NOV 7 Page Turner

Page Turner is an entertaining and inspiring hour with North Dakota authors reading excerpts from recently published or soon-to-be-released books. 

Jill Kandel- Jill Kandel grew up in Valley City, North Dakota, married a man from the Netherlands, and spent ten years living abroad. Her memoir, So Many Africas: Six Years in a Zambian Village won both the Autumn House Nonfiction Prize and the Sarton Women’s Literary Award. Visit her website https://www.jillkandel.com/ to watch a book trailer, follow her blog, or learn about her forthcoming book, The Clean Daughter: A Cross-Continental Memoir, NDSU Press, February 2022.

Sarah Davis- Sarah Davis is many things...wife, mother, veterinarian, writer. An avid reader, she enjoys stories that transport her into new and exciting lands. Having read more books than she could ever count, she has considered writing a novel for ages. It wasn’t until the idea for "Inside Voices" popped into her mind that she finally started pursuing that dream, with much encouragement from her family. She and her incredible husband share their remote home on the prairie with their three extraordinary children and one mostly human weimaraner. She is working on her second novel as you read this.

William Heinzen- William Heinzen has been telling stories ever since elementary school, when he discovered the only thing better than reading about sorcerers was writing about them. He holds a degree in English with a concentration in creative writing from the University of Jamestown in Jamestown, ND. William lives in Bismarck, ND, where he enjoys hunting, fishing, being outdoors, and of course, reading and writing. Warrior of Light is his first novel.

Bonnie Staiger- Bonnie Larson Staiger, North Dakota Associate Poet Laureate, is the recipient of the ‘Poetry of the Plains and Prairies Prize’ (NDSU Press, 2018) and the ‘Independent Press Award: Distinguished Favorite’ (2019) for her debut collection, Destiny Manifested. Her second book In Plains Sight has been recently released from NDSU Press (2021). She has received awards from Flying South Literary Magazine, Persimmon Tree, The MacGuffin’s Best of the Year Anthology, and nominated for the (2022) PEN America Literary Award in Poetry.

Gayle Schuck- Gayle Larson Schuck is a North Dakota native and a graduate of Bismarck State College and the University of Mary. She worked in public information and development for 28 years, and has led Bible studies for even longer. When she isn’t writing a new chapter, you’ll find her reading, gardening, or spending time with her family. Her four books are all set in North Dakota. See more at www.gaylelarsonschuck.com.

Hazel Mattice- Hazel Mattice grew up in an isolated community near Valley City, North Dakota, when hair was big and shoulder pads were a fashion statement. She is the author of 3 novels, including The Green Door, Where there is no Whisper, and Thirsty Ground. She lives in LaMoure and has four sons. When she isn’t writing books, she can be seen on her porch in the summer enjoying the outdoors or riding her motorcycle.

Paulette Billinger- Paulette grew up in the small community of Huff, North Dakota.  Paulette and her husband have been in business in the agricultural field for over 35 years. They own Circle Diamond Ranch Supply in Mandan.  Her hobbies include historical research, restoration of a 30’s era community hall in her hometown of Huff, photography, reading, writing, hiking and spoiling her grandchildren.

Ron Baesler- Ron Baesler is a farm boy, physicist, pastor, missionary, seminary professor, gardener, grandfather, father and husband. Life has taken him from the high plains of the upper Midwest to the mountain villages of Madagascar, from the verdant lands of southern Brazil to the exquisite beaches of Puerto Rico, from the chilly climes of North Dakota to the Mediterranean climate of Southern California. Wherever he has gone he has listened to stories, told stories and written stories. Visions From the Heart is his fourth book.

HND Value Statement

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this {article, book, exhibition, film, program, database, report, Web resource}, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or Humanities North Dakota.

However, in an increasingly polarized world, we at Humanities North Dakota believe that being open-minded is necessary to thinking critically and rationally.

Therefore, our programs and classes reflect our own open-mindedness in the inquiry, seeking, and acquiring of scholars to speak at our events and teach classes for our Public University.

To that end, we encourage our participants to join us in stepping outside our comfort zones and considering other perspectives and ideas by being open-minded while attending HND events featuring scholars who hold a variety of opinions, some being opposite of our own held beliefs.