Midwestern Rituals and a Curiosity of a Portrait

Marie-Denise Villers, Portrait of Charlotte du Val d’Ognes, 1801, oil paint on canvas

Dear Reader,

As I started to write this, I debated on how best to go about our introduction. How do I address you? Dear friend? Dear co-conspirator? Comrade in arms? Nemesis? Forgo the direct address and just type an awkward, singular, “Hey”?

Maybe I’ll add a Midwestern,…