Midwest Villages & Voices (MV&V) is a small, Minnesota-based independent press rooted in the radical literary traditions of the Midwest. Founded in the mid 1970s by writer and activist Meridel LeSueur and her daughters Rachel Tilsen and Deborah LeSueur, MV&V was created to amplify the voices of working people, women, and those whose stories were too often silenced or sidelined.
From its beginnings, MV&V has published poetry, prose, and cultural works that speak to collective struggle, resilience, and memory. The press was an early home to several of Meridel’s writings, including Rites of Ancient Ripening, Winter Prairie Woman, and This With My Last Breath, and it partnered with the Twin Cities Women’s Film Collective to support the film My People Are My Home.
MV&V also became a home for Midwest poets and organizers, publishing the work of Florence Dacey, Irene Paull, Carol Connolly, Kevin FitzPatrick, Ethna McKiernan, and others. The goal has always been to bring the stories of the people to the people—in accessible, powerful language rooted in place and community.
MV&V has recently returned to prose publishing. In 2022, the press re-issued Meridel LeSueur’s iconic novel The Girl, first published in 1978. In 2024, MV&V published Florence Dacey’s newest collection, The Mercy of Stone. And in 2025, the press is proud to bring Meridel’s long-unpublished novel Zapata Is Here! to readers for the first time.
Midwest Villages & Voices continues to be a multigenerational, family-rooted effort—committed to carrying forward Meridel’s vision while making space for new voices and movements. We publish work that honors history, dreams boldly, and speaks from the ground up.
