BSC BookTalk discussion features ‘Wild'

Post Date: Jan 22 2015
http://www.bismarckstate.edu/Wild bookcover
The BookTalk discussion series at Bismarck State College continues Sunday, Feb. 1, with "Wild: from Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail" by Cheryl Strayed.

Leading the discussion from 1 to 3 p.m. in the BSC Library is Janelle Masters, retired BSC English associate professor and dean of academic affairs.

"Wild" takes readers into the wilderness of not only the Pacific Crest Trail but the craggy emotional abyss Strayed entered after the death of her 45-year-old mother, a divorce and a run of reckless behavior.

Written at age 26, the memoir details her 1,100-mile solo hike from the Mojave Desert to the Oregon-Washington border. Inexperienced, over-equipped, and desperate to reclaim her life, Strayed recounts her grueling days and the help she receives along the way in a redemptive journey after devastating loss.

Raised in Minnesota, Strayed has written two other books, the novel "Torch" and a collection of columns for the literary website, The Rumpus - "Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar." Her personal essays have been published widely in national magazines and journals and have twice been selected for The Best American Essays. She won a Pushcart Prize for her essay "Munro Country," which first appeared in The Missouri Review. A graduate of the University of Minnesota, Strayed has a Master of Fine Arts in fiction writing from Syracuse University.

The film adaptation of "Wild" was released in December 2014 with actress Reese Witherspoon starring as Strayed. Oprah Winfrey chose "Wild" as the first selection for her Book Club 2.0.

BookTalk presents the last selection in the "Road Trip" series March 1 with "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac. Discussion is open to all and includes refreshments. For more information, call 224-5450 or email BSC.Library@bismarckstate.edu.

BookTalk at BSC is funded by the BSC Library and a grant from the BSC Foundation.
 

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Bismarck State College, an innovative community college in Bismarck, N.D., offers high quality education, workforce training, and enrichment programs reaching local and global communities.