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BookTalk at BSC series

Published: Dec 23 2016
BookTalk at BSC series - Photo
The BookTalk at BSC series began Sunday, Jan. 8 with a community discussion on "Train Dreams" by Denis Johnson.
 
This first of three discussions on selected Sundays runs from 1 to 3 p.m. in the library of LEA Hall, 1400 Schafer Street, on the Bismarck State College campus.
 
This year BookTalk at BSC gives readers the opportunity to choose the 2012 Pulitzer Prize winner by exploring the theme, "The Prize That Wasn't: 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction." Even though there were three finalists, the Pulitzer Prize Board decided not to award the prize that year. The board’s deliberations are secret and sealed but BookTalk at BSC offers readers the opportunity to determine if one of the written works should have won the prize or if the right decision was made. The other 2012 finalists up for discussion are “Swamplandia!" by Karen Russell on Feb. 5, and "The Pale King" by David Foster Wallace on March 5.
 
The January selection is an epic tale about the life of Robert Grainer, an Idaho Panhandle railroad laborer, packed into a novella. Born in 1886 and orphaned at age six, Grainer is neither outwardly remarkable nor compelling, but his life reflects the era in which he lived. He is a witness to history and legendary events, some of which are funny, some grim and some magical.
 
Books are available at local libraries and booksellers. Discussions are open to all. For more information, call 224-5450 or visit bismarckstate.edu/library.
 
The 17th annual series is funded by the BSC Library and a grant from the BSC Foundation.