The Milk House, a rural literature site!
I learned about the Milk House when writer/publisher Ryan Dennis saw a blog I did about a tractor drive in Franklin, Illinois. He published the blog. I was excited to learn about this site that shares stories about and from rural writers. I interviewed Ryan, and this is what I learned!
How did you get started with The Milk House?
When it came to publishing my novel The Beasts They Turned Away it felt like there was a narrow idea of what fiction set on a farm should look like. That didn’t fit with just how complex and diverse the experiences of agriculture, or other aspects of rural life, actually were. It felt like there was an expectation that the best and most innovative work would always come from the city, so I wanted to start The Milk House to help prove that notion false. Since then, The Milk House has helped connect readers with writers who explore the rural in their work, publishing Pulitzer Prize finalists and National Book Award finalists next to farmers and first-time authors.
Tell me about yourself?
I grew up on a dairy farm in Western New York State, where I noticed that there weren’t many stories being written about people like my family. Since then, I’ve sought to fill that gap, both in my own writing and with The Milk House project. Currently, I live in the West of Ireland.
Share how The Milk House provides writing and stories to rural roots.
We publish the work of a different writer every Thursday. This includes fiction, nonfiction, poetry and sometimes music. Last year, for the first time, we hosted the Best in Rural Writing contest, giving cash prizes to the winners and publishing the shortlisted authors in an e-book. Finally, the ten best poems published on the site each year are selected by an independent judge, with videos made of each piece.
What is your favorite aspect of The Milk House?
I enjoy discovering new authors through the site. With The Milk House I have come across writers whose work I wouldn’t have found otherwise, and that I really respect. It’s quite amazing just how much good writing there is out there that deals with rural subjects.
What are your plans for the future?
We’re slowly but continually expanding our scope. The new component for the project in 2024 is an online creative writing class for beginning and intermediate fiction writers. Slated for spring, we’re looking to empower those with an interest in writing, or who have been writing for a while and want to level up their craft.
Is there anything else you would like to share about this wonderful site?
None of it would be possible without those who stop by to read the work published there. Reading has always been an act of support for those who try to explore the world around them in writing. Nonetheless, sometimes I have the feeling, with the rise of social media and bookstores closing, that to take the time to read is to make a statement about what is really important to us as humans.
