There’s something so Wisconsin about this time of year. Something so authentic. Certainly more authentic than those other Midwestern states. Many writers have written better words than I about autumn’s color, chills, and traditions. But we all experience it just the same. I spent a recent sunny and cool weekend up north at my family’s cabin, alternating between stacking wood and burning it in the hearth. I was so authentic I didn’t even take off my red-n-black checked flannel all weekend. To really get in the mood I even brought along a copy of John Hildebrand’s book of essays, The Heart of Things: A Midwestern Almanac. (By the way, he just held a reading in the Volume One Gallery as a part of the Chippewa Valley Book Festival.) There’s a man who truly knows the lifestyle so many of us share. In addition to the widely agreed-upon beauty, perhaps it’s the subtleties of preparing for winter that add so much gravity to these days. We all know what’s coming, so we squeeze what we can from the time we have. Regardless, it’s my favorite season and I’m sure many of yours as well. And thankfully there are writers like Hildebrand who know how to catch that vibe and get it down on paper.