The Library of Congress, in partnership with its Affiliate Centers for the Book and PBS Books, is producing an ongoing video series called American Stories: A Reading Road Trip, to celebrate the county's 250th birthday. Each installment showcases one state or territory's notable writers, bookstores, libraries, and literary locales. Only a smattering of episodes are available to stream so far, but they've already covered more ground than Sufjan Stevens.
Of course, I took special interest in the depiction of my home state of Washington, delighted to be reminded of the lasting legacies of local heroes such as Octavia Butler, Raymond Carver, and Tom Robbins, alongside living legends like Timothy Egan, Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe, and Jess Walter. But my favorite part was the actual road trip recommendations, most especially the Frank Herbert Trail on the Dune Peninsula of Point Defiance Park, complete with quotations from the novel and a bronze sandworm sculpture. How did I not know about this waterfront marvel? I simply must visit!