Writer's Block

Best books for giving

November 14th, 2018

Charles Beck - The Nature of an Artist

by Greg Danz
greg@zandbroz.com

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year for a lot of reasons. One of our favorite reasons is you have more excuses to buy cool books. If you choose carefully, giving a book is the gift that keeps on giving, it will be enjoyed long after the holidays are gone (can you say February). Coincidentally, this is the time of year when publishers present some of their finest works. Here are some of our favorite books for sharing this holiday season.


“The…

Read more...


Closing this year’s Community Read

October 31st, 2018


by Nataly Routledge

MOORHEAD-- “I thought I’d read 30 pages of the book in a monotone,” said Penny Duffy in the introduction to the question and answer session for her novel on Thursday. The audience lit up with laughter. Held at the Knutson Center of Concordia college, the event was held as part of this year’s 1 Book, 1 Community read for the Fargo, West-Fargo, and Moorhead communities.

The yearly community read for our region is hosted by the local libraries. This was the 7th…

Read more...


Fiction and folklore along the Red River

October 17th, 2018

“My dad would say something when we’d see the river really low. I was raised in Colorado along the South Platte. In German he’d say, ‘The river he is so dry -- he is crying for rain. He is rain poor.’ ‘He’ it wasn’t an ‘it’ and the earth was not an ‘it,’ the earth was ‘die erde’ which is feminine because it was full of life.” said retired NDSU professor and author Dr. Timothy Kloberdanz.

“I’ve always been fascinated by rivers. It’s going to sound like…

Read more...


Wild and Rare: Adam Regn Arvidson presents reading

October 3rd, 2018

This Monday, Zandbroz Variety will be hosting Adam Regn Arvidson in a reading of his book of essays, Wild and Rare: Tracking Endangered Species in the Upper Midwest, published by the Minnesota Historical Society Press. This event will be free and open to the public, with copies available for purchase.

Arvidson, a nonfiction writer and landscape architect living in Minneapolis, is also the author of Greening the Landscape: Strategies for Environmentally Sound Practice, published by W.W.…

Read more...


​A lasting legacy

September 5th, 2018

Annie KrapuMadeline Luke and Gary Krapu of Valley City and the High Plains Reader are pleased to announce the creation of the Anne Krapu-HPR Journalism Scholarship Foundation. Annually, the Foundation will award financial and mentoring support to one or two young writers who are interested in becoming journalists.

High Plains Reader was founded 24 years ago as a weekly Fargo-Moorhead area newsweekly paper owned by John Strand and Raul Gomez. HPR is an independent voice reporting on the arts,…

Read more...


​Harlan Ellison: a big fish in an ever-expanding pond

August 22nd, 2018

Harlan Ellison

by Randy Christianson
randybchrstnsn@hotmail.com

Harlan Ellison always liked rolling a grenade or two into the room before entering. If this were Readers' Digest, I might call him The Most Unforgettable Boy I Ever Met. 'Boy' because, as I saw for myself, he let his inner child come out to play quite frequently. In over six decades of creating--one to put himself on the map and five to maintain his status as a big fish in an ever-expanding pond--he never shed his rep as an enfant…

Read more...


​‘Murder on the Red River’

July 25th, 2018

Cover of Last year, regional author Marcie Rendon of the White Earth Anishinaabe Nation hosted a public discussion of her novel, “Murder on the Red River,” at the Plains Art Museum. Wednesday, August 1st, Rendon will be at the Fargo Public Library for a reading, author talk, and book signing. This event will be free and open to the public, with books available for purchase.

“Murder on the Red River” tells the story of a shrewd and resilient Native American woman and former foster child…

Read more...


Illustrating ‘The Bear and His Daughter’

May 16th, 2018

“Mother” a red mother bear with a white baby bear - by Christina JohnsonThree years ago, the children’s book “Peter the Slug” was self-published by local author Peter Schultz. Today, under the name Peter Fane, that same author has released “The Blind Dragon” and “The Bear and His Daughter,” both part of the Canon of Tarn series.

These books have a sizeable following, due to successful readings and book signings at several local businesses. Most recently, there was a reading and book giveaway last Tuesday at the Creative Plains Foundation.

Now…

Read more...


​FM celebrates Independent Bookstore Day

April 25th, 2018

Four local authors will be making appearances at Zandbroz Variety for this year’s celebration of Independent Bookstore Day. 

In addition to providing free donuts and coffee, the store will offer limited edition items and chances to win prizes.

At 11 a.m., Alicia Underlee Nelson will be there to answer questions and sign copies of her book, North Dakota Beer: A Heady History. Printed by Arcadia Publishing as part of their American Palate series, this book is a chronicle of North Dakota's…

Read more...


​Danielle Teigen: ‘Hidden History of Fargo’ presentation

March 21st, 2018

On Tuesday the 27th, local author and journalist Danielle Teigen will give a presentation at Fargo Public Library on her book, “Hidden History of Fargo,” published by The History Press last August. This will be free and open to the public, with copies of the book available for purchase.

“Hidden History” focuses on influential figures in Fargo’s history, ranging from farmers, ranchers, and business tycoons. This includes the founders of the Forum, the first men to cross the Red…

Read more...


Tracker Pixel for Entry Bismarck1 Tracker Pixel for Entry MidwestRoadTripAdventures Tracker Pixel for Entry Blackbird Tracker Pixel for Entry TheatreB Tracker Pixel for Entry Aquarium Tracker Pixel for Entry EmpireAUG2021

Recently in:

By Winona LaDukewinona@winonaladuke.com The business of Indian Hating is a lucrative one. It’s historically been designed to dehumanize Native people so that it’s easier to take their land. ‘Kill the Indian, save the man,”…

SHSND delves into their ornament collectionBy Jenny Yearoushistory@nd.govIn 2017 we received Christmas ornaments from the North Dakota Former Governors’ Residence. The ornaments were gifts from local chapters of the Germans from…

Saturday, December 21, 7 p.m.Drekker Brewing, 1666 1st Avenue N, FargoEmbrace the naughty and celebrate the dark side of the solstice. From 7-close, Drekker’s mavens of mischief transform their taproom. There’s a photo booth,…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com I’m really sick of the “Nobody wants to work anymore” narrative. Like, really sick. I can’t hide the eye rolls and I don’t even try to hide them anymore. In fact, I feel like they’ll…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comA new type of Civil War: “smash-and grab” capitalism and healthcare The Divided States of America has the greatest economic inequality among wealthy nations on Planet Earth and has birthed a…

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 In this land of hotdish and ham, the knoephla soup of German-Russian heritage seems to reign supreme. In my opinion though, the French have the superior soup. With a cheesy top layer, toasted baguette…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.com Local band Zero Place has been making quite a name for itself locally and regionally in the last few years. Despite getting its start during a time it seemed the whole world was coming to…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Writer-director Nicole Riegel’s sophomore feature “Dandelion” is now playing in theaters following a world premiere at South by Southwest in March. The movie stars KiKi Layne as the…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comIn 1974, the Jamestown Arts Center started as a small space above a downtown drugstore. It has grown to host multiple classrooms, a gallery, performance studio, ceramic studio and outdoor art park.…

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 Curtis W. Stofferahn, Ph.D.Curtis.stofferahn@email.und.edu In June, two events markedly contrasted the difference between two different visions of agriculture: precision agriculture and regenerative agriculture. The dedication…