationships he needs to keep moving forward. 

11-oz. capacity
Dishwasher- & microwave-safe
Ceramic
White exterior
Ships directly from manufacturer

11-oz. capacity
Dishwasher- & microwave-safe
Ceramic
White exterior
Ships directly from manufacturer