Sandoz Conference under way at CSC

This year’s conference is focusing on several Nebraska authors, not just the society’s namesake.  The theme is “Mari Sandoz and Her Literary Contemporaries.”

Authors to be studied besides Sandoz include Wright Morris, Bess Streeter Aldrich, Willa Cather and John Neihardt.

One of the highlights will occur at 7 o’clock tonight (Thursday) in the Student Center, where Dr. Joseph Wydeven, former dean of arts and sciences at Bellevue University and the author of “Wright Morris Revisited,” a biography and critical study of Morris’ career, will give the conference’s keynote address. It will be open to the public without charge.

On Friday, several speakers will discuss similarities and factors that influenced the various authors who are being studied. Eight sessions are scheduled. They will be in the Chicoine Artrium of the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center, beginning at 8:30 a.m.

The society’s banquet will begin at 7 p.m. Friday in the atrium. Following the meal, the “In the Spirit of Mari Sandoz Award” will be presented to T.R. Hughes of Crawford, long-time member of the society’s board of directors and a staunch advocate of preserving Native American cultures.

Those wishing to attend any of the sessions who have not pre-registered may register during the conference.  Chadron State students may attend any of Friday’s scholarly presentations free of charge.  In fact, the society board members would be pleased if many of them attended.

A tour of the Eleanor Barbour Cook Museum of Geology in the CSC Science and Math Building is set for 8 a.m. Saturday.

The full schedule may be viewed by going to www.marisandoz.org and clicking on conference.