Beyond Willa Cather. That seems to be the current of thought running through A Different Plain: Contemporary Nebraska Fiction Writers, an absorbing collection of short stories from gifted authors (other than the most famous one) with Cornhusker connections… It’s a stellar Nebraska writing cast…. These stories sparkle with pure entertainment value…. Modern short stories tend to lean toward esoteric writer’s workshop head games. These, we’re happy to report, go against that grain. You’ll feel you know these writers because they tell stories as the neighbors do-complete with sometimes explicit details that make us squirm in our comfy worlds. As a whole, they all illuminate our Midwest, helping us make sense of this complicated corner of paradise we call home.