Norman has new book out

Local historian and Sun Reporter Keith Norman has just published his second volume of “Great Stories of the Prairie Post.”

The book is a collection of 55 of Norman’s Prairie Post columns written during the last couple of years. He said he culled what he considered the most interesting of his columns.

“I’ve added photos to go with the stories. It adds a little visual interest to the stories,” he said. “A couple of the photos came from the old Jamestown Alert and The Jamestown Sun. Other historic photos came from the Stutsman County Museum.”

The first volume of “Great Stories of the Prairie Post” covers columns published from 2005 to 2007. It also includes photos. Both volumes are collections of local stories.

“The Post stories are limited to the Jamestown area,” he said. “That’s where my interest lies and that’s what I like to write about.”

An amateur historian, Norman spends much of his free time researching area history. He said he spends a lot of his time going through The Sun’s archives.

“And a lot of the information is becoming more available on the Internet,” he said. “But I still read more out-of-print books than modern and more old newspapers than modern ones.”

Norman turns the historical facts he uncovers into stories for the Prairie Post and into books. Volume four of “Great Stories of the Great Plains,” which includes little-known historical information in story form, will be out in the spring. Volume one of that series came out at Christmas time in 2001. He’s also written a book of biographical stories called “Great People of the Great Plains.”

“Everything I write is pretty much limited to North and South Dakota,” he said. “I really appreciate the people who have clued me in to stories I would never have known if they hadn’t told me. That help shows me they appreciate what I do.”

The cover photo on the second volume of “Great Stories of the Prairie Post” illustrates another interest of Norman’s. He said he took the photo last winter and it represents what last year was like to him. It’s a photo of the old railroad depot at Frontier Village looking nearly black and white with snow and bare branches.

“Next fall my goal is to have a photo essay book with all new and modern photos,” he said. “I’ll combine the photos and stories in the book. But that’s still a ways in the future. I haven’t worked out the details yet.”

All of Norman’s books, including this latest one of Prairie Post columns, are available at his store, Great Stories Book Shoppe, in Jamestown.

“There’s always a lot of interest in regional books during the holidays and this year it seems higher,” Norman said.

Sun reporter Toni Pirkl can be reached at (701) 952-8453 or by e-mail at tonip@jamestownsun.com

Tags: great stories, diversions, entertainment, book, norman, kieth