November 2013

Noteworthy items

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First.
This image has haunted me ever since I discovered it. My friend, Dean Leh, from Albuquerque managed to pull it off Google Earth and send it to me so I can share it with all of you. This is a close up of satellite photo of the ghostly images of the graves in the middle of the golf course in Canton, South Dakota, which was the site of the Hiawatha Asylum for Insane Indians that figures so prominently in The Girl who Sang to the Buffalo.

Second.
David Crumm is one of the most insightful followers of my work. Here is an interview he did for his “Read the Spirit” website and newsletter. I hope you like his way of exploring issues as much as I do. readthespirit.com.

Third.
Catherine Reid Day and I had an interesting conversation for St. Paul Community Television. I’m happy to share it with you, (and I promise you, Mom, wherever you are up there, that I’ll comb my hair better for the next one). www.youtube.com/watch?v=9svTlttMciI&feature=youtu.be

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A bit of news

It’s been a good opening for The Girl who Sang to the Buffalo. I did my first talks in Canton, South Dakota, the site of the asylum that is a central part of the book, and in several venues in Sioux Falls. As always, I got to meet long-time readers and new friends.

In Canton, I met a man who had been present when the inmates were sent off from the asylum at the time of its closing – he was a young boy attracted to the lights from the train that had been brought in to “evacuate” the remaining inmates, and ran down in time to see the Indians be herded onto the train to be taken to other institutions.

I can’t tell you the thrill that comes from meeting people who saw significant moments of our history first hand. Their stories have life in them that you can never experience from books. I encourage you all to seek out those in your families and communities who carry the experiences of the past in their stories and memories. Their knowledge is precious, and passing too fast.

This week I’ll be doing some radio interviews and speaking at the Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. This is in conjunction with Birchbark Books, one of my favorite bookstores on the planet. The time is 7 p.m. on Thursday.

I’d also like to draw your attention to a review that was in the Minneapolis Tribune. Here is a link to it. It is succinct and – much to my satisfaction – praiseworthy. But, more than that, the reviewer, who is a member of the National Book Critics Circle, “gets it.” I’m posting it here so you can all see it.

Also, here are the two episodes of Common Ground where I discuss my life and work.   They’re hard to post for someone who likes to remain private.  But, for those of you who are curious about the guy who writes the books you read, here is a way to while away an hour of your time.

And, lastly, please remember your independent bookstores.  They care, and the big boys do not.  We need to all work together.

Watch 1

Watch 2

Thanks for staying with me on the journey. Onward through the fog.

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