| Reading on the Road |
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When I was 10 years old, my family moved from Cottonwood, the little southwest Minnesota town where I was born, to Rapid City, which functions as the gateway to the absolutely gorgeous Black Hills of South Dakota. My mother still lives there, as does my daughter. A couple of weekends ago I made one of my frequent trips to the Hills, as we natives call them, this time for a family reunion. Seeing my many cousins and their offspring was a treat, the weather could not have been better, and the site of the reunion was one of the most beautiful settings I've ever seen, right in the heart of the Black Hills. Best of all was the opportunity for my mother and her only surviving sister, now both in their 80s, to tell stories from their past, growing up in a small farmhouse on prairie as part of a large family headed by Swedish immigrant parents. But family reunions are interesting only to the families themselves, so let me tell you about another highlight of the trip out west: the chance to visit Rapid City's very first branch library, at General Beadle Elementary School. I was scheduled to read from The Mystery of the Third Lucretia at 9:30 a.m. At 9:28 a.m. I had an audience of two. At exactly 9:30 on the dot, in walk more than 20 girls, all enrolled in a summer program called Girls Inc., located just two blocks from the library. Talking to these girls was great fun! They were probably only eight and nine years old -- just a little young for my book, and I had to change one of the words in the first chapter to accommodate their age. Those of you who have read the book might guess what word I'm talking about. But they were terrific listeners -- well, all of the audience members were -- and when I finished reading, everyone had great questions that just kept coming. And if all that weren't enough, KOTA TV showed up to do a story/interview. And Rapid City Weekly sent somebody with a camera as well. According to the library newsletter, we ended up with a total of 28 audience members, not counting the reporters. Quite the event! The best moment came after the reading when one of the girls gave me a hug around the waist, and said, "You're the best reader ever!" What's not to like about this? Finally, a little bit about the library itself, which is definitely worth a mention. General Beadle School is located in a lower-income section of Rapid City. What was once just an ordinary brick school building is being rebuilt as an enormous, multi-block complex that will include not only classrooms and a public library branch, but a medical and dental clinic. The goal is to make it a place where neighbors can come together and develop a real sense of community. I think this is a fabulous idea! Oh, and by the way, the librarians were terrific. Full marks to them for making me feel so welcome. |
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