Written by Martin Kufus
Designed by Sandra Schwartzman
 
Despite—or maybe because of—the repetitious toil, regular exposure to weather extremes, and smelly proximity of large animals, farm life on the Great Plains was a blessing for Martin Kufus. It instilled a work ethic, tolerance for unpleasantness, and appreciation of the outdoors—even if Kufus didn’t follow his forefathers into agriculture. The tractor-driving, manure-shoveling farm boy instead would become a camera-packing newspaper reporter, Russian-speaking Army paratrooper, foreign correspondent (briefly) in the Middle East, editor of a controversial military magazine, volunteer firefighter and flood rescuer, homeland-security specialist, and armed guard on a cargo ship in African-pirate waters. These and other experiences comprise 26 whistle stops, chapters “A is for America” through “Z is for Zodiac,” in the narrative journey Plow the Dirt but Watch the Sky. Kufus’ unvarnished descriptions of mistakes, tragedies, and family dysfunction additionally give this book a self-revelatory quality (perhaps familiar to readers of working-class nonfiction like J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy). A well-lived life doesn’t require wealth, a famous surname, or a metropolitan upbringing.