Spread from Bury Me in the Back Forty

Join photographer, writer, and educator Kyler Zeleny for an intimate talk about his latest book Bury Me in the Back Forty, the highly anticipated final chapter in his prairie trilogy. This book is the final chapter of the sold-out success of Out West (2014) and Crown Ditch & the Prairie Castle (2020), marking the culmination of a decade-long exploration of prairie life.

Kyler will discuss the process of documenting his hometown, a rural community of 915 with deep Ukrainian roots, through photography, collected objects, community archives, and hidden histories. Drawing on themes of resilience, nostalgia, and the stoicism of place, he has reimagined the community’s 1980 history book, crafting a layered portrait of small-town life that balances both roses and thorns.

With a cheeky nod to funeral donuts, wooden-legged moonshiners, and the gut feeling of what it means to return home to do creative work. This talk offers an alternative way to imagine small-towns on the prairies and provides a rich reflection on the stories, complexities, and enduring spirit of supposedly disappearing rural communities.

Cover of Bury Me in the Back Forty