New Burlington (book)
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| Author | John Baskin (writer) |
|---|---|
| Subject | Rural history |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Published | 1976 (W.W. Norton) |
| ISBN | |
New Burlington (full title: New Burlington: The Life and Death of an American Village) is a 1976 non-fiction book by John Baskin. The work documents the lives and histories of the residents of New Burlington, Ohio, in the year before the village was flooded by a reservoir. The book received broad critical acclaim, noted for its unique poetic and literary tone. It is recognized for its contributions to the fields of history and sociology. The book was a Book of the Month Club selection and an American Library Association Notable Books for Adults award winner.
In 1967, the Army Corps of Engineers began construction on a dam on the Little Miami River in southwest Ohio to provide flood control for the towns on the river. The plans called for creating the Caesar Creek Lake reservoir, which would flood the small farming village of New Burlington, Ohio. John Baskin was working for a newspaper in Dayton, Ohio, at the time, and read an article about the planned death of the village. Baskin became interested in the history of the community and the lives of its residents, and he began seeking funding to write a book. In 1972, he was named an Alicia Patterson Foundation fellow and used the grant money to move to New Burlington.
By the time Baskin arrived in New Burlington, residents had been given one year to relocate. He moved into an abandoned farmhouse left behind and spent the next year living and working with the people while collecting their stories and histories.
New Burlington tells the story of the land comprising New Burlington, Ohio, and its people. The book is primarily structured as a series of chapters focused on more than thirty middle-aged and elderly residents. In each chapter, Baskin weaves the words of the residents together with collected letters and diaries from the past, and threads of his own observations running throughout. The books explores the feelings of loss, acceptance, nostalgia, and disorientation experienced by the residents as they faced the death of their community.
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