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BookTalk at BSC continues with “Dances with Wolves”

Published: Jan 31 2020
Readers will gather for BookTalk at BSC on Sunday, Feb. 9, to discuss “Dances with Wolves” by Michael Blake.
 
Humanities instructor Dr. Brian Palecek will lead this second of three discussions exploring a "Native Prairie” theme at Bismarck State College from 1 to 3 p.m. in the library of LEA Hall at 1400 Schafer Street.
 
Set in 1863 “Dances with Wolves” follows Lieutenant John Dunbar’s journey from the ravages of the Civil War to the American frontier. Per his request, he is posted at Fort Sedgewick, a desolate fort on the Great Plains. No one is there when he arrives except for a wolf he calls Two Socks. Dunbar gamely takes up his post while waiting for new soldiers to arrive, using his time to clean and stock the fort and explore the surrounding country. Eventually there is contact with the lords of the southern plains – the Comanche – when two Comanche warriors attempt to steal his horse. From that initial contact comes a great transformation. Even though Dunbar does not speak their language, has no knowledge of their customs, and is considered a trespasser, his interest in Comanche culture and beliefs and his willingness to learn leads to deep friendship and the emergence of Dunbar as a different kind of man ­– a man called Dances with Wolves.
 
“Dances with Wolves” started as an idea for a screenplay in the mid-1980s. It became a book after Blake’s actor friend, Kevin Costner, persuaded him it had a better chance in print. Soon after the novel was published, Blake penned the script for “Dances with Wolves” and Costner co-produced, directed and starred in the movie released in 1990. The film grossed more than seven times its $18 million cost, and garnered numerous award nominations and wins, including seven Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Film Editing, Best Music, and Best Writing for a Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.
 
BookTalk at BSC series books are available at local libraries and booksellers. Discussions are open to all. For more information, call 224-5450 or visit bsc.libguides.com/booktalk/2020. The annual BookTalk at BSC series is in its 21st year and is funded by the BSC Library and a grant from the BSC Foundation.
 
BookTalk at BSC will wrap up the 2020 series with “The Personal History of Rachel DuPree” by Ann Weisgarber on March 8.