MNHS Press Newsletter

MNHS Press Newsletter: October 15, 2024

Written by Jaired Johnson | Oct 15, 2024 4:15:00 PM

Publisher's Note

Jokeda "JoJo" Bell (right) invited Hilda Simms's niece up for the Q & A portion of her book launch for Red Stained at Strive Bookstore.

On September 21, author Jokeda "JoJo" Bell launched Red Stained: The Life of Hilda Simms at Strive Bookstore in downtown Minneapolis. Broadway and Hollywood actress Hilda Simms was born Hilda Moses in north Minneapolis in 1918, one of nine children, and died in 1994; she is buried in Mendota Heights. Several members of the Moses family attended the launch, including Hilda's niece Nannette, who joined JoJo to answer questions at the end. Hilda Simms's credits include the lead in the American Negro Theatre's production of Anna Lucasta and roles in the movie The Joe Louis Story and the television play A Man Is Ten Feet Tall. With this first book-length biography of Minnesota's own Hilda Simms, in the words of Booklist, "Bell tells a remarkable story of a remarkable woman." 

 

New Releases

Join us at Mille Lacs Museum and Trading Post on October 25, 7:00 PM, for the book launch of They Would Not Be Moved, our new release for October!

Bruce White
They Would Not Be Moved: The Enduring Struggle of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe to Keep Their Reservation, featuring a foreword by Melanie Benjamin, details how an Indigenous community repeatedly stood up for itself and won against overbearing pressures across decades. An 1855 treaty set aside thousands of acres to be the permanent home of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, but for members to hold this land, resolute actions and unwavering commitment were required. White interprets decades of treaty negotiations to outline how each side understood the signed agreements. Ultimately, the story of the Mille Lacs Reservation is one of triumph—of courage and survival and successful resistance.

Events

Twin Cities Metro

10/19/2024, John Coy and Chris Park, So Cold! and Lucy Michell, The Moons, Twin Cities Book Festival, Progress Center, Minnesota State Fairgrounds, Falcon Heights. MNHS Press is also staffing a table at the festival.

11/4/2024, 6:00 PM, Kari Lie Dorer, Muus vs. Muus, Next Chapter Booksellers, St. Paul 

11/9/2024, 2:00 PM, Bruce White, They Would Not Be Moved, Minnesota History Center, 3M Auditorium, St. Paul

11/10/2024, 10:30 AM, Chan Poling and Lucy Michell, The Moons, Forgotten Star Brewing, Fridley

11/10/2024, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 1:00 PM, John Coy and Chris Park, So Cold!, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis

 

Greater Minnesota

10/25/24, 7:00 PM, Bruce White, They Would Not Be Moved, Mille Lacs Museum and Trading Post, Onamia

10/26/24, Kari Lie Dorer, Muus vs. Muus, Norwegian American Historical Association at St Olaf, Northfield

11/7/24: 7:00 PM, Kari Lie Dorer and Torild Homstad, Muus vs. Muus, Content Bookstore, Northfield

In the Media

They Would Not Be Moved, Bruce White, "Book salutes the fiercely resistant Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe,"  The Circle, October 4, 2024

Red Stained, JoJo Bell, "‘Red Stained’: new book explores Hilda Simms’ story of resilience and activism," Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, September 19, 2024

Red Stained, JoJo Bell, "A Minnesotan Broadway performer’s stardom was limited by the Red Scare," Minnesota Public Radio: Minnesota Now and Then, September 17, 2024

Red Stained, JoJo Bell, "Literary Pick of the Week," Pioneer Press, September 15, 2024

Euphoric Recall, Peter Jespersen, Book Review, Americana UK, September 16, 2024

 

Noteworthy

It is conference season, and MNHS Press is on the road! From October 6 to 9 we attended the Heartland Fall Forum in Milwaukee. Sponsored by the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association (MIBA) and the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association (GLIBA), representing a thirteen-state region stretching from Michigan to Missouri and from Nebraska to Ohio, this year's event drew more than 250 attendees, including booksellers, publishers, and authors. The conference featured a trade show (our table is pictured above), sessions and panels, readings, and opportunities for networking and professional development. Next up is the Twin Cities Book Festival on October 19. Come visit us to see what is new and best-selling, and pick up a free button, bookmark, catalog, or poster!

New in MNopedia

Albert Lea Commercial Historic District

The original Commercial Historic District of the City of Albert Lea consisted of three square blocks of forty-eight structures built between 1874 and 1928. Featuring iconic examples of American architecture in a variety of styles, including Beaux Arts, Classic Revival, Neoclassical, Art Nouveau, and Craftsman, the district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Sixty-four additional properties added in 2004 extended its period of significance to 1953.

 

Dille, Roland (1924–2014)

Dr. Roland Dille was the longest-serving president of what is now Minnesota State University Moorhead, from 1968 to 1994. While shepherding the campus through tumultuous years of Vietnam War protests, racial tensions, and other controversial issues, he earned the respect of his campus community and helped the university grow to its peak enrollment in 1990.

 

Forthcoming Releases

Watch for John Coy and Chris Park's latest book to come out this November.

So Cold!

Story by John Coy, Illustrations by Chris Park
Coming this November, So Cold! answers the questions: what happens when you throw boiling water in freezing air? Or bring a helium balloon outside in winter? Or toss wet jeans into the snow? As Publishers Weekly wrote, "On a day that’s 23 degrees below zero, a parent and child head outdoors for frozen play in this amiable story, a vehicle for spotlighting the science-savvy fun that can be had amid extreme cold. . . . Park’s vibrant artwork employs cool tones to communicate the chill. The characters' . . . experiments wow time and again."

 

Bestselling Backlist

 

 

 

Minnesota's Own

by Larry Millett, photography by Matt Schmitt

 

Pints North

by Katelyn Regenscheid 

 

Land of 10,000 Plates

by Patrice Johnson