Ten contributors to the Pioneer Girl Project’s new book on Laura Ingalls Wilder will be featured at the annual South Dakota State Historical Society History Conference to be held at the Holiday Inn Sioux Falls—City Centre, April 28-29, 2017. “Pioneer Girl Perspectives: Exploring Laura Ingalls Wilder,” edited by Nancy Tystad Koupal, gives fresh insight into Wilder’s success as the author of the Little House series. The book and the conference, themed “Laura Ingalls Wilder: A 150-Year Legacy,” commemorate Wilder’s 150th birthday, which was February 7, 2017.
Throughout the event, authors William Anderson, Caroline Fraser, Michael Patrick Hearn, Elizabeth Jameson, Sallie Ketcham, Amy Mattson Lauters, John Miller, Paula Nelson, and Ann Romines will discuss topics ranging from Wilder’s collaboration with her daughter Rose Wilder Lane to her influence on our image of the frontier and her lasting place in children’s literature. Noel Silverman of the Little House Heritage Trust, who has worked with Wilder’s writings for over forty-five years, will give a luncheon address, expanding on his interview with Koupal that appears in Pioneer Girl Perspectives. A Friday night reception will include renditions of Pa Ingalls’s fiddle music and other songs of the era played by the Sergeant Creek Stringband. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to purchase and pick up Pioneer Girl Perspectives: Exploring Laura Ingalls Wilder prior to its public release date of May 18, 2017. On Thursday, a special fundraiser will provide the opportunity to have books signed by all of the book’s contributors.
Conference registration is limited and can be completed at history.sd.gov or by calling (605) 773-6000. Pioneer Girl Perspectives: Exploring Laura Ingalls Wilder will be available to the public for $29.95 on May 18, 2017.
As a lifelong Laura enthusiast, I am very excited about the upcoming conference! I eagerly checked the website every few days for months waiting for the registration to open up. I think I was probably one of the first few to do so. For those other fans who are traveling into Sioux Falls that may be looking for something to do on the day before or after the conference ends, I wanted to mention a wonderful place not related to the Laura, but still a great place to visit.
The Sertoma Butterfy House & Aquarium https://butterflyhousemarinecove.org is a fantastic place to go spend an hour or so. The aquarium was started in 2011 by my late cousin, Chuck Purdy. It has since grown into a terrific place for people to learn about life in the ocean.
I even found a Groupon https://www.groupon.com/deals/missouri-botanical-garden-the-butterfly-house?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=us_dt_sea_ggl_txt_ttt_sr_cbp_ch1_nbr_k*butterfly%20house_m*b_d*stlouis-RTC-Root_g*RTC-missouri-botanical-garden-the-butterfly-house-BROAD_c*188562338602_ap*1t1_t*aud-292779337562:kwd-21605940&loc_physical_ms=9052642&loc_interest_ms=&template=ETA1
This should help save on the admission cost.
I look forward to meeting everyone at the end of the month!