The Painted Forest

In Place

by Krista Eastman

Council for Wisconsin Writers, Norbert Blei/August Derleth Nonfiction Book Award winner

In this often-surprising book of essays, Krista Eastman explores the myths we make about who we are and where we’re from. The Painted Forest uncovers strange and little-known “home places”—not only the picturesque hills and valleys of the author’s childhood in rural Wisconsin, but also tourist towns, the “under-imagined and overly caricatured” Midwest, and a far-flung station in Antarctica where the filmmaker Werner Herzog makes an unexpected appearance. The Painted Forest upends easy narratives of place, embracing tentativeness and erasing boundaries. But it is Eastman’s willingness to play—to follow her curiosity down every odd path, to exude a skeptical wonder—that gives this book depth and distinction. An unlikely array of people, places, and texts meet for close conversation, and tension is diffused with art, imagination, and a strong sense of there being some other way forward. Eastman offers a smart and contemporary take on how we wander and how we belong.

Genres: Essays, Nonfiction, Memoir

144 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2019

About the author

Krista Eastman's writing has earned recognition from Best American Essays and appeared in The Georgia Review, The Kenyon Review (KROnline), New Letters, and other journals. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

Reviews

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Krista Eastman revisits the area she grew up in rural Wisconsin and tries to see the land and the Midwestern mindset through the lens of an outside perspective. Her research spans historical farm texts and artwork hidden inside an aging members only type club (Woodmen).

Plus one essay about working in Antarctica.

I like the impulse of seeing a childhood place through other perspectives, and I think it's especially challenging when that place is rural and not a frequent focus of research or writing.

I think Krista really shines when she writes about people and includes her own experience (which made me like the Antarctica essay best.)

I had a review copy from the publisher because I made a comment in Twitter.

[Amy Layton · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the midst of discussing the Wisconsin landscape, a frozen Antarctic job opportunity, and tourism, Eastman adds a touch of surrealism and fantasy to the everyday banalities that arrive in even the most bizarre places.  An Antarctic job opportunity sounds incredible, but when you're scooping food and doing dishes seven days a week, it leaves something to be said--even when an unexpected film director makes an appearance.  And spouting the same tourist spiel and using the same one-liner jokes becomes strange when she discovers that she suddenly can't remember the next bit of her script--and when she makes an off-color joke to one of the audience members.  And the Painted Forest, a large piece of artwork filled with history and culture.  

The Painted Forest is an essay collection and memoir a little left of plum--both essays, memoir, and fiction all wrapped up into one.  Needless to say, I'm into it.  Definitely worth a read at dusk with a warm mug of tea as you enter the twilight.  

Review cross-listed here!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I savor every beautifully crafted sentence in this moving collection of essays. Treat yourself to elegant prose that weaves people and places into multi-dimensional stories told through Eastman’s unique and thought-provoking lens.

[Jami Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found out about this book because Krista is a fellow Penn State MFA alum, and because of her ties to Reedsburg/Wormfarm. I loved these essays, and was especially taken with her prose on the sentence-level- lyrical and sharp. Her fine-tuned observations brought me back to the months I spent in the Driftless region of Wisconsin. The final essay, about her time in Antarctica, is a knockout.

[Cheryl Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice collection of essays examining (mostly) the rural Midwest. Though there's a strong sense of place, Eastman exposes even more a state of mind. I had to read these essays more slowly than usual; something about the syntax or lyricism made it difficult to register the meaning unless I heard the text in my mind. Once I slowed down, it was much more understandable and enjoyable. (I'm fluent in Midwestern, so I don't think it's a regional thing.) The review that made me want to read this book referred to it as a memoir, so I expected to find an overarching narrative. However, that was not Eastman's intention. Even within each essay, there is not a lot of storytelling, but there are many intriguing insights and some lovely prose.

[Anna Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt like this book was written for a pretty niche audience. However, being from the midwest myself, I thoroughly enjoyed these essays. Some I enjoyed/related to more than others. My personal favorite was Wonder Spot 😊