The South Dakota Festival of Books is Sept. 20-23 in Brookings and Sioux Falls. UNP will be showcasing books that celebrate the Midwest, Native stories and history and Bison Books favorites. Stop by the table for great deals on books and new prizes!

Regular Haunts by Geraldo Costanza is a poetic exploration of Americana, delving into the political and pop-cultural landscape of the country in a series of dark and poignant pieces that span Costanza’s career in poetry.

Ruby Dreams of Janis Joplin by Mary Clearman Blew is the newest entry in the Flyover Fiction series. The novel is a lyrical look at memory, trauma and music, telling the story of a young woman who returns home to find the dangers she escaped still festering in the small town she escaped years ago.

A Cycle of the West by John Neihardt is the complete collection of frontier history and lyricism by the poet known as “The American Homer.” The new edition features illuminating annotations and an introduction by Texas poet laureate Alan Birkelbach.

Black Elk Speaks by John Neihardt is a searing and insightful portrait of Nicholas Black Elk, an Oglala Lakota visionary and healer. Black Elk Speaks is at once an insightful look at Lakota life at the end of the 19th Century and an inspirational message relevant to our times.

Local Wonders by Ted Kooser juxtaposes the beauty of pastoral Nebraska life with the relentless march of time. The poems in this volume paint an evocative picture of Kooser’s life in Iowa and Nebraska while examining the forces that may make some of that imagery a thing of the past.

Bitterroot by Susan Devan Harness examines assimilation and adoption through Harness’ own experience seeking to find the truth of her past. The book explores themes of family, the home, and the importance of forgiveness and self-acceptance.

Harness will be presenting Friday, Sept. 21 at 10:00 a.m. in the SDSU Student Union (Walder Room) on “The History and Outcomes of American Indian Child Placement.” She will also be reading from Bitterroot on Saturday, Sept. 22 at noon in the City County Building.

In Defense of Loose Translations is a memoir by Elizabeth Cook-Lynn that details her rise to becoming one of the authoritative voices in the study of the Native American experience as an academic pursuit.

Cook-Lynn will be joined by Tasivagnunpa Barondeaux and Patty Bordeaux Nelson on Friday, Sept. 21 at 11:00 a.m. for “Oak Lake Writers Society: A 25th Anniversary Conversation” in the SDSU Student Union (Walder Room). She will be discussing her new memoir on Saturday, Sept. 22 at 11:00 a.m. in the City County Building.