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Lecture 11 or 12, the last hurrah was a big discussion on Dr. Isern’s book Dakota Circle. The discussion added a little bit more to the book because we got the North Dakotan perspective and the Minnesotan view on the book. We first broke up into our five groups and discussed the overall theme of the book which was a collection of short stories and experiences that targeted essentially locals for its reading audience. Then Dr. Isern called and we conducted a very successful internet class or whatever you would call it. There were only a few interruptions because of the connection, which is much better than I expected. After discussion, we opened up the floor to questions and such questions were asked such as who the book was intended for, when did he get the idea to put the book together, and why there were not any road maps in the book.
The discussion drew from old lectures such as Webb’s Theory, ethnic cultures on the plains, and small town claims to fame through big ugly objects. This topic has come up in multiple lectures. We finally asked the question, do Minnesotans feel such a connection or sense of pride in their big statues? I believe we (Minnesotans) do not take as much pride in them because they are tucked away better, there is more scenery to enjoy so you do not have to stop and marvel at an ugly statue because it is the only thing around. For instance, I think only two of us Minnesotans knew about the big ball of yarn and none of us cared.