About 340 people turned out to hear Pulitzer Prize-winning author Caroline Fraser speak about her book, “Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder,” Jefferson County Library director Pam Klipsch said.
“We are really pleased with that turnout,” Klipsch said.
Fraser spoke at three events held over two days, Oct. 16-17.
“It turned out really well; we were all really excited to have her,” Klipsch said.
Fraser won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for her biography that takes a close look at Ingalls Wilder, who survived a harsh childhood during the pioneer days on the Great Plains and grew up to write the best-selling “Little House on the Prairie” series.
The theme of Fraser’s book is that Ingalls Wilder’s reality was much different than the soft focus in her series.
Klipsch said all three events had a different format. One was more like an interview with Fraser, another was a question-and-answer session with her and the other was a lecture the author presented.
“It kept it fresh,” Klipsch said.
Fraser’s first appearance was Oct. 16 at the Northwest High School Auditorium in Cedar Hill, where she read part of the book’s forward and answered questions from the Leader Teen Advisory Board.
“I thought they were great,” Fraser said. “In fact, many of them (the questions) were more well thought out than some questions I’ve gotten from professional journalists. They were very thoughtful and I appreciated that.”
The Leader Teen Advisory Board asked questions about Fraser’s research, the importance of local newspapers in her research, where she traveled for research and more.
Fraser also made an appearance Oct. 17 at the Jefferson College Library on the Hillsboro campus, where she discussed her work and answered questions from campus book group representatives.
The last of Fraser’s visits was at the Fox C-6 Service Center in Arnold, where Jane Henderson, book editor for the St. Louis Post Dispatch, led a conversation with the author.
Klipsch said at the last minute C-Span asked to record the event at the service center.
“That wasn’t planned; they called us,” she said.
Klipsch said the event will air on the ‘American History TV’ show at a later date.
She said she was pleased people across the nation will be able to watch a positive event from Jefferson County.
Klipsch said the author visits were funded with grant money.
The Jefferson County Library applied for and received a $5,000 grant from the Missouri State Library, and Jefferson College received a $2,500 grant from the Missouri Humanities Council, which was matched by the college’s Performing Arts and Cultural Enrichment program, Klipsch said.
The libraries also received a $2,000 grant from Ameren Missouri and a $2,000 grant from the Arnold Tourism Commission to help fund the event. In addition, the Northwest and Fox school districts offered the use of their facilities for free for Fraser’s visit.
Klipsch said the library hopes to bring in an author like this every two years.