This weekend, several of us are gathering in De Smet, S.D., to enjoy Laura’s little town and to hammer out some details for next summer’s Laura Palooza 2010, to be held in Mankato, Minn., July 15-17. One thing we all want to know is what YOU want in a conference event of this site.
Some things we have already on the docket:
* Panels and papers from scholars who research the legacies of Laura and her daughter, Rose. A call for papers will go out by the end of the month.
* Authors of books associated with Laura’s legacies, including myself, Pamela Smith Hill, John Miller, and others.
* A Saturday closing field trip to Walnut Grove, Minn., just 1 1/2 hours from Mankato on the Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Highway, which should include the annual pageant.
Some things we’re working on:
* A Friday night entertainment! We’re in talks with a name star from the original television series. Cross your fingers.
* A screening of Dean Butler’s documentary about Almanzo Wilder.
* A craft circle event.
* Book discussion roundtables.
* Educators’ workshops.
It seems like a lot to cram into three days, so we’d love your input on what you’d like to see.
I’m also working with my campus, Minnesota State University, Mankato, to arrange for inexpensive accommodations in our new, air-conditioned, Julia A. Sears Residence Hall, steps from the Centennial Student Union, which is where most of our activity will take place. These would be open on a first-come, first-served basis. There are also a number of reasonably priced hotels and motels in the area; Mankato is a college town, after all.
Post your comments below!
Wish I could be there this weekend. It just doesn’t fit with my schedule. I have always wanted to see some of my fellow Laura reinactors or those who do presentations…just a taste of each one.
I wish I could be there too. If you need any help with anything though…
I’m going to try to come, even though I’m in California and pretty far away. As a book collector and an antiquarian bookseller, I’d like to hear about the publishing history of both Rose’s and Laura’s books and their relationships with their publishers. As far as I know there is no complete bibliography of all of Laura’s works (both journalistic and novelistic) in one place. Please correct me if I am wrong, but I’d love to have more information about the bibliographic history of their books.
I’d love to be there. There could be some wonderful new LIW content ready for viewing by next summer.
Dean
Dean, that would be incredibly exciting!
Chris, have you checked out pioneergirl.com? Nancy Cleveland has an amazing bibliography in progress there.
Yes, that should be the weekend after Spirit Song so I can go without hurting my best friends feelings!
Ideas – maybe someone from different homesites to share their visions or get feedback on any ideas we have?
You have to do the pageant, we’ll put on a good show especially for you. And if you contact the group ahead of time you might be able to come backstage and see the actors.
Don’t worry, Daryl, we wouldn’t leave out the pageant.
I would love to see Dean Butler there to present his new documentary about Laura. Wonderful place for it’s debut.
Would also like to see William Anderson among the authors in attendance.
As an Ingalls family member, I would really enjoy meeting the pageant cast backstage I had that pleasure in Mansfield a year ago and it was great fun.
As you may or may not know, I am Laura’s first cousin twice removed. My ggfather was Hiram Lemuel Ingalls (brother of Charles). If there is anything I could do to be of help, please let me know. I am hoping to attend in July to perhaps learn some new “family secrets”.
I just found out about the Laura Palooza at the Walnut Grove Festival this weekend. Please put me on the mailing list for 2012! I would love to be part of it.
Deb Calhoon
Lee’s Summit, Missouri