By Marie Orttenburger
Many Midwesterners are certain they don’t have an accent.
But Lansing, Michigan-born author Edward McClelland’s most recent work handily proves the opposite, and in the process reveals the rich and dynamic culture of the Midwest.
The book was hailed by the New York Times as “a dictionary wrapped in some serious dialectology inside a gift book trailing a serious whiff of Relevance.”
Reporter Marie Orttenburger discussed the book with McClelland at a reading in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
“How to Speak Midwestern” is available from Belt Publishing, currently on sale for $11.95.
Catch McClelland discussing “How to Speak Midwestern” at one of the following locations.
February 14: Society of Midland Authors, Chicago, Illinois, 7 p.m.
February 15: Palos Heights Public Library, Palos Heights, Illinois, 6:30 p.m.
February 16: Grand Rapids Public Library, Grand Rapids, Michigan
February 18: Schuler Books, Lansing Township, Michigan, 4 p.m.
March 2: Middleton Public Library, Middleton, Wisconsin
March 4: StL Style, St. Louis, Missouri
March 5: Prairie Lights, Iowa City, Iowa, 2 p.m.
March 6: Racine Public Library, Racine, Wisconsin, 6 p.m.
March 7: Tuesday Funk, Hopleaf, 5148 N. Clark St., Chicago, Illinois
May 10: Westmont Public Library, Westmont, Illinois
May 11: Loutit District Library, Grand Haven, Michigan
May 13: Totem Books, Flint, Michigan, 1 p.m.
June 13: Charlevoix Public Library, Charlevoix, Michigan, 6:30 p.m
June 14: Literati Books, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 7 p.m.