Local community members and readers gathered at Dotters Books on April 23 for an evening of history and politics during conversation with author Cory Haala, a professor at UW Steven’s Point, as he discussed his newly released book, “When Democrats Won the Heartland: Progressive Populism in the Age of Reagan, 1978-1992.”

The event was held from 6:15 to 8 p.m., featuring Ryan Weichelt, a professor at UW-Eau Claire, followed by a question and answer with audience members.

The discussion was centered on Haala’s research into progressive political movements during a transformative period in American politics across five Midwestern states: Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. 

Haala said the book is the result of research and writing which began as a doctoral dissertation completed between 2016 and 2020.

“This book was a shorter and better version of my dissertation,” Haala said. “It was originally about 700 pages, and I cut more than 60% of it to make it what it is now.”

The book was officially released April 14, making the Dotter’s Book event one of the first stops in promoting Haala’s work.

Haala said the timing was intentional as he aimed to reach an audience before the end of the school year.

“A lot of events like these, we’re just trying to get the word out,” Haala said. “Trying to catch people before they leave for the summer.”

Haala’s research took him to 45 archives across the country, including collections from UW-Eau Claire’s McIntyre Library. That is where he examined materials from UWEC’s College Democrats in the 1980s. 

“It’s that experience but replicating it at libraries and archives and museums across the five states,” Haala said. “It allowed me to see not just how the Midwest understands itself, but how others understand it too.”

The book explores how progressive populist movements in the Midwest persisted and evolved during the conservative wave of the Reagan years. Haala said his interest in the topic sparked during his undergraduate years when he realized many people outside of the region were unfamiliar with its political history. 

“I found that people didn’t necessarily understand the political traditions that we have in the Midwest,” Haala said. “There was something important about those stories that I wanted to trace into the modern era.” 

Dotters Books owner Margaret Leonard said hosting events like Haala’s talk is important to the store’s mission of fostering community and conversation.

“I just really love books,” Leonard said. “I love to be around books. I love to talk to people about books, and I think they’re important. I think they bring people together.”

The event came together simply after Haala reached out via email. Leonard then worked with him to develop a conversational format, leading to Weichelt being included as a discussion partner.

After the event, Leonard said she was pleased with the turnout as it reflected a community interest in political history.

“You can put on a lot of events, and you just never know how they’re going to go,” Leonard said. “I’m really happy with how many people came out tonight. It shows how relevant this history is to what’s happening now.” 

Dotters Books, on top of being a retail space, also serves as a hub for diverse voices. 

“I try to prioritize stocking books by people who’ve been traditionally marginalized,” Leonard said.

For Haala, the event marked a professional milestone as well as a personal one. He said the process of researching and writing the book was meaningful as he uncovered various experiences of Midwestern communities during the 1980s.

“What I found particularly beneficial was understanding the diversity of experiences,” Haala said. “People really believed they could change the system, and they wanted those stories to be remembered.”

Haala said he hopes readers will find both historical insight and inspiration in the work.

“It’s my hope that people find the stories compelling and that they can use them, if they choose, to think about modern political discourse.” 

According to Leonard, this event was one of several authors talks at Dotters Books.

Gerlach can be reached at [email protected].