Wood fireplaces. Leather couches. Bonfires. Tough Wisconsin loggers. Flannel. There are some things that are simply too Midwestern to be found anywhere but right here in the heartland. For local writing center director Jonathan Rylander, these things say a lot about who he is as a person – and how he grew up to be the man he is today. And, they say a lot about the community we create, the people we become.

Listen as Rylander contemplates his youthful exploration of the great outdoors, and how he learned the meaning of “Midwestern nice” when helping a friend at a backyard bonfire. This is the third installment of “Visual/Voice,” which features some of the best writers in the region visually vocalizing their words that appear in our pages.