I don’t review many short story collections, mainly because I read them selectively, and I admire them even more selectively. Last month, I picked up an ARC copy of Sex of the Midwest, by Robyn Ryle (based on a referral from Elizabeth Marro of Spark on Substack). Sex of the Midwest is billed as “a novel in stories” and I have also seen it explained as a collection of linked short stories.

I opened the ebook in my reader, clicked to page 1 to see if the text had downloaded okay, and 30 minutes later realized I’d already been intrigued, amused, irritated, and even gotten pissed off by the voices of these characters—who all seemed like real people. In other words, this was good writing! After my work day ended, I resumed reading and was instantly immersed in that town and its inhabitants all over again. Not that I loved everybody in town—as I said, many are so aggravating they could be real people I know, they resonated that fully.

I was reminded of Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters, Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson, and Working by Studs Terkel, but with a completely modern real-world setting, a more literary flavor, and a distinctive voice.

My husband is from the Midwest, as was his mom, his brother, my grandfather, two of my uncles, and plenty of other people I love and have loved. Plenty of my favorite authors are Midwesterners (Luis Urrea, Roxanne Gay, and R.A. Moss spring to mind). I enjoyed reading Sex of the Midwest because it’s about people who are, on the surface, nothing like the Left Coast people I usually hang out with—and because, at heart, it turns out that all of us are looking for pretty much the same things out of life.

Funny, poignant interconnected stories that capture small town life. A post-pandemic collection that feels true to the moment.

Sex of the Midwest by Robyn Ryle is a thoughtful and layered read. What I liked most is how it weaves personal stories with broader reflections on gender, identity, and culture in a way that feels both intimate and accessible. Ryle writes with honesty and nuance, making the book feel less like an academic exploration and more like a conversation with a friend who’s willing to ask hard questions. At times it made me pause and reflect on my own assumptions, which is exactly what I hope for in a book like this.

Despite the title and the blurbs about this book, this isn't about the sexual practices of folks in a small Midwestern town. Yes, the book kicks off with the mysterious appearance of a survey sent to residents of said town, but apart from some questioning of where it came from, it plays a very small role. This novel read like a less corny, slightly modernized version of Fannie Flagg novels (excluding her most recent, which I also reviewed). It's small town cutesy and quaint with a layer of post-pandemic fog and the "scandalous" parts have to do with older people dating and the existence of a gay college-aged step-daughter. All in all, this was an easy read but not a particularly memorable one.

The title alone drove me to want to read this book. The words "sex" and "Midwest" might seem mutually exclusive, but Robyn Ryle invites us to explore these subjects through a collection of short stories where nothing is simple, and Lanier, Indiana, is the perfect setting. I started this book, eager to read the secrets between its pages. However, the real secret is that the book is more about loneliness and the longing for love and companionship. Highly recommended.

#SexoftheMidwest

Another addition to the recurring theme of my recent reads being, you never know how you are perceived and should give yourself the grace you give to others. When the residents of Lanier get a survey for a study focused on sexual life and practices in a small midwestern town, no one knows what to make of it. Some are curious, others affronted, but everyone is captivated. While the survey is the impetus for the story, the collection dives much deeper into each character and leaves you with a solid view of this town, a clearer view than any of its inhabitants will ever get. This book includes a food inspector who spends a lot of time and energy focused on shutting down a new hot dog vendor at the farmers market, a woman feeling lost who applies to a writing fellowship just to be able to stay in the Virgina Woolf room, and a 'new' doctor in town who unfortunately shares a name-but no relation- to the old doctor. I was thoroughly entertained and wish I could pop down to the Saloon and have a drink with some of these characters.

I recommend this to people who enjoy short story collections, small town gossip, figuring yourself out (or failing to), and frank discussions of taboo topics.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this book.