Isern, Kelley speaking at Barnes Museum

The Barnes County Historical Society Lecture Series Season 13 presents Dr. Tom Isern and Suzzanne Kelley on “Memory Work: Doing History in Grassy Places” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 20, at the Barnes County Historical Society, 315 Central Ave. N., Valley City.

Carl Becker, the historian, defined history in these simple terms: “The memory of things said and done.” In a presentation combining story, reflection, image, and song, Isern and Kelley recount their adventures and discoveries in pursuit of things said and done on the Great Plains of North America. They find the memory of Great Plains history living in the art of memory painters, in the songs of balladeers, in the writings of children and in the reminiscences of elders. “There’s a story up every section road,” they say. What are our stories, they ask? What is our collective memory of the Great Plains experience?

Isern and Kelley are historical researchers and writers who happen to be married to one another. Isern is professor of history and University Distinguished Professor at North Dakota State University. He is the author or co-author of six books about history and life on the Great Plains and of the weekly Prairie Public Radio feature, Plains Folk. Kelley, who holds a Ph.D. in history from NDSU, is managing editor of New Rivers Press, a teaching and literary press affiliated with Minnesota State University Moorhead. The two share research interests in prairie history and active interests in historic preservation.

All lectures are at the Barnes County Historical Society Museum and held in conjunction with Valley City State University. They are free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Wes Anderson at 701-845-0966.

Tags: other events, diversions