Author: 1book1community

Featured, One Book, One Community

Louise Erdrich’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel ‘The Night Watchman’ is the 2022 One Book, One Community Title Pick

Author Presentation
October 27 at 7 PM
The Centrum – Concordia College

In partnership, the Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo public libraries, Concordia College’s Carl B. Ylvisaker Library, Minnesota State University Moorhead’s Livingston Lord Library, North Dakota State University Libraries, Moorhead Area Public Schools Indian Education, the Indigenous Association, and the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County have selected Louise Erdrich’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Night Watchman” as the 2022 One Book, One Community selection.

Set near the Turtle Mountain Reservation in rural North Dakota in the 1950s, “The Night Watchman” includes universal themes of community, family, love and freedom. The novel is based on Erdrich’s grandfather, Patrick Gourneau, who worked as a night watchman and carried the fight against Native dispossession from rural North Dakota all the way to Washington, D.C. It tells the little-known story of the U.S. government’s efforts in the 1950s to “emancipate” the Turtle Mountain band and other tribes and end federal recognition of these tribes in order to force them off their ancestral land.

A leader in contemporary Native American literature, Louise Erdrich is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. She has won numerous awards for both poetry and fiction, including the National Book Award, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and, twice, the National Book Critics Circle fiction award. She was a Pulitzer finalist in 2009 for “The Plague of Doves.”

This year’s One Book, One Community reading project launches in September and features several events including community book discussions, cultural presentations, exhibits, films and other programs. The event series includes an author visit Oct. 27 at the Knutson Campus Center Centrum on the campus of Concordia College. Further details about the author visit will be announced at a later date.

Copies of the book will be available for checkout in several formats at each of the participating libraries; book club kits will also available. For a list of related events and resources, visit any participating library’s website starting Aug. 15 or visit http://www.1book1community.org after Aug. 15.

In its 11th year, the One Book, One Community reading project centers on the community-wide reading of a single book and is dedicated to creating a shared conversation along with a range of related events and activities for residents of all ages.

All One Book, One Community events are free and open to the public. This project is made possible in part with funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and supported by Concordia Cultural Events, Friends of the Fargo Public Library, Friends of the West Fargo Public Library, Friends of the Moorhead Library and Moorhead Community Education.

One Book, One Community

‘Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask’ Selected as 2021 One Book, One Community Title

In partnership, the Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo public libraries, Concordia College’s Carl B. Ylvisaker Library, Minnesota State University Moorhead’s Livingston Lord Library, North Dakota State University Libraries, Moorhead Community Education, and the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County have selected Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask by Anton Treuer as the 2021 One Book, One Community selection.

An essential and engaging book of questions and answers for Native and non-Native readers, Treuer’s book answers questions with solid information, humor and compassion while building a foundation for true understanding and positive action. With questions ranging from “Why is there such a fuss about non-Native people wearing Indian costumes for Halloween?” to “Why is it called a ‘traditional Indian fry bread taco’?” to “What’s it like for Natives who don’t look Native?” to “Why are Indians so often imagined rather than understood?”, and beyond, the book is a thoughtful, frank, funny, and sometimes personal tour of what’s up with Indians, anyway.

A professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji (Minn.) State University, Treuer is a racial equality advocate and the acclaimed author of 20 books. His equity, education and cultural work has put him on a path of service across the region, the nation and the world.

This year’s One Book, One Community reading project launches in August and features several events including community book discussions, cultural presentations and other programs. The event series includes an author visit Oct. 26 at the Knutson Campus Center Centrum on the campus of Concordia College. Further details about the author visit will be announced at a later date.

Copies of the book will be available for checkout in several formats (physical and digital) at each of the participating libraries; book club kits will also available. For a list of related events and resources, visit any participating library’s website for in-person event policies starting August 1 or visit www.1book1community.org after July 1.

In its 10th year, the One Book, One Community reading project centers on the community-wide reading of a single book and is dedicated to creating a shared conversation along with a range of related events and activities for residents of all ages.

All One Book, One Community events are free and open to the public. This project is made possible in part with funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and supported by Concordia Cultural Events, Friends of the Fargo Public Library, Friends of the West Fargo Public Library and Friends of the Moorhead Library.

One Book, One Community

‘The Lager Queen of Minnesota’ Selected as 2020 One Book, One Community Title

In partnership, the Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo public libraries, Concordia College’s Carl B. Ylvisaker Library, Minnesota State University Moorhead’s Livingston Lord Library, North Dakota State University Libraries, Moorhead Community Education, and the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County have selected the national bestseller The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal as the 2020 One Book, One Community selection.

With a cast of lovable yet complicated characters, The Lager Queen of Minnesota vibrantly captures the values and beauty of the Midwest in this multigenerational story of community, love, family secrets, and working class struggles. It is a story of two generations of female brewers who each reckon with a chance to repeat or resolve the mistakes that tore their family apart. Brought together by hardship, the women discover that they are the only people who can help save one another, in life and in the business of beer.

This year’s One Book, One Community reading project launches in August and features several events including community book discussions, cooking events, craft programs, and other engaging programs. The event series includes a virtual author visit on Thursday, Sept. 24, starting at 7 p.m. on the One book, One Community Facebook page. The pre-recorded author talk will also be available here.

Copies of the book will be available for check out in several formats (physical and digital) at each of the participating libraries; book club kits will also available. For a list of related events and resources, visit any participating library’s website for in-person event policies starting August 3.

This is the ninth year of the One Book, One Community reading project, which centers on the community-wide reading of a single book and is dedicated to creating a shared conversation along with a range of related events and activities for residents of all ages.

All One Book, One Community events are free and open to the public. This project is generously supported by the Friends of the Fargo Public Library (major sponsor), the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund, Concordia Cultural Events, the Friends of the West Fargo Public Library, the Friends of the Moorhead Library and Moorhead Community Education.

One Book, One Community

“Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History” selected as 2019 One Book, One Community title

The Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo public libraries, the Carl B. Ylvisaker Library at Concordia College, Livingston Lord Library at Minnesota State University Moorhead, North Dakota State University Libraries, Moorhead Community Education, the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County and the Fargo Air Museum have selected the New York Times bestseller Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History by Keith O’Brien as the 2019 One Book, One Community selection.

Fly Girls is the previously untold story of five remarkable women who competed against men in the high-stakes national air races of the 1920s and 1930s. The women – Florence Klingensmith, a high school dropout who worked for a dry cleaner in Fargo, North Dakota; Ruth Elder, an Alabama divorcee; Amelia Earhart, the most famous, but not necessarily the most skilled; Ruth Nichols, who chafed at the constraints of her blue blood family’s expectations; and Louise Thaden, the mother of two young kids who got her start selling coal in Wichita – fought for the chance to fly and race airplanes – and in 1936, one of them would triumph, beating the men in the toughest air race of them all.

This year’s One Book, One Community reading project launches in September and features several events, including a community book discussion, film screenings, cultural exhibits and other engaging programs. The project will conclude with an author visit on Monday, Oct. 28. O’Brien will speak at an invitation-only informal reception event at the Fargo Air Museum. Later that evening, he will take the stage for an author presentation and book signing, also at the Fargo Air Museum. The evening event is free and open to the public.

Copies of the book are available for check out in several formats (physical and digital) at each of the participating libraries; book club kits are also available. For a list of related events and resources, visit any participating library starting Aug. 1 or visit this page.

This is the eighth year of the One Book, One Community reading project, which centers on the community-wide reading of a single book and is dedicated to creating a shared conversation along with a range of related events and activities for residents of all ages.

All One Book, One Community events are free and open to the public. The project is supported by the Friends of the Fargo Public Library (major sponsor), Friends of the West Fargo Public Library, Friends of the Moorhead Library and Moorhead Community Education.

Featured

“The Cartographer of No Man’s Land” is 2018 One Book, One Community pick!

In partnership, the Fargo Public Library, Moorhead Public Library, West Fargo Public Library, Concordia College’s Carl B. Ylvisaker Library, Minnesota State University Moorhead’s Livingston Lord Library, North Dakota State University Libraries and the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County are pleased to announce the 2018 One Book, One Community selection “The Cartographer of No Man’s Land” by P.S. Duffy. Set during World War I and centered on the themes of family, friendship, and sacrifice, Duffy’s book examines how peoples’ lives are forever changed in wartime whether on the battlefield and or at home.

This year’s One Book, One Community reading project launches in late September and features several events including a community book discussion, film screenings, cultural exhibits and other engaging programs. This year’s One Book, One Community project will finish with two events with the author on Thursday, Oct. 25. Duffy will speak at an invitation only, informal “Tea with the Author” event at the Moorhead Public Library in the afternoon. Later that evening, she will take the stage for an author presentation and book signing at the Knutson Campus Center Centrum (901 8th St. S.) on the campus of Concordia College. This event is free and open to the public.

This is the seventh year of the One Book, One Community reading project in the community. The project centers on the community-wide reading of a single book and is dedicated to creating a shared conversation along with a range of related events and activities for residents of all ages.

All One Book, One Community events are free and open to the public. This project is generously supported by the Friends of the Fargo Public Library, the Friends of the West Fargo Public Library, the Friends of the Moorhead Library, and Moorhead Community Education.

2017, Featured, One Book, One Community

Announcing the 2017 One Book, One Community Title

We are excited to announce that the 2017 One Book, One Community selection is “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet” by Jamie Ford. Centered on the themes of commitment and hope, his book examines the cruelty of racism, the blindness of patriotism, all while set during one of the most conflicted and confusing times in American history.

This year’s One Book, One Community reading project launches in late September and features several events including a community book discussion, film screenings, cultural exhibits and other engaging programs. This year’s One Book, One Community project will finish with two events with the author on Tuesday, Oct. 24. Ford will speak at an invitation only, informal “Tea with the Author” event at the Moorhead Public Library in the afternoon. Later that evening, he will take the stage for an author presentation and book signing at the Knutson Campus Center Centrum (901 8th St. S.) on the campus of Concordia College starting at 7 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

Copies of the book are available for check out in several formats (print and ebook) at each of the participating libraries; book club kits are also available.

This is the sixth year of the One Book, One Community reading project in the community. The project centers on the community-wide reading of a single book and is dedicated to creating a shared conversation along with a range of related events and activities for residents of all ages.

All One Book, One Community events are free and open to the public. This project is generously supported by the Friends of the Fargo Public Library, the Friends of the West Fargo Public Library, the Friends of the Moorhead Library and Moorhead Community Education.

One Book, One Community

The World in Fargo-Moorhead Exhibit Comes to the Fargo Public Library!

Mahmoud_Toumeh_Syria
Pictured: Mahmoud Toumeh, Syrian-American. Photo by Meg Luther Lindholm

The World in Fargo-Moorhead is a community project designed to raise awareness about the diversity of people living in the FM community. The project consists of photographs and quotes from people who are foreign-born but now live in the FM area. They may be immigrants, refugees, international students or workers on temporary visas. They may have lived here 50 years or one day. This exhibit will be on display in the concourse at the downtown location of the Fargo Public Library from September 6th – October 28th.

A reception and photographer’s talk is scheduled for Thursday, September 22 from 7 – 9 p.m. in the Community Room at the downtown Fargo Public Library. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, please contact Lori West at lwest@cityoffargo.com.

This exhibit is part of Welcoming Week: Fargo, Moorhead, West Fargo, and the 1 Book 1 Community event series.
Partners for this project include the Fargo Public Library, The Arts Partnership, the New American Consortium for Wellness and Empowerment, and the North Dakota Humanities Council.