2010 Fall Newsletter

1

South Dakota Humanities Council

N e w s l e t t e rIn This Issue

NEH’s Chairman Leach Visited South Dakota on September 29-30

2010 South Dakota Festival of Books Rewind SDHC Board List Festival of Books Photo Feature Bridging Cultures Photo Feature Grants Awarded Grant Deadline Highlight American Indian Cultures/Contest Community Conversations to Sweep Across SD

Call to Scholars Apply for One Book South Dakota Literature and Medicine New Staff at SDHC

SDHC Literature Order Form SDHC Explores Social Media

Girl Scouts at Festival of Books

The $20,000 Question

Festival of BooksPeak Life Experience

NEH’s Chairman Leach Visited South Dakota on September 29-30Explored Br idging Cul tures wi th Egypt ian Delegat ion

South Dakota Humanities Council was proud to host the National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman Jim Leach as he made a stop in South Dakota on September 29th and 30th as part of a tri-state “Civility Tour.” Chairman Leach is the ninth chairman of the NEH, an independent grant-making agency of the United States government dedicated to supporting research, education, pres-ervation and public programs in the humanities. This visit marked the first time any NEH Chairman has visited South Dakota.

During his first stop at USD’s National Music Museum, he lectured on “Civility in a Fractured Society.” That evening, letters of greeting from cultural leaders were delivered at a dessert reception co-hosted by SDHC and the Center for Western Studies. The event featured a conversation with the Chairman entitled,

“The Muslim World & the NEH” and was followed by a Q & A session moderated by Dr. Ahrar Ahmad of Black Hills State University and representatives of an Egyptian delegation. The delegation is part of the Big Read Egypt/U.S., a col-laborative Global Cultural Initiative project of the U.S. Department of State and the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Continuing on September 30th at the Holiday Inn City Centre, Leach urged the audience to walk in each other’s shoes. In his speech, “Bridging Cultures: America & the Muslim World,” he explained that this is necessary to overcome conflicts based on religion. Responses were given by Dr. Ahrar Ahmad of BHSU, and Dr. Simon Ferrell of Augustana College. SDHC’s cultural partners from Arts Midwest, SD Arts Council, Center for Western Studies, SD World Affairs Council, SD Art Museum, South Dakotans for the Arts, SD Public Broadcasting, SD Agri-cultural Heritage Museum, City of Sioux Falls, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and SD State Historical Society were on hand to welcome him to the state. Joining them were past board chairs from the Council and the South Dakota Humanities Foundation. SDHC’s first chairman in 1972, Jack Marken, was rep-

resented by his widow Marty. To learn more about the delegation’s South Da-kota travels see page 4 or visit us online at www.sdhumanities.org or www.facebook.com/sdhumanities.

(LEFT) The Egyptian delegation meets NEH Chairman Jim Leach at a civility discussion in Sioux Falls, SD at the Center for Western Studies.

1

2

2

3

4

5

6

6

7

7

8

8

9

9

10

10

11

12

2010 Fall Issue

2

SDHC BoardAnn McKay Thompson

Chair

Jean Nicholson Chair Elect

Terri DavisPast Chair

Scott RauschTreasurer & Governor

Appointee

Corey VilhauerSecretary

Senator Tom DempsterExecutive Committee

Doris GiagoExecutive Committee

Kate Campbell

Michelle Deyo-Amende

Harvey DuMarce

Anne Gormley

Fee JacobsenGovernor Appointee

Lin Jennewein

Aaron B. Larson

LaVerne Rens

Becky SchenkGovernor Appointee

Bill Walsh

Rory KingGovernor Appointee

2010 Festival of Books The South Dakota Festival of Books’ event, “A Conversation with Dave Eggers and Val-entino Achak Deng,” filled the Orpheum Theater with a keynote record-breaking 640+ fans. During an extended Q & A session, questions were as diverse as the audience members with inquiries from members of the Sudanese community, native South Dakotans, Egyptian delegates, and cross-country travelers. At one point moderator and host, NPR’s Deborah Amos, jokingly requested that the next question “not be so provocative.” No matter what the question, Eggers and Deng answered them with humor and grace.

Leading up to the Festival, over 35 different One Book South Dakota groups and countless individual readers across the state participated in reading this year’s One Book South Dakota, What is the What. Given the One Book program’s reach, it is no wonder that Eggers book has made such an impact. The fictionalized memoir has been described as “noth-ing short of genius.” And the audience on Saturday, September 25th would likely echo that sentiment.

Guests from 25 states and four countries experienced the readings, pan-els, writing workshops, and special events that the festival had to offer. Many guests were able to celebrate with SD State Historical Society Press and the Center for Western Studies as they each released a new book at the event. There were over 1,900 wristband registrants reported at the 2010 Festival of Books. Though most events were free, festival attendees were asked to provide geographical and contact information. The South Dakota Festival of Books saw an improvement of over 2,500 session at-tendees over the 2008 event.

The supplementary “Authors on the Road” program brought 13 addi-tional presentations to all ages from elementary schools, high schools, and college campuses throughout the state in conjunction with the Festival. Nearly 3,000 students and community members in eight dif-ferent communities benefited from these programs. According to staff at Robert Bennis Elementary, the “Authors on the Road” program “is a rewarding experience for the kids...they get to experience the books through the eyes of the author! We were very lucky...” See pg. 5 for a list of schools who received grant support for an “Au-thors on the Road” program. For more information on the upcom-ing 2011 South Dakota Festival of Books to be hosted on October 7-9 in Deadwood, please visit www.sdhumanities.org.

Thank you to all those who donated their time and resources to the Festival of Books. We could not have done it without you!

Dave Eggers responds to a question from Deborah Amos as Valentino Achak Deng looks on.

Save the Date!

South Dakota Festival of Books

October 7-9, 2011in Deadwood

To make a donation visit

www.sdhumanities.org/

donate.htm

to download and print a form to be mailed to 1215 Trail Ridge Rd.,

Suite A, Brookings, SD 57006

ORDonate securely online

3

South Dakota Humanities Council

Festival Photos

From Left to Right: Donald Montileaux presents; Jacqueline Dembar Greene signs her American Girl books; Michael Hart, Michael Dirda, and Marilyn Johnson discuss books in the digital age; Jeffrey Koterba and the Prairie Cats perform; Alex and Rebecca Norris Webb worked with art teacher Gail Saxonis and Loneman sixth graders on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation for an “Authors on the Road” presentation (Photo by Alex Webb); Gary Harbo signs his new book; “A Harvest of Words” poetry panel features David Allan Evans; A record-breaking 640+ member crowd listens at the 2010 keynote event, “A Conversation with Dave Eggers and Valentino Achak Deng” moderated by Deborah Amos and introduced by SDHC chair Ann McKay Thompson. All photos, unless otherwise noted, by Toby Brusseau, author of I Am South Dakota. www.tobybrusseau.com.

4

Bridging Cultures: Egyptians Experience South Dakota

A delegation of eight students and two adult chaperones presented on “Egyptian History”, “What Egyptians Read”, and projects based on the NEA Big Read selection Fahrenheit 451 to local rotary groups and schools. They were also featured at the Festival of Books. The group stayed with host families in Brookings, Rapid City, and Sioux Falls. SDHC extends our deepest gratitude to all of the host families and other volunteers involved. Thank you for making this wonderful cultural exchange possible!

Photos from Left to Right: Harvesting soybeans; Group at Harmony Hills Buffalo Ranch, rural Sinai, SD; Meeting the 2009 One Book SD author Dan O’Brien; Visiting a Badlands gift shop; Students pose in front of Mount Rushmore; Visiting Red Cloud High School ; Egyptian boys converse with Sioux Falls Sudanese; Girls get an autograph from 2010 One Book South Dakota author Dave Eggers.

5

South Dakota Humanities Council

Between May and October 2010, SDHC awarded twelve mini grants. Details are listed below:

• The Mountains-Plains Museum Association received $900 for their 2010 Mountains-Plains Museum Association Conference, held September 13-17 in Rapid City.

• South Dakota State University received $926 for a community read program on the book Hollowing Out the Middle: Rural Brain Drain and What it Means for America by Patrick Carr and Maria Kefalas.

• $780 was awarded to Osher Lifelong Learning Institute for a conference held October 14-15 with author Reese Erlich.

• South Dakota Peace and Justice Center received $1,000 for their conference “Facing, Not Fencing the Border” held October 22-23 in Sioux Falls.

• For their Parent Involvement Night on September 23rd, Jef-ferson School in Huron received $263 to have author Candy Hamilton present.

• The Brookings Reconciliation Council was awarded $751 for their “Consider the Century, Native Perspectives” program in Brookings on October 8th.

• The City of Brookings, Human Rights Committee received $345 for their conference, “Ground Zero...Common Ground,” held in Brookings on October 14th.

• Mount Marty College received $542 to assist in the printing of 4 PM Count, stories written by inmates at Yankton Federal Prison Camp.

• For their exhibit, “Jump to Japan,” South Dakota Discovery Center was awarded $1,000.• The Black Hills Mining Museum received $961 to assist in their Archiving Homestake Mining Company Pictures and Documents

project. • A student at the University of South Dakota, Justin Hammer, received $972 to do research on “The American Indian Movement

in Custer, 1973.”• Capital University Center Foundation received an award of $1,000 toward their sponsorship of Paul Hedren’s research for a

book on Captain Jack Crawford.

At their annual fall board meeting, SDHC Board of Directors awarded nine grant proposals. Details listed below:

• The Adams Museum and House received $1,000 to do research on a publication, Adams A to Z. • $2,000 was awarded to the South Dakota Heritage Fund for the South Dakota State Historical Society’s 2011 confer-

ence, “Being Dakota: Territorial Sesquincentennial 1861-2011.”• SDHC awarded $1,000 to the Brookings Renegades Muzzleloaders Club for their “Living History Fair” to take place on January 28-29, 2011 in Brookings. • Fractured Atlas Productions, Inc. received $2,300 for filmmakers to travel to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to make a documenary called The Dull Knifes.• For their “South Dakota History Adventures” project in May 2011, the Pierre Chamber of Commerce received $3,312. • The Burke-Herrick-Lucas Chapter of the Gregory Co. Historical Society received $12,068 for an American Indian Teachers’ Institute entitled “Lakota Culture--Relevant Then and Now.” • The Centre for American Indian Research and Native Studies received $20,000 for an American Indian Teacher’s Institute entitled, “Approaches to

Teaching Lakota Culture.

Grants Awarded

“Authors on the Road” programs were held in eight commu-nities throughout South Dakota for 2010. Only communities requiring grant assistance are listed below. For more informa-tion or to schedule an Authors on the Road program for 2011, please email [email protected].

A total of $4,434 was granted toward Authors on the Road presentations to the following organizations: (in Sioux Falls) Eugene Field Elementary, Terry Redlin Elementary, Longfellow Elementary, University of Sioux Falls, and Augustana College; (in Dell Rapids) Dell Rapids School District; (in Brandon) Robert Bennis Elementary; (in Aberdeen) Northern State University; (in Spearfish) Spearfish East and Spearfish West; and (in Brookings) Hillcrest Elementary and Brookings High School.

Authors sponsored with these grants include: Ann Bausum, Gary Harbo, Bruce Junek and Tass Thacker, Peter Brown, David Laskin, Michael Hart, and Michael Dirda.

• SDSU, Journalism and Mass Communications Dept. was awarded $2,000 for the “Lakota/Dakota Storytelling Competition” in Rapid City in December.

• Augustana College received $3,460 to assist in research for their “Liturgi-cal Arts and Humanities Database.”

Presenter Jessica Arneson with two conference attendees during the SD Peace and Justice Cen-ter’s program “Facing, Not Fencing the Border.”

6

Grant Deadline Highlight

The deadline for a major grant proposal ($1,000+) is January 30th, 2011. SDHC will accept proposals in Humanities Discussion, Research, and Media categories. (Media grant funding is limited at this time.) Mini-grants (up to $1,000) are being ac-cepted and can be submitted 6 – 8 weeks before the project begins.

2011 will feature programming cen-tred on “American Indian Cultures.” Proposals on American Indian topics will receive priority for funding. Interested applicants should check out www.sdhumanities.org, and click on the “Grants” tab. Be sure to re-view the 2010-2011 Grant Guidelines before beginning a proposal. A new online application is also available on the website. For any questions, please contact Stephanie Horsley, Program Director, at 605-688-6113 or [email protected].

American Indian Cultures Programming for 2011South Dakota Humanities Council will promote an American Indian Cultures theme for 2011. This year’s theme will permeate all aspects of SDHC programming. As with the 2010 theme of immigration, the topic is meant to inspire thought-ful conversations about the similarities and differences that define humanity. To encourage the exploration of Ameri-can Indian topics, SDHC will provide themed programming through their Speakers Bureau, Reading Group Toolkits, One Book South Dakota, and more. The capstone presentation will feature the 2011 One Book South Dakota author presenting at the Festival of Books, October 7-9 in Deadwood. The event will also highlight indigenous music such as the Porcupine Singers, a traditional Lakota drum group based out of Porcupine, SD, to perform at the festival.

In addition, organizations are encouraged to apply for grants to support projects that showcase the American Indian Cul-tures theme. Please see “Grant Deadline Highlight” on this page or visit us at www.sdhumanities.org for more information on grant opportunities. Also, be sure to check out our 2011 Pro-gram Catalog in March for these and more American Indian program opportunities! And do not miss out on the opportuni-ty to give us your opinion on what topics the American Indian Cultures theme should focus on. (See contest details below.)

American Indian Cultures Topic Contest

We need your insight! We’re looking for the areas of American Indian Cultures that interest you most.

Do American Indian artifacts captivate you?Is American Indian storytell ing tradition your thing?Perhaps you want to explore the spir itual?Whatever your interest is, we want to hear it.

SDHC is looking for members of the American Indian community to form a cultural council to help inform our programming for 2011. We encourage everyone, no matter what background, to share your thoughts on what topics might be most beneficial to cover with this year’s programming.

To submit a suggested topic, or to join the cultural council, please email us [email protected] or call 605-688-6113.

I f your topic suggestion is chosen for inclusion in our 2011 Program Catalog you will receive a beautiful prize package of books!

Porcupine Singers perform for a crowd.

7

South Dakota Humanities Council

Call to Scholars

South Dakota Humanities Council is asking for eligible humanities scholars to apply as a 2011 presenter in the Speakers’ Bureau/Chautauqua, Reading Group Toolkit, One Book South Dakota, and “What is a South Dakotan” community conversations (10 scholars needed for 10 communities). To be an eligible hu-manities scholar, one must have an advanced degree in a humanities disci-pline (history, literature, philosophy, religion, etc.) or have devoted their life’s work in the humanities field. The deadline for applications is December 31st and scholars will be chosen in January before a new program catalog is printed in March 2011. Applications are available through the SDHC office by contacting Stephanie Horsley at 605-688-6113 or [email protected]

Community Conversations to Sweep Across South Dakota

In late September, South Dakota Humanities Council was proud to host National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman Jim Leach on his visit to South Dakota. The visit was part of Leach’s na-tionwide “Civility Tour” to encourage civil discourse. Chairman Leach is calling the nation to build international understanding through civil discourse exercises in our own communities. As a result, SDHC will move forward in an effort to engage entire communities for individual growth and to foster humanities leadership skills. SDHC will enable community conversations around the topic “What makes a South Dakotan?” in ten locations throughout the state.

Ten coordinators and ten scholars will be recruited and trained as community facilitators, as well as select SDHC staff and board members. The Project on Civic Reflection will conduct the training (24-30 people) using the “civic reflection model” in July or August, 2011 in a central location. Once implemented, the program will bring a humanities scholar to the communities to discuss how to encourage and facilitate civil discourse among everyday citizens. The purpose of these gatherings will be to develop “facilitators” within the community who will be able to assist their communities with civil discourse long after the schol-ar has moved on.

A series of meetings will be planned to discuss “What makes a South Dakotan?” and to establish a formal collection process to gather individuals’ “journey stories.” This component will be part of a statewide effort to collect immigration/journey stories for the 5th book in the South Dakota Humanities Council’s South Da-kota Stories series. The stories will form a SDHC 40th anniversary edition, and will explore “What makes a South Dakotan?”

South Dakota Humanities Council is excited about this new initiative and encourages your commu-nity to contact us at [email protected] or 605-688-6113 for more information on how you can get involved. If your community is chosen to participate, we hope you will become an ambassa-dor to other nearby communities who are seeking ways to encourage civil discussion about topics that affect our everyday lives.

NEH Chairman Jim Leach

8

One Book South Dakota ApplicationsWhat if everyone in South Dakota read the same book? That’s the question SDHC’s One Book South Dakota program attempts to answer every year. And this year, we’re aiming for an even bigger sample of readers. The Center for the Book has accepted the challenge to reach at least 1% of the state’s population (or about 8,100 people) with this year’s One Book South Dakota discussion. If accomplished, this would be a significant increase from past years’ participation. As a result, we need your community to get involved!

Here’s how you apply:

1. Get a group together--Any non-profit organization is eligible to apply for a reading pro-gram. Just set the date for your discussion and indicate that you’d like to discuss this year’s One Book South Dakota. If desired, you may also contact a scholar to lead your discussion.

2. Apply--If your book club would like to apply, find a sponsoring organization (this can be any non-profit organization, such as a library, museum, or book club). Download an appli-cation from www.sdhumanities.org/programs_book.htm. Mail your completed application and a $35 application fee to South Dakota Humanities Council, 1215 Trail Ridge Rd., Suite A, Brookings, SD, 57006.

3. Wait for the Mail--SDHC will mail a circulating library of books along with study guides and promotional materials to your group. When you’re done with the program, simply mail the books and a short evaluation of the program back to us.

4. Promote, publicize, and conduct your event--This is where you can really help us out. Draw a crowd! At you event, be sure to thank the South Dakota Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities for support.

Applying for the program is simple. And the benefits of engaging in this discussion can be life-changing (just check out the “Festival of Books Testimonial” on page 12). For this year’s featured keynote One Book South Dakota discussion with Dave Eggers, Valentino Achak Deng, and Deborah Amos, we had a record-breaking 640+ people filling the Orpheum Theater. So stay tuned for the an-nouncement of this year’s One Book South Dakota! Announcement will be made in January.

Literature and Medicine Affects Veterans Healthcare Across the State• “I feel I have a better understanding and appreciation of what our patients went through in their mil itary service.”• “I am proud that our VA is a part of this program. It al lowed me the time to explore the Veteran’s perspective

and experiences more than I have done in the past.”These quotes are from participants in South Dakota Humanities Council’s newest program, Literature and Medicine, which was held at the Sioux Falls VA Medical Center this past winter and spring. Approximately 20 healthcare professionals from the VA read and discussed l iterature about wartime and Veteran’s experi-ences. Moderator Dr. Charles Woodard, English Professor at South Dakota State University and Vietnam veteran, led the program’s discussions. The ultimate goal for the Literature and Medicine program is to increase the quality of patient care and boost caregiver understanding through humanities-based medium. Based on the evaluations from participants, this goal was reached for many participants.

The Sioux Falls VA wil l continue this program in 2011. Shir ley Redmond, Public Af-fairs Officer at the VA, is coordinating the monthly meetings. Dr. Jason McEntee, English Professor at SDSU, wil l be the new facil itator. Along with Sioux Falls, the Black Hil ls VA Medical Center wil l host Literature and Medicine in 2011. Debra Dodson, Executive Assistant at the VA, wil l coordinate the program. Two schol-ars wil l serve as facil itators: Dr. Kathy Antonen, English Professor at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, and Lydia Whir lwind Soldier, author and retired educator.

Recently Dodson, Antonen, and Whir lwind Soldier attended training at the 2010 National Literature and Medicine Conference in Washington D.C.: After Shock: Human-

ities Perspectives on Trauma. The conference brought together humanities councils who host the program from around the country. Presentations were given by authors

T im O’Br ien, Jonathan Shay, and Kate Braestrup. Federation of State Humanities Coun-cils President Esther Mackintosh commented, “The speakers and the workshop sessions were amazing testament to the power of the humanities to help us address extremely complex contemporary issues in a constructive fashion.” Maine Humanities Council, the creator of the Literature and Medicine program, hosted the conference. Meetings for Litera-ture and Medicine wil l be starting soon! Contact SDHC at 605 605-688-6113 or visit www.sdhumanities.org for more information.

Dates to Remember

December 31: Deadline for Scholar ApplicationsJanuary 30: Major Grant Dead-line-American Indian Cultures proposals are encouraged. January 2011: 2011 One Book South Dakota Announced

Article featuring Literature and Medicine with Dr. Charles Woodard featured in the March issue of the Argus Leader

9

South Dakota Humanities Council

Steve BinkleyNew Staff at SDHCSteve Binkley grew up in Brookings. After high school, he moved to Minneapolis to attend the University of Minnesota,

graduating with a B.A. in Cultural Studies and Com-parative Literature. He also spent part of his under-graduate career studying at Universite Paul Valery in Montpellier, France. He then moved out to Washing-ton, DC for a brief stint before deciding to head back to Brookings to work on his Masters in English Lan-guage and Rhetoric at SDSU. While working toward the degree, he taught several classes and received certification to teach at the secondary level, being named “Outstanding Future Teacher” by SDSU fac-ulty. During this period, he was involved at Brookings High School serving as an assistant debate coach; he also spent a summer back in Minneapolis working for Al Franken’s US Senatorial Campaign. Along with his work for SDHC, he spends most of his time tinkering with things he knows little about while trying to make improvements to an old Victorian home he recently purchased with his girlfriend, Eileen. Steve misses his older sister, who recently found a job at Dartmouth College, but he takes full advantage of his parents’ proximity, making frequent raids on their fridge. He

enjoys every minute of work at SDHC, and he is particularly delighted to have been given the opportunity to write a bio in third-person omniscient. Former Center for the Book Director, Jay Willms, is pursuing graduate studies at the University of Minnesota.

N e w S t a f f

Steve BinkleyCenter for the Book Director

SDHC Literature Order Form Take advantage of all SDHC has to offer!

Name: ____________________________________Mailing Address: ____________________________City: _________________________ State _________ Zip: ____________Is this your home or work? ______ (Please specify home or work for each field)Phone: ________________________ H___W___ Email: __________________________H___W___

___YES! Please send me a FREE copy of the 2011 Program Catalog (Available in March)___YES! Please sign me up for SDHC’s monthly e-newsletter, The Insider___YES! I would be interested in hosting an Authors on the Road presentation, before or after the Festival of Books, October 7-9, 2011. (email [email protected] for more information)___YES! I would be interested in getting more information about the New Harmonies Smithsonian Exhibit

I would like to order: ___copies of One-Room Country School ($15) ___copies of Country Congregations ($15) ___copies of On the Homefront ($15) ___copies of Life on the Farm & Ranch ($17)

We accept most major credit cards, cash, or

check. For questions or to inquire about bulk rates

call 605-688-6113

or visithttp://www.sdhumanities.org/programs_stories.htm

SDHC Explores Social Media with 9 Clouds Inc. It is undeniable that people are now more connected than ever, and the South Dakota Humanities Council is determined to connect to you right where you are. Right now, hundreds of South Dakotans just like you are online watching videos from 2010 South Dakota Festival of Books authors, taking advantage of our many contests and giveaways, talking about the humanities, and learning more about SDHC programs in their own communities. What is most interesting is how they’re connecting.

Have you seen any monkeys with typewriters lately? If so, you can thank Chris Francis of Madison, SD for that. SDHC used our Facebook pages to ask for slogan suggestions for the 2010 Festival of Books and Mr. Francis stepped up to the plate. His suggestion, along with editorial assistance from author Rob Fleder, became ‘We’ve assembled our crack team of monkeys with typewriters to create the perfect ad, but we’ve got no Shakespeare, no ads, nothing. Guess we need the real thing, real writers. South Dakota Festival of Books, no monkeys, just great authors, with great books.” His ad was played online, on television, and on radio throughout the state and beyond. And this is only one example of what engagement in social media has done for SDHC and its constituents.

South Dakota is one of the states most connected, per-capita, to the Facebook social network. In September, SDHC began working with Scott Meyer of 9 Clouds Inc. (www.9cloudsinc.com) to develop our on-line presence. With his help our South Dakota Festival of Books page on Face- book jumped from 900 to 1,150 fans by the week of the Festival. Two weeks before the Festival we experienced 392 visits to the page. This increased to 1,308 visits the week before the Festival and 1,504 visits the week of the Festival. In the same amount of time, the number of users actively using the page went from 399 to 870 to 1,623. In addition, 9 Clouds Inc. employed Facebook advertising to help us reach a wider audience. Our advertisement, featuring the title “Free week-

end pass-registration closes on Wednesday,” was shown over 1.5 million times and was clicked on 1,200 times. These clicks routed users directly to our Facebook and Eventbrite sites. 9 Clouds Inc. not only helped us to get the word out to those we were already connected to; they also helped us touch an untapped audience.

And SDHC doesn’t only plan to connect online. We also hope to participate in Ignite SD. Ignite SD is described as “a high-energy evening of 5-minute talks by people who have an idea—and the guts to get on stage and share it with their hometown crowd. And, via streaming and archived videos of local talks, local Ignites share all that knowledge and passion with the world.” So stay tuned to find out when SDHC and 9 Clouds Inc. will team up with other local contributors to bring Ignite SD back to Brookings!

We invite you to visit us online to join in the discussion and invite your friends to join too. You can find us at:

www.facebook.com/sdhumanities www.facebook.com/sdbookfestival http://twitter.com/SDHumanities http://twitter.com/sdbookfestival www.sdhumanities.org www.sdbookfestival.com

Girls Scouts Dive Into Li teracy at Fest ival of Books

Girl Scouts discover their potential through hands-on learning experi-ences--including diving into the pages of a favorite book to learn more about themselves and the world around them. Thanks to a generous donation by the SD Humanities Council, Girl Scouts-Dakota Horizons will launch a new literacy project featuring books from the Prairie Tales series, published by South Dakota State Historical Society Press.

During the 2010 Festival of Books in Sioux Falls, the Girl Scout Council was presented three sets of books including The Enchanted Buffalo, The Raccoon and Bee Tree, and The Discontented Gopher. For 2010, the South Dakota Center for the Book chose The Raccoon and the Bee Tree to represent the state at the National Book Festival and gave away 120 books at the Pavilion of States. The book, written by Charles A. Eastman and Elaine Goodale Eastman and illustrated by Susan Turnbull, will be the jumping off point for the Girl Scout’s reading project.

The books will be a new resource for the Council’s Outreach Program which serves at-risk, underprivileged girls. The selections will serve as a springboard to a new Girl Scout program, “It’s Your Story, Tell It” to be launched in 2011. The primary goals of the literacy project will be to cre-ate an interest in creative expression, inspiring the girls to read more and to write stories about their own tales of adventure.

Brothers Scott Meyer (left) and John Meyer (right) run 9 Clouds Inc.

Accepting the donation of Prairie Tales books for Girl Scouts-Dakota Horizons was, Bette Poppen (at right), Grants Coordinator, along with Sherry DeBoer (center), Executive Director, SD Humanities Council, and Martyn Beeny (left), Market Director/ Associate Editor, SD State Historical Society Press.

10

Monkey Advertisement for 2010 Festival of Books

11

South Dakota Humanities Council

The $20,000 Question

Yes, I want to support the Festival of Books!Name:_______________________________________

Street Address:_______________________________

City:__________________ State:_____ Zip:________

Phone #:_____________________________________

Email:________________________________________

I would like my donation to be classified as:

____Festival of Books (Program Specific)

____Other:____________________ (Please specify)

Donation Amount:______________________________

Payment Method: ___Check ___Visa ___Mastercard

____Discover ____American Express

Name on Card: ______________________________

Card #: ______________________Exp. Date: _________

Authorized Signature:_____________________________

Please return form in enclosed envelope.

Thank you for answering the

question!

Will you help support the Festival of Books?

• Our goal is to collect $20,000 in indi-vidual and small business donations this year.

• Help keep the majority of festival events free and open to the public.

• Ensure that thousands of South Dako-tans will benefit from festival activities.

• Individual donations are more important than ever in this economic climate, so give a donation at any level.

Simply return the donation form below in the enclosed envelope.

How will you answer the $20,000 question?

Non ProfitU.S. Postage

PAIDAberdeen, SDPermit #200

South Dakota Humanities Council

1215 Trail Ridge Road, Ste. ABrookings, SD 57006-4107

Festival of Books Peak Life ExperienceThe South Dakota Festival of Books was easi ly one of my peak l ife experiences because my experience at the festival is sti l l reverberating joy through my classroom and my family. I attended the keynote “Conversation with Dave Eggers and Valentino Achak Deng” while my dear husband took care of our 16 month old daughter. Dave Eggers has been one of my favorite authors since my mother and brother suggested I read his A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, and I was evidently exuding this enthusiasm because I was given the opportunity to ask the speakers a question. I teach high school English and Creative Writing, and I requested advice to take back to my students who are aspir ing writers. I was humbled when Mr. Eggers started his answer by thanking me for teaching and the audience applauded in response. What a deeply encouraging experience to have an entire room full of people supporting my students and my pas-sion. I passed Mr. Eggers’s messages on to my students on Monday morning, and they were absolutely inspired by the confidence that Eggers expressed in their abil ity to be agents of change (They were also quite amused by the pictures of their blushing teacher shaking hands with Eggers.) Later, at the book signing, Dave Eggers and Valentino Achak Deng contin-ued their encouragement in the form of beautiful inscr iptions. One of the primary reasons my husband and I traveled to the festival was to ask Mr. Eg-gers to sign my brother’s copy of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, which he now displays in his Connecticut apartment. At Zandbroz the following day Eggers signed his portfol io of pr ints for my brother and also signed a print of a rabbit which reads “ Courage may it be common.” My brother, an artist and math teacher, has been going through a particular ly heartbreaking time in l ife, and the signed book and portfol io brought him im-measurable joy, a temporary respite from grief, and a renewed passion for his art. Thank you South Dakota Humanities Council, Valentino Achak Deng, and Dave Eggers for encouraging a hundred peo-ple who weren’t even at the festival. The power of events such as these reaches well beyond those in the audience.

With Gratitude,Terra McQuillen Latterell

Aberdeen, SD

Terra McQuillen Latterell shaking hands with Dave Eggers at his book signing