Charles Bowden, who wrote "The Emptied Prairie" periodical essay that appeared in the January 2008 National Geographic mAgazine, will speak June 9 at 10 a.m. in the Sidney J. Lee Auditorium on the Bismarck State College campus.

A former journalist and editor and now free-lance writer, Bowden regularly writes articles for periodicals including "GQ" and "Mother Jones." He is the recipient of numerous honors for writing excellence, including being nominated by "Orion Magazine" for book of the year in 2007 for his latest book "Inferno." Despite his stature, some North Dakotans took issue with Bowden's National Geographic article which they interpreted as a dismal portrayal of abandoned towns.

"I am always happy to return to North Dakota because it is one of the few places in this country that lives in the future. It faces the real peril of global weather shifts, and it also faces the harsh consequences of radical increases in the price of petroleum," said Bowden, when asked about returning to the state.

"Like southern Louisiana, it also features a population that is rich in a sense of ethnic heritage and that has fashioned a culture and economy based on a difficult landscape," said the journalist. "In short, it is everything urban and suburban America is not and now it faces both Global Warming and rising energy costs without any place to hide or any way to pretend it is not happening."


Bowden said the rest of the nation will eventually feel the same forces to the same degree, but North Dakota and southern Louisiana will feel them first and be models of what can be done.

His address "Geography, The Iron Reality Everyone Inhabits and Tries to Ignore" is free and open to the public. Because of construction, those attending are instructed to enter the Sidney J. Lee Auditorium from the west side via the entrance to the Leach Music Center.

The keynote talk is part of the 2008 Alliance Summer Geography Institute, running June 9-13 at BSC and sponsored by the North Dakota Geographic Alliance. The institute's theme is "The Village, Our People" and is NDGA's annual premier event. The NDGA is a member of the National Geographic education Foundation network of teachers committed to improving geographic education in the United States and North Dakota.

Also open to the public is a panel discussion titled "Geography In Real Time," on June 10 at BSC's Student Union, 11 a.m.-noon. Five Bismarck business men and women will talk about how geography impacts their careers. Discussion will include what global communication skills are important in the workplace and how the North Dakota concept of beauty, value of the land, Agricultural pride and work ethic enter into a career.

The North Dakota Geographic Alliance is located on the campus of Minot State University. For questions about the summer institute, call 1-800-235-1948 or 701-858-3063. (News release courtesy of Minot State University) | save this article / add to your favorites list