Audio Interviews

At Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith’s October 6th “American Conversations” visit to the Sturgis Public Library in Sturgis, South Dakota, local community members were eager to share their excitement and enthusiasm before and after the event with Rob Casper, head of the Library of Congress Poetry and Literature Center. You can listen to or read these short interviews below.

Email Interviews

Many thanks to the dedicated coordinators and staff who helped organize the South Dakota “American Conversations” visits. The following interviews were conducted over e-mail by Rob Casper, head of the Library of Congress Poetry and Literature Center.

Julie Moore-Peterson

Sturgis Public Library

Julie Moore-Peterson is the director of the Sturgis Public Library in Sturgis, South Dakota. She also serves as the Sturgis Area Arts Council Visual Arts chairperson, the president of the Arts Council and an officer on the board of directors of the Black Hills Library Consortium.
Read the interview

Jennifer Widman

South Dakota Center for the Book/South Dakota Humanities Council

Jennifer Widman is the director of the South Dakota Center for the Book, housed in the South Dakota Humanities Council in Brookings, South Dakota.
Read the interview

Sian Young

The Matthews Opera House and Arts Center

Sian Young is the executive director of The Matthews Opera House and Arts Center in Spearfish, South Dakota.
Read the interview