The Study ND

05/27/2026

What does it mean to leave home — and why do the places that formed us continue to live within us long after we’ve gone?
In a deeply reflective new essay for The Study, acclaimed novelist Larry Watson explores memory, North Dakota, and the imaginative life of a writer. In conversation with Eric Sevareid’s 1956 essay “You Can Go Home Again,” Watson reflects on the landscapes, smells, roads, rivers, and moments from childhood that continue to shape his fiction decades later.
“Because while it’s true that I left North Dakota in 1973, North Dakota has never left me.”
Read “You Can Go Home Again, But You Can’t Go Back to 1956” now on The Study Substack thestudynd.substack.com

05/22/2026

Before there was a pilot, there was
Barb Solberg. Our latest newsletter features her Study Club story and an invitation for anyone who's been thinking about starting something in their own community this fall. If you're not already receiving our newsletter, now is a great time to subscribe.

A longtime supporter of The Study and a member of our board, Barb Solberg was gathering people in her home in Minot before our Study Club pilot even had a name. She had seen something in The Study's programs, a kind of conversation that doesn't happen easily in everyday life, and she wanted to bring...

05/21/2026

Episode Four of The Study Podcast is live.

Author and investigative journalist Rebecca Clarren joins Tayo to talk about her book The Cost of Free Land — an entangled history of her Jewish homesteading ancestors and their Lakota neighbors on the South Dakota prairie. A conversation about the stories we tell, the stories we don't, and what it means to reckon honestly with the land beneath our feet.

Timely, courageous, and essential reading for anyone living in the American West.

Listen now: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/rebecca-clarren-the-cost-of-free-land--70347081

05/20/2026

You're invited to something a little different on June 8.

We The People in Action is a free public event during the We The People Summer Institute. It's a rare chance to watch young people do something remarkable: think critically, speak with clarity, and engage directly with the ideas at the heart of American democracy.

The evening features a live, simulated congressional hearing with students from the 2026 North Dakota State Championship team. They'll present and defend their understanding of constitutional principles before a panel of scholars including Chris Cavanaugh, Tim Moore, and Mike Williams, centered on one of the most enduring questions in American history:
How does the Bill of Rights protect minorities against the will of the majority?

Afterward, Aruna Patel, Senior Director of Civic Education at the Center for Civic Education, will reflect on the broader impact of We The People and the role civic education plays in our communities.

The event wraps with a short audience Q&A.

📅 Monday, June 8
🕠 5:30–6:30 PM CDT
📍 Basin Electric Auditorium, NECE, Bismarck State College
🎟️ Free & open to the public

Register at the link below — seats are free but registration helps us plan.
https://www.thestudynd.org/event-details/we-the-people-in-action-a-live-student-hearing-and-community-conversation

05/20/2026

What can a sketchbook hold? Art, dreams, experiments, memories, maps, stories, questions, and unfinished ideas.
Our latest Substack post explores The Sketchbook Project at the Taube Museum of Art in Minot, home to the world’s largest collection of artist sketchbooks, with contributions from creators in more than 100 countries. Even better, you can still participate.
Read more and see how North Dakota became home to this remarkable global collection at thestudynd.substack.com

05/13/2026

“Hope is the thing with feathers…”
In a powerful new essay for The Study, educator Jennifer Kallenbach reflects on teaching civics in uncertain times and why young people still give her hope for the future of democracy.
From classroom conversations to simulated congressional hearings, this piece is a moving reminder that thoughtful civic education still matters. Read the essay at thestudynd.substack.com

05/06/2026

What does a photograph really capture—just a moment, or something more?
This thoughtful essay explores Polaroids, memory, and the quiet power of images to hold time.
Read it at thestudynd.substack.com

05/05/2026

Episode Three of The Study Podcast is live.

Author William Kent Krueger joins Tayo to talk about the craft of writing — how a mystery series became a vehicle for exploring justice, spirituality, and the wounds life delivers to all of us. A conversation about place, character, voice, and what it means to follow your heart as a storyteller.

If you write, or love to read, this one is for you.

Listen now: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/william-kent-krueger-writing-the-stories-your-heart-tells-you-to-write--70348498

04/29/2026

Community Spotlight
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People Forum

On May 5, our community will gather at Bismarck State College for a day of reflection, learning, and action centered on the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People.

This forum is presented in partnership with Sacred Pipe Resource Center, Bismarck State College, and BSC’s Bringing Humanities to Life initiative, bringing together organizations committed to education, awareness, and community connection.

Hosted in the Sidney J. Lee Auditorium in Schafer Hall, this free, public event invites attendees to engage with one of the most urgent human rights issues facing Indigenous communities today.

The day begins with a welcome from Mona Susan Power, whose work explores memory, identity, and the enduring impact of history. Her remarks will help frame the conversations that follow.

From there, participants can take part in a full day of programming, including:

A screening of the Mni Gizhizh film
Community-led breakout sessions focused on real solutions
A panel featuring leaders responding to ideas and actions emerging from those sessions

This is a flexible, come-and-go event. Attendees are welcome to join for the full day or participate in the sessions that matter most to them.

No registration is required. The event is free and open to the public.

04/29/2026

“Snow too deep, wind too strong to measure.”
A memory of the Blizzard of ’66 and the stories that carry us through time, place, and family.
Read the full piece on The Study Substack thestudynd.substack.com