Six students attend regional conference

The conference featured Nathan Hill, who spoke about his process writing The Nix, a New York Times bestselling novel.

Swanson presented Glimpses of the Far Distance, a collection of poems touching on themes of growth, memory, writing, and the meaning of words during a poetry panel that also featured Blacksheep and LaRive.

Blacksheep presented Poems to My Mother, a collection of poems exploring her memories growing up and parental influences.

Blacksheep has attended two prior regional conferences, as well as two Sigma Tau Delta International conventions. She said she hopes to attend a third in the spring because she has found both the learning and networking experiences beneficial.

“It is such a grounding experience to meet other students and realize that it's everyday people like us and our peers who are producing greatness, literary greatness or otherwise,” Blacksheep said.

LaRive presented The Updated Deaf Dog Collection, a poetry collection exploring his experiences both as an actor and a stage hand, South Dakotan, and student with a humorous bent.

This was LaRive’s first Sigma Tau Delta conference, and he said he would recommend the experience.

“My time with fellow writers has been pleasant and encouraging, always surrounded by inspiration and support,” he said.

Gill presented Leap of Faith, a short story about a facing past trauma and cliff jumping, and said hearing the blend of fiction and creative nonfiction was enjoyable.

“I really enjoy these conferences as they give me the confidence I need to continue my pursuit of prose and outside perspectives on my story to help strengthen my writing overall,” Gill said.

Dahlberg was unable to present her piece The Globalization of Baseball: How the Movement of a Sport Affects Countries Around the World, at the conference, however Erin Hayhurst read an abstract of Dahlberg’s work.

Wagoner presented Marriage of Ideology and State: The Handmaid’s Tale and Ideological State Apparatuses, a piece exploring the ideological state apparatuses in A Handmaiden’s Tale and how they impacted characters and society at large in the story.

This was Wagoner’s first Sigma Tau Delta Conference and she said she enjoyed how the literary analysis panel delved into different cultures and political lenses.

“When you present at a conference, you want your content to stand out without stepping on anyone’s toes. This makes me consider my audience, how to edit myself, and what I can bring that is unique,” Wagoner said.