The bestest of literary/news publications seem to have hit on how big, picturesque, and vital the Plains states truly are. First, the New Yorker featured my fellow South Dakotan Rebecca Norris Webb on its photo blog, for her beautiful photo project "My Dakota."

Then the same blog posted Dina Kantor's photos of Treece, Kansas, which is being relocated due to pollution. Dina is my friend Shira Kantor's sister, and they are documenting Treece together. (See the image "Jan's House" at left.)

When my mail came one day last week, the new Harper's had a lead story by Wil S. Hylton about the Plains, the Ogallala Aquifer, Frank and Deborah Popper, wind energy, the Land Institute, and other delicious Plains topics.

To top it off, the New York Times publishes a big travel article about Tony Perrottet's road trip through Nebraska and Kansas. There is also a crazy photo of a human scalp held by the Omaha Public library.

Dang! I hope the Plains aren't passé by the time August comes around.

I used to try to keep up this Wordpress blog, joshgarrettdavis.wordpress.com. But I'm starting fresh here: blank slate, virgin land.

(At left, the character Bloguinho from the Brazilian comic strip "Turma da Mônica.")