Kansas on My Mind (American on My Mind Series)

Indeed, Kansas is a state of mind. It comes from a pioneering spirit in its people and its land, in its sweeping prairies and vast sky, and in its Wild West history and modern enterprise. Kansas on My Mind celebrates this spirit by combining photos and words to create a heart-warming portrait of the Sunflower State. Here you will find many of the images Kansans hold dear-spectacular sunsets that full the sky, rolling prairie hills that disappear in far horizons, and fields of grain that form bountiful harvests. Here is the best of natural Kansas-meadowlarks in full song, bison cresting a ridge at the Maxwell Wildlife Refuge, sandhill cranes dancing at Cheyenne Bottoms. Here are images of Kansas prairies and high plains-Konza, Smoky River, Monument Rocks, the Flint Hills, and many more. Here are images of Kansas' history-the pioneer pageants, Pony Express stations, homesteads, and cavalry forts. Here are images of Kansans at work and play-farmers harvesting wheat, machinists building airplanes, cowboys rounding up cattle, families enjoying county fairs, and hot-air balloonists drifting over golden fields. Selected passages from the finest Kansas writers complement the photos. Zula Bennington Greene and William Least Heat-Moon describe the power of the prairies, William Least Heat-Moon describe the power of the prairies, William Allen White and William Inge write about the Kansas spirit, Peb Wherry describes memorable sunsets, and there are many more. Introducing the book is an essay by Steve Harper, columnist and outdoor writer for The Wichita Eagle and author of the popular book about Kansas day trips, 83,000 Square Miles: No Lines, No Waiting. As Steve writes in the introduction, Kansas is "one of the finest places in the world to live and raise a family." Kansas on My Mind is published in cooperation with The Wichita Eagle. We hope you enjoy it.