Facing Middletown is a collaborative community storytelling project commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Middletown Studies by documenting life in Muncie, Indiana—long recognized as America’s hometown. Convened by The Facing Project founders Aimee Robertson-West and J.R. Jamison, Center for Middletown Studies Director Dr. James Connolly and Assistant Director Dr. Jennifer Erickson, and a growing network of community narrators, the project asks a timely question: What does a good life in Muncie look like today?
To mark this centennial milestone, the project is producing both a book of first-person histories and a community documentary directed by award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker Rani Deighe Crowe. Together, these works seek to capture how a city of approximately 66,000 people has evolved over the past century while preserving the voices, experiences, and places that define Muncie today. By creating space for residents to tell their own stories, Facing Middletown extends the legacy of the Middletown Studies and builds a lasting community archive for future generations.
Learn more about the project or find out how to participate: www.facingmiddletown.com