Gustavus Adolphus College has selected The Wolf at Twilight: An Indian Elder’s Journey through a Land of Ghosts and Shadows by Kent Nerburn as its Reading in Common book for the 2011-12 academic year.
The Wolf at Twilight is a follow-up of sorts to Nerburn’s nationally acclaimed book Neither Wolf Nor Dog, which was published in 1994. The Wolf at Twilight is a fictionalized account of actual events as the author rekindles a friendship with a Lakota elder named Dan. The story reveals the Native American way of teaching and learning and also unmasks the dynamically complicated relationship between a white American and a Dakota Indian. Nerburn also uncovers a common occurrence in the late 19th and early 20th century when many Indian children were taken from their families and sent away to boarding schools where teachers forced them to abandon their tribal traditions and learn English.
“This book will introduce most of our readers to another population, another way of life – so geographically close to us yet so far removed from our daily conscience,” said Megan Ruble, director of student activities at Gustavus and coordinator of the Reading in Common program. “It reads like a good mystery and is hard to put down. At the same time, it uncovers horrible injustices many students won’t read or learn about in their history class. The selection committee is excited to bring this compelling story and gifted storyteller to Gustavus.”
Nerburn is the author of 12 books on spirituality and Native themes, including Chief Joseph and the Flight of the Nez Perce, Simple Truths, and The Wisdom of the Native Americans. He was born and raised near Minneapolis, but now resides in Northern Minnesota. Nerburn will make a public appearance on campus, tentatively scheduled for Sept. 13-14.
This is the 12th year of the Reading in Common program at Gustavus. All first-year students are expected to read the chosen book during the summer and then meet with faculty members and upperclass students during New Student Orientation to discuss it. New Student Orientation is also loosely based around the themes found in the book.
Books for the Reading in Common program are chosen based on their literary quality, reading manageability, interdisciplinary nature, and the author’s availability for a campus appearance. The Wolf at Twilight will double as the fall selection for the St. Peter Reads program.
Copies of The Wolf at Twilight will soon be available for purchase in the Book Mark. For more information about the Reading in Common program at Gustavus, contact Ruble at 507-933-7597 or mruble@gustavus.edu.
.
###
Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510