This Land Is Their Land

By

In Brooklyn Magazine’s “The Musical Map of the United States,” writers create a soundtrack of place association. The 50+ essays on songs and their states are sweet and sad and funny, but always specific. Sleeper hits like Emily Hilleren’s “The Rural Alberta Advantage” (North Dakota) give a very personal sense of what it means to be from somewhere:

Coming from a place known mainly for being where Mount Rushmore isn’t, North Dakotans can have a middle child’s craving for attention. Street fests still play Neal McCoy’s mediocre country hit ‘The Shake’ for its shoutout to our state capitol amidst a litany of cities.


Rosamund Lannin reads and writes in Chicago. When not hosting lady live lit show Miss Spoken and editing Story Club Magazine, she writes for Extra Crispy, HelloGiggles, and everywhere else pancakes and essays intersect. Daily dispatches @rosamundlannin. More from this author →