Although generations of readers of the Little House books are familiar with Laura Ingalls Wilder's early life up through her first years of marriage to Almanzo Wilder, few know about her adult years. Going beyond previous studies, "Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder" focuses upon Wilder's years in Missouri from 1894 to 1957. Utilizing her unpublished autobiography, letters, newspaper stories, and other documentary evidence, John E. Miller fills the gaps in Wilder's autobiographical novels and describes her sixty-three years of living in Mansfield, Missouri. As a result, the process of personal development that culminated in Wilder's writing of the novels that secured her reputation as one of America's most popular children's authors becomes evident.

Rolling prairie grasslands in the east, surreal Badlands and lush Black Hills in the west: South Dakota is a state of vivid contrasts. In this classic and now-rare guide to Depression-era South Dakota, you can discover the historic byways and back roads of this beautiful state. Originally part of the American Guide Series, this book was written both to chronicle the physical and cultural landscape of the Mount Rushmore State and to employ out-of-work writers. The result is a snapshot of South Dakota as our grandparents knew it.

We live these days in a virtual nation of cities and celebrities, dreaming a small-town America rendered ever stranger by purveyors of nostalgia and dark visionaries from Sherwood Anderson to David Lynch. And yet it is the small town, that world of local character and neighborhood lore, that dreamed the America we know today--and the small-town boy, like those whose stories this book tells, who made it real.

In these life-stories, beginning in 1890 with frontier historian Frederick Jackson Turner and moving up to the present with global shopkeeper Sam Walton, a history of middle America unfolds, as entrepreneurs and teachers like Henry Ford, George Washington Carver, and Walt Disney; artists and entertainers like Thomas Hart Benton, Grant Wood, Carl Sandburg, and Johnny Carson; political figures like William McKinley, William Jennings Bryan, and Ronald Reagan; and athletes like Bob Feller and John Wooden by turns engender and illustrate the extraordinary cultural shifts that have transformed the Midwest, and through the Midwest, the nation--and the world.

Many of these men are familiar, icons even--Ford and Reagan, certainly, Ernie Pyle, Sinclair Lewis, James Dean, and Lawrence Welk--and others, like artists Oscar Micheaux and John Steuart Curry, economist Alvin Hansen and composer Meredith Willson, less so. But in their stories, as John E. Miller tells them, all appear in a new light, unique in their backgrounds and accomplishments, united only in the way their lives reveal the persisting, shaping power of place, and particularly the Midwest, on the cultural imagination and national consciousness.

In a thoroughly engaging style Miller introduces us to the small-town Midwestern boys who became these all-American characters, privileging us with insights that pierce the public images of politicians and businessmen, thinkers and entertainers alike. From the smell of the farm, the sounds and silences of hamlets and county seats, the schoolyard athletics and classroom instruction and theatrical performance, we follow these men to their moments of inspiration, innovation, and fame, observing the workings of the small-town past in their very different relationships with the larger world. Their stories reveal in an intimate way how profoundly childhood experiences shape personal identity, and how deeply place figures in the mapping of thought, belief, ambition, and life's course.

First impressions of the political landscape in South Dakota tend towards an assumption of hard-line conservatism, and yet such a conclusion barely scratches the surface of what constitutes political tradition in the Mount Rushmore State. Editors Jon K. Lauck, John E. Miller, and Donald C. Simmons, Jr., have drawn together twelve essays on disparate topics in order to consider the state's underlying political culture. Each essay addresses an aspect of history, politics, or art, subtly exposing the contradictory nature of South Dakotans and elucidating the many elements that comprise the larger political tradition. Scholars from around the country consider topics such as war and peace, literature, environmentalism, the American Indian Movement, left-wing and liberal politics, immigration, and defeat. With each essay, the discussion builds upon itself, allowing the reader to develop a fuller sense of where South Dakota fits into the growing study of political culture in modern society.

"Rite of passage. Passage of rights. Both are dangerous." In 1900, Mama Cats gave birth to a daughter and named her Toledo. Now Toledo is 21 and Mama Cats has done all she can to raise her to be a good woman and a midwife. On a clear night in March 1921, Mama Cats decides it's time to tell Toledo the truth about her birth and reveal her plan to join Toledo's father. Her mama's confession and the events that follow leave Toledo with more questions than answers; more grief than joy. But just as she is worrying about how to tell her long-time soul mate, Hanover Fist, about what happened, a knock at the door reveals a man with glowing red eyes. Meanwhile, at the New Orleans police precinct, Hanover Fist stops by to see Duncan O'Malley after a long hot day walking the beat. O'Malley is hard at work trying to solve the case of a negro child found comatose from severe burns. The only clue they have to go on is a tattoo newly inked onto the child's skin and the fact that the child was found not far from Ring of Life Herbs and Charms, a shop belonging to Mama Cats. Although Hanover doesn't believe that what she does is voodoo, there are some on the police force who call it that. Could Mama Cats actually harm a child? Hanover doesn't believe so, but he also knows he might have a hard time proving it unless he can discover who is responsible. The Reunion is the Book 2 in the main story arc of the Dime Store Novel series, an urban fantasy novella about a world that appears normal unless you look close enough to see the fairies and the goblins. The story happens 21 years after From the Gator's Mouth. If you haven't read From the Gator's Mouth, you can start the series with The Reunion and then go back and read the prequels. The prequels in the Mama Cats story arc are: Rips in the Weave The Desert Rose

As a career cross-cultural missionary for 40 years with the Central American Mission, Dallas, Texas, John E. Miller at 5 foot 2 inches in height, trekked through Mexico and Spain to preach the gospel. In Mexico, 10 years, he trekked through the high mountains of Chihuahua to preach the gospel, traveling by foot and by horse to remote villages to treat the sick and pull teeth, to build a medical clinic, all for the purpose of making disciples of Jesus Christ who would meet as a body of Christ. And a group of new believers developed. And in the city of Puebla he taught at a seminary, managed a bookstore, delivered tapes to local radio stations for Back to the Bible, and administered a Bible Correspondence Course. In Spain, for 30 years, on the northern coast of the Basque region, he trekked through the high-rise apartments in towns and villages to make disciples. He planted churches, founded a Christian camp, and pioneered a ministry among the Basque people. Read how God used this SHORT TREKKER

"When a god gives you rainbows, should you trust him? " In the summer of 1897, Delilah Cats is over-the-moon about her engagement to Laurent. However, her sister Sassafras remembers Laurent as the kid who was all-too-obsessed with pain. When Delilah does not return after going off to New Orleans with Laurent, Sassafras worries. However, she has much more to worry about than her willful sister's sadistic beau. There is war brewing in other realms and the weave that separates the realms is tearing. The spiders spin furiously to try to close it, even as the God of Pain prepares for his assault on the mortal world. A dragon appears in the skies amidst a terrible thunderstorm. And Agatha, the earthbound goddess of the swamps awakes from her long sleep and summons her nymphs. Grumwald, the kind of the goblins, is willing to take a bet that Delilah is tangled up in all of this realm business. But it's going to take more than one glass of whiskey to convince Delilah's brother Jesse that she's in trouble. Rips in the Weave is the first book in the Mama Cats story arc of the Dime Store Novel series, an urban fantasy novella about a world that appears normal unless you look close enough to see the fairies and the goblins. It is the prequel to The Desert Rose.

Bones of the Woods is a collection of 8 short stories that will make your skin crawl, even as you ponder the power of the forces around us, both natural and supernatural. The stories included in the book are: The Bones of the Forest -- A young girl leaves the safety net that was erected around the cities after an uprising. She finds a journal and discovers not only what happened in the past, but also raises fears about the present. The Hangman's Tree -- Bill has been Death for many years. During that time, he's judged people the best way he knew how. Now he's tired. When Tom decides to kill himself, Bill figure's he's a good a candidate as any to take over the noose. His Last Shot -- Lance Corporal has been an assassin for many years and he is one of the best. One night he can't pull the trigger and ends up at a diner, watching people come and go, reflecting on the events that made him "Coldsnap." Immortal -- A meeting between a psychiatrist and a patient turns the tables on what is real and what isn't. Is the patient delusional? Or has he found the key to immortality? In the Air Tonight -- Robbie lives a sheltered life with his Aunt and Uncle. A video game competition provides him with the chance to realize his dream -- traveling to space. Is the prize worth the price of competition? The Leaf Man -- An artist is haunted by a face that stares back from the canvas even when she tries to paint him out. Just who is Leafman? And can she trust him? The Protectors -- Two shapeshifters recall their lives together, including how they met during the Holocaust, as they race to find a lost soul before it's too late. The Thaw -- An amnesiac's past unravels. But will she remember in time to keep the same thing from happening to another girl? "Finger Fear"

History of South Dakota is widely recognized as the definitive history of the state. Beginning with the earliest American Indian settlers, Herbert S. Schell traces the history of this region midway between the Midwest and the West. This classic account provides a picture of South Dakota's political, economic, social, and environmental history, identifying the local, regional, national, and global forces that shaped the fortieth state through World War II. John E. Miller picks up the story at the beginning of the Cold War and chronicles the rest of the twentieth century. From the interaction of its native inhabitants with its newer visitors and residents, including fur traders, gold miners, homesteaders, and cattlemen, to the development of its political systems, the state's rich heritage is captured here. By placing the opportunities and challenges of the last century - rural electrification, interstate highways, agricultural consolidation, ongoing dialogues among American Indians and non-Indians - in context, Miller contends that the state's citizens will be better able to forge its future in the new millennium.

Although generations of readers of the Little House books are familiar with Laura Ingalls Wilder's early life up through her first years of marriage to Almanzo Wilder, few know about her adult years. This biography focuses upon Wilder's years in Missouri from 1894 to 1957. Utilizing her unpublished autobiography, letters, newspaper stories, and other documentary evidence, John E. Miller fills the gaps in Wilder's autobiographical novels, showing where they coincide with historical fact and where they depart from it. Building upon his analysis of Wilder's activities and writings and mining documentary sources, including various drafts of her novels, Miller shows not only the extent to which her writings emerged directly out of her own experiences as a girl and young woman, but also how they were shaped and embellished by artistic intent. Wilder depended heavily upon her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane - an established novelist, biographer and magazine writer - for editing and polishing her manuscripts. Without Lane's encouragement, publishing connections and example, the novels never would have been written. In addition to describing Wilder's apprenticeship as a farm newspaper columnist and occasional magazine writer before she began the production of her novels, Miller discusses Wilder's activities on her family's Rocky Ridge farm, and as a vital citizen in Mansfield, Missouri. Playing out her many roles as wife, mother, chicken farmer, neighbour, churchgoer, bridge player, seamstress, farm loan officer, political candidate, newspaper columnist and fiction writer, Wilder led an active life for 90 years.

""I understand that in my own life, I represented a whole period of American history.""

As Laura Ingalls Wilder realized they would, her widely loved stories of her prairie childhood have become much more than a nostalgic blend of myth, memories, and autobiography. Historically, John Miller reveals, they have much to tell us about the realities of day-to-day living and attitudes in the nineteenth century.

History and literature are closely intertwined, Miller contends, and in this book he illustrates how Wilder's novels enhance our understanding of history and how, simultaneously, a historical perspective framed Wilder's fiction. Wilder, he shows, interwove content and form to produce a sentimental and compelling, yet nuanced and believable, picture of family life on the agricultural frontier.

Focusing on Wilder's novels set in and around De Smet, South Dakota, which include "By the Shores of Silver Lake" and "Little Town on the Prairie," Miller compares her fictional world to history recorded in census figures, newspaper accounts, county records, maps, and photographs. He illustrates that, although Wilder sacrificed some historical details for simplicity and drama, she preserved a general accuracy of people, places, events, and customs and depicted many facets of late nineteenth-century life, from food and entertainment to work ethics and education.

Miller also addresses the controversy over the authorship of the eight novels attributed to Wilder--was she the true author or were they ghostwritten by her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane? He contends that while Lane's editorial contribution was of great value, the voice in the book belongs to Wilder. The books are filled with her interpretations of the truth as influenced by the time period in which she grew up and the culture--the institutions, gossip, informal community pressure, media, stories, songs, roles, and stereotypes--that surrounded her.

Providing a glimpse of prairie life through the eyes of a young girl, Wilder's novels are as historically valid as their nonfiction cousins, Miller argues. Hers is a lived history--a sometimes romantic, sometimes observational account of the joys and frustrations of life on the prairie and a reflection of the westward movement in its prime.

Evidence is accumulating that democracy is under siege--in the United States and around the world. This volume identifies and explains a dozen separate challenges threatening American democracy today. Sorting them into political and social/cultural problems, each challenge is placed in historical context to describe how they work together to undermine the democratic underpinnings of the nation. Opening with a sketch of the historical development of democracy, this book makes the case for improved civic education, rebuilding trust in institutions and leaders, promoting good character and the revitalization of the healthy community. A renewed commitment to our governmental institutions is necessary for us to fulfill democracy's promise.

Laura Ingalls Wilder and the American Frontier provides the reader with a broad sweep of information on Wilder not readily available in any other format. Included in this work are: discussions of Wilder's life; her writings and their influence on the interpretation of the American frontier, the feminine role in frontier life, Native American relations; and the use of the Little House as a teaching tool. Students of Western history, feminist scholars, home schoolteachers, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder following will find this an informative and enjoyable source.

Not all politics is party politics. Nowhere is this fact more apparent than within the boundaries of South Dakota. Although the state is known for its agrarian conservatism, political tradition in the land of infinite variety is more than simply Republican or Democrat. An awareness of the influence of culture lies at the core of understanding the decisions of political leaders and voters alike. In this capstone volume of The Plains Political Tradition series, editors Jon K. Lauck, John E. Miller, and Paula M. Nelson gather essays from historians and other scholars who identify major influences on the political culture of South Dakota. Against a backdrop of agricultural ups and downs, varied religious beliefs, worldwide conflict, and powerful personalities, the authors examine ingredients critical to the success and failure of civic movements, legislation, and political campaigns and careers.

One of America's leading authorities on Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane combine analyses of both women to explore their collaborative process and how their books reflect the authors' view of place, time, and culture, expanding the critical discussion of Wilder and Lane beyond the Little house.

South Dakota is often thought of as a conservative or "red" state, but its political culture is much more variegated and unpredictable than such colour-coded references might imply. Just as the nation as a whole consists of diverse regions and subcultures that manifest fairly wide swings of opinion and voting patterns over time, South Dakota contains its own geographic variations and political subcultures. The first volume illustrated the complex nature of state politics and cyclical change over time, and this new group of essays concentrates on some of the unpredictability and contradictoriness of the state and its citizens. Editors Jon K. Lauck, John E. Miller, and Donald C. Simmons, Jr., have brought together ten essays on a diverse number of topics to consider the state's underlying political culture. Contributors deliberate over such topics as the influence of political organisations, conservatism, patriotism, leadership, local and national political culture, people's movements, and cowboy politics in an effort to develop a fuller sense of where South Dakota fits into the growing study of modern political culture.