Dakota
March 11, 2008
Dakota: A Spiritual Geography by Kathleen Norris was one of the first books I read when returning to South Dakota after graduating from college in Illinois. Frankly, I did not want to be back in my home state, yet pressing family needs made my return necessary. The book helped give me a new perspective on a place I always thought of as the middle of nowhere - and certainly nowhere I wanted to be. Rather than rejecting the solitude and insularity of small town rural life, Norris shows how that solitude can be the environment that teaches us to do what Christ asks of us most: to love.
As you may know, Kathleen Norris will be visiting campus on April 9 for Northwestern College’s first Day of Learning in Community. I’m looking forward to reading this book again in preparation for her visit; it’s definitely a book that deserves a re-read.
Norris’s books, including Dakota, and works by symposium guest Jim Heynen are available at Ramaker Library. Most are currently on display in the first floor Browsing Collection.
