Black Earth and Ivory Tower

"Black Earth and Ivory Tower not only depicts accurately the peculiar attitude toward farming shared by those of us who have had one foot on the farm and one in the university, but it also speaks volumes for all farmers. The essays are excellent in their grasp of the realities of the contemporary agrarian experience and in their poignancy about the bittersweet passing of an American way of life."—Gene Logsdon, author of All Flesh Is Grass: The Pleasures and Promises of Pasture Farming

"Zachary Jack has brought together a splendid collection of writers who explore the seam between farm and college, between rural and urban life, between the black earth of the working class meeting the ivory horizon of higher education. I enjoyed reading this thought-provoking book on the back porch of my small house on my acreage, watching the sheep graze in the pasture. I will equally enjoy using it in the classroom, stimulating my students to contemplate where they have been, what they have given up, what they have gained, and where they will land in the future."—Mary Swander, author of The Desert Pilgrim: En Route to Mysticism and Miracles

"Stunning in scope yet comfortable as a letter from home, Black Earth and Ivory Tower speaks through a remarkable chorus of voices that touch on the cross currents of American rural culture in surprising ways. Even the most knowledgeable reader will learn from this thought-provoking and sensitive book."—Robert Hays, editor of Early Stories From the Land