Author Guide · Nonfiction & Poetry
Books Written by
Ted Genoways grew up hearing about his grandfather's years in the Omaha stockyards, and his first book was a sequence of poems about him. Years later, as a journalist, he went into the meatpacking town of Austin, Minnesota, home of Spam, to investigate what the speed of the processing line did to the workers and the town. Then he spent a full year with a family farming in Nebraska, from planting to harvest. This guide covers all five of his books in order, and where to start.
By Lisanne Swart · 5 books · Nonfiction and poetry · 2001–2017 · Updated October 2026
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Quick answer
Ted Genoways has published five books: two collections of poems, Bullroarer (2001) and Anna, Washing (2008); a literary history, Walt Whitman and the Civil War (2009); and two works of reporting, The Chain (2014), about the meat industry, and This Blessed Earth (2017), about a farm family.
Where to Start with Ted Genoways
If you want the famous one
→ The Chain (2014).
If you want a farm
→ This Blessed Earth (2017).
All 5 Ted Genoways Books, in Order
Bullroarer
Poems following his grandfather from a poor rural childhood to work in the Omaha stockyards. It won the Samuel French Morse Poetry Prize and the Nebraska Book Award.
Anna, Washing
His second collection of poems.
Walt Whitman and the Civil War
Whitman's forgotten years at the start of the Civil War, reconstructed from unpublished letters and manuscripts. The American Library Association named it a best academic title of 2010.
The Chain
The Hormel plant in Austin, Minnesota, where Spam is made: the speed of the line, injuries to workers, immigration raids and the transformation of the town. It was a James Beard Award finalist.
This Blessed Earth
A year with a family farming in Nebraska, from planting to harvest. It won the Stubbendieck Great Plains Book Prize.
How Many Books Did Ted Genoways Write?
Five books between 2001 and 2017, besides several books he edited.
- Reporting — The Chain and This Blessed Earth. Read the entries →
- Poetry — Bullroarer and Anna, Washing. Read the entries →
- History — Walt Whitman and the Civil War. Read the entries →
In What Order to Read Ted Genoways
The Chain and This Blessed Earth make a pair: industrial food and the family farm.
A reading path
1. The Chain (2014)
2. This Blessed Earth (2017)
Quick facts about Ted Genoways
- Born
- 1972, Lubbock, Texas
- Lives
- Lincoln, Nebraska
- Editor
- Virginia Quarterly Review, 2003–2012
- Honours
- Guggenheim Fellowship; NEA Fellowship; National Press Club Award
- Books
- 5, from 2001 to 2017
How Ted Genoways Writes: Poet as Reporter
Genoways brings a poet's attention to language and detail to investigative reporting on food and farming.
He follows systems, the meat supply chain or a growing season, through the people who keep them running.
Frequently asked questions about Ted Genoways's books
How many books has Ted Genoways written?
Ted Genoways has published five books, from Bullroarer (2001) to This Blessed Earth (2017).
What is The Chain about?
The Chain (2014) investigates the Hormel meatpacking plant in Austin, Minnesota, and the cost of industrial meat production for workers and the town.
Footnotes
Bibliography last verified 1 October 2026.
This list was not put together by a machine.
The notes are all mine,
and the books are all his.
Lisanne x
Written by Lisanne Swart, who has curated reading lists and author guides at lisanneswart.com since 2021.
See more on her personal bookshelf.
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