Blisner, IL examines the effects of deindustrialization in a Rust Belt town. The book serves as a sequel to Blisner, Ill., the change in postal abbreviations significant in their respective points in the chronology of the town, and frames its predecessor as a historical document from which to draw information at the present day site.
The book focuses on mid-sized cities in Southern Illinois and how they attempt to maintain the veneer of their once industrially-prosperous moment. Blisner, IL is organized in chapters that loosely follow the regional picture book formula of understanding place through its history, industry and culture, the terms often functioning synonymously.
