# Tom Drury on Writing from Flyover Country Author Tom Drury explores the creative potential of growing up in rural America. - **Source:** [Literary Hub](https://lithub.com) - **Published:** 2026-11-11 - **Topic:** [culture](https://brifing.si/c/culture) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/dc433287-4764-476e-8092-841f2919d738 ## Redefining Flyover Country Tom Drury challenges the derogatory label of flyover country, proposing the term flownover country instead. By shifting the perspective to those living on the ground, he highlights the lived experience of rural residents. This conceptual adjustment reframes the region not as a cultural void, but as a place of distinct identity. ## Childhood in Rural Isolation Growing up in a town of 200 people, Drury lived surrounded by corn and soybean fields. His environment included essential local infrastructure like a hardware store, grain elevator, and three churches. Despite the limited activities for youth, the vast, light-pollution-free night skies offered a profound sense of cosmic possibility and wonder. ## The Necessity of Solitude Drury suggests that rural stillness provided him with the solitude necessary for creative development. While some view this isolation as a martyr’s position, he experienced it as an invitation to dream. This quiet space allowed him to imagine worlds beyond his immediate surroundings, fueling his eventual path toward becoming a professional writer. ## Intellectual Growth at Home His mother’s commitment to education was central to his development, marked by a twenty-volume set of The World Book Encyclopedia. He diligently updated these volumes with annual stickers to stay current with global knowledge. Meanwhile, his father’s collection of westerns and mystery novels provided early exposure to narrative structures and storytelling. ## Academic Transition to Iowa After high school, Drury attended the University of Iowa, where he encountered a diverse, urbane environment. With 30,000 students in a city of 50,000, the transition expanded his cultural horizons significantly. He engaged with subjects ranging from the industrial revolution to nuclear proliferation, which later informed the thematic depth of his literary work. ## Discovery of Narrative Material Initially, Drury doubted he had enough life experience to participate in fiction workshops. He eventually realized that his childhood memories and rural upbringing provided a wealth of material. By gaining the necessary perspective and voice, he transformed his personal history into the foundational elements of his novels, including West of Loveland. ## The Flyover Fictions Conference In May 2022, Drury spoke at the University of Innsbruck regarding the cultural hierarchy of flyover regions. The conference explored how media and politics shape perceptions of marginalization. This academic gathering eventually led to the 2025 anthology, Flyover Fictions, which features an epilogue written by Drury in short story form. ## Literary Evolution and Flight Drury did not experience his first airplane flight until his senior year of college in 1980. This literal act of flying over the landscape served as a poignant contrast to his upbringing on the ground. His subsequent move to Boston marked a transition from the rural Midwest to a broader, urban existence. ## Creative Legacy of Place Drury concludes that the middle of the country served as a vital starting point for his writing career. He argues that artists can find creative inspiration in any location, whether rural or urban. His work demonstrates that one’s origins, even if overlooked by others, remain essential to the development of a unique voice. ## Sources covering this story - https://lithub.com/tom-drury-on-writing-from-flyover-country/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._