Culture

​Thingvalla, K.N. Julius, and the Deuce

August 1st, 2018

Thingvalla Cemetery - photograph by Sabrina Hornung

Thingvalla Cemetery can be found in rural Pembina County, just a couple miles outside of the small town of Mountain. The most prominent landmark is a large monument dedicated to K.N. Julius, an Icelandic poet known for his great wit, satire, and drinking ballads. Behind the monument is an American flag, North Dakota flag and an Icelandic flag. This gesture is indicative of the area’s relationship to not only its Icelandic roots but to Iceland itself. Groundskeeper Leslie Geir said,…

Read more...


​Dr. Tom Isern: Man about the plains

July 25th, 2018

Dr. Tom Isern“I remember thrashing around for a dissertation topic, now we’re talking the mid 1970s, this occurred to me… what did I always want to do when I was a kid but couldn’t because I had to stay home and plough? Do the wheat harvest, custom combining the wheat harvest and make my way all the way up north to Montana maybe Saskatchewan. That ambition was kind of a broadening thing or at least a see-the-world kind of thing. Well, I did it, except I wasn’t the one running the combines.…

Read more...


​Living La Vida Local: Downtown Fargo Street Fair’s Local Block of Artist Vendors

July 18th, 2018

Fargo's Summer Street Fair - City of Fargo

The 45th Annual Downtown Fargo Street Fair has been making efforts to increase the number of local vendors. The Local Block will be located at the north end of the 300 block on Broadway, near the Fargo Theatre.

The High Plains Reader caught up with four of those artistic vendors to learn what to expect in the Local Block, July 19-21 in downtown Fargo.

Brittany Sinclair – Honey B Soap Company
First-time Downtown Fargo Street Fair vendor, Brittany Sinclair started The Honey B Soap…

Read more...


​28th annual Paws Walk at Rheault Farm

July 18th, 2018

On Tuesday the 24th, Homeward Animal Shelter will hold their 28th Annual Paws Walk at the Rheault Farm. All proceeds will go toward providing food, shelter, toys, and veterinary care for the cats and dogs currently residing at the shelter. As a community-funded, nonprofit organization, the shelter relies on donations and adoption fees to continue its work.

“We encourage you to bring out the whole family for the fun!” says Special Events/PR Coordinator Heather Klefstad. “There will…

Read more...


​Intersex Perspective: My Experiences as an Intersex Person

July 18th, 2018

By Anonymous
Contact: fayeseidler@gmail.com

Before I can talk about my experiences, I’ll need to explain the intersex condition, because not many people are really that familiar with what it means to be intersex. Intersex people are born with biological, genetic, or physical traits that are not fully male or fully female - instead they have a mix of these traits. There are many intersex conditions and they all vary in which traits are mixed. Overall, having some kind of intersex…

Read more...


​Trans Perspective: I am a Transgender Comedian

July 11th, 2018

Jan SyversonJan Syverson
standupjan@gmail.com

Three hundred miles northwest of Fargo, ND I find myself at the back of a small bar in a small town surrounded by nothing but snowy fields and darkness. I take a drag of a cigarette and go through my set. It’s freezing outside, but that’s my thing, I find the quietest place wherever I go and just think about what I’m going to say. All comics do something similar, and inside the tavern the audience is gearing up to laugh. I hear them tell their own…

Read more...


​More Dirt, More Cleaning

July 11th, 2018

It is not expensive to keep various dust removers near your computer to keep the amount of dust to a minimum. When I run out of words for this column, I pick up my duster and clean my equipment as therapy for writer’s block. Writer or not, you should set aside a few minutes before you start your computer session to clean up. Let’s continue our tips for taking care of the equipment:

Cleaning the monitor
Dirt, fingerprints, and dust can make your computer screen difficult to read;…

Read more...


​North Dakota’s letters from the Great War

July 11th, 2018

WWI Letters - photograph courtesy of Barnes County Historical Society_preview

“This is their encounter with these people and this may be all that’s known about them," Dr. Joseph Stuart, associate of history at the University of Mary in Bismarck, said. "These may be the only words that are preserved from this person. The students really respond well to that and they love it. It’s the power of the past that really inspires us to think more deeply about what it means to be human.” 

Stuart is also part of the North Dakota World War I committee. He and his…

Read more...


​Poking around FM Acupuncture

June 27th, 2018

I’m not a skeptic, at least not about acupuncture. The thought of the needles however throws me off. I’m not the biggest fan. I donate plasma on a regular basis, and I am proud to say that I no longer look away when they stick me.

I have begun to think that I actually watch in defiance, as if I’m looking my fear in the face and in my head I am yelling, Stick me. Do it!”

I was looking for a bit of a calmer and less machismo experience when I went to go see someone for acupuncture.…

Read more...


​Buffalo River State Park: Leave a remarkable summer memory on the Prairie

June 27th, 2018

Buffalo River flowersAccording to the Buffalo River State Park website, it’s a place where “Trails wind through one of Minnesota’s finest and largest remnant prairies.”

The landscape contains more than “250 species of wild flowers and grasses including some plants now rare in Minnesota.”

The biggest advantage of this park is that not only can you enjoy everything such as art, birding, wildflowers, yoga, hiking and photography but you’re also only 14 miles away from the FM area to experience…

Read more...


Tracker Pixel for Entry 7Clans Tracker Pixel for Entry FFF Tracker Pixel for Entry NewSalem2C Tracker Pixel for Entry NewSalem2B Tracker Pixel for Entry Farrms2 Tracker Pixel for Entry NewSalem1C

Recently in:

By Winona LaDukewinona@winonaladuke.comIt’s been eight years since the Water Protectors were cleared off the banks of the Cannonball and Missouri Rivers. It was a bitter ending to a battle to protect the water; and for most of us…

By HPR Staff We’re all a part of building strong, healthy and inclusive communities. But the region’s non-profit organizations do a lot of the heavy lifting. Now it’s time for these organizations to step into the spotlight.…

Saturday, March 15, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, Hjemkomst Center202 1st Avenue N., MoorheadLet’s be real, Irish culture is on everyone’s mind in mid-March, so why not expand your horizons and…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com 2025 marks us halfway through the roaring 2020s. Boy, am I glad I didn’t bob my hair for this go-around. It feels like we’re off to the wrong roar, opening Pandora’s box of what-the-Fox…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comLennon: “Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can!”On January 8, 2025, Timothy W. Rybeck of “The Atlantic" magazine published “How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy in 53 Days” with the…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com As a food enthusiast, there’s nothing better than attending a local event featuring hotdish. And as far as hotdish events go, no place does it better than the fine folks at Brewhalla and Drekker…

Mooncats and Pert Near Sandstone play Empire TheatreBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comThe MoonCats describe themselves as “Americonscious Campfire Folk.” They have a clear acoustic folk sound with a sense of whimsy — think…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Writer/director/performer Katarina Zhu’s feature debut “Bunnylovr” premiered to mixed reviews in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Despite the lack…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.com Everyone has heard the adage, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” However, it is safe to say there are far more than a thousand in Mickey Smith’s photographs. When one hears…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comHigh Plains Reader had the opportunity to interview two mysterious new game show hosts named Milt and Bradley Barker about an upcoming event they will be putting on at Brewhalla. What…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

By Josette Ciceronunapologeticallyanxiousme@gmail.com What does it mean to truly live in a community —or should I say, among community? It’s a question I have been wrestling with since I moved to Fargo-Moorhead in February 2022.…

By Faye Seidlerfayeseidler@gmail.com On Dec 5, the Turning Point USA chapter at North Dakota State University hosted an event called BisonFest. This event featured Chloe Cole, a former trans kid, known for detransitioning and…

By Gilbert Kuipersgilbertkuipers@outlook.com I live in North Dakota District 24 and have been challenging the district Republicans about their understanding of climate science for years. There has been no serious response to my…