You know, at some point, people are going to have to quit referring to us as "flyover country." I'm not really seeing it--blockbuster big-name writers are definitely not flying over us; they're coming to visit.

Look at who's coming here for the University of Minnesota writers series, English@Minnesota:

* Oct. 4, poe tPeter Campion with Ray Gonzalez at the Weisman at 7:30 p.m. Campion, who now teaches at the U, is a Guggenheim fellow, a Wallace Stegner fellow, and recipient of the American Academy's Rome Prize.

* Oct. 16, Antonya Nelson. She's another Guggenheim fellow, and winner of the Rea Prize, and author of six collections of short stories and several novels, including the best-selling "Bound." She'll be at the Weisman at 7:30 p.m.

* Oct. 23, Zadie Smith. Author of "White Teeth," "The Autograph Man," and "On Beauty," she's also winner of the Whitbread First Novel Award, the Commonwelath Prize, and the Orange Prize. She'll be at Coffman Union Theater at 7:30 p.m.

* Nov. 7, Christopher Kennedy. Kennedy is a poet, director of the MFA Program in Creative Writing at Syracuse University, and the author of three books. He'll be at the Weisman at 7:30 p.m.

* Nov. 14, Lia Purpura. Purpura has won three Pushcart Prizes, a Guggenheim fellowship, and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. She will be at the Weisman at 7:30 p.m.

* April 10, Colum McCann. McCann is the author of two short story collections and ffive novels, including "Let the Great World Spin," winner of the National Book Award and the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. He'll be at Coffman Union Theater at 7:30 p.m.

Fly on down to these great events.