Great Plains Writers' Tour
Acclaimed writers at our doorstep!
True to our Catholic Benedictine values, Mount Marty University hosts the Great Plains Writers' Tour (GPWT), which brings award-winning professional writers to campus for readings, discussions, and class workshops each year. Established in 2007, the writers’ tour explores various elements of the arts and humanities, such as poetry, prose presentations, and storytelling.
For Mount Marty, the writers’ tour continues our heritage of a well-rounded, liberal arts education and our commitment to lifelong learning. Our guest authors are carrying on a tradition of rich storytelling rooted in Midwestern and Plains culture. Since its inception, we’ve welcomed such greats as former United States poet laureate Ted Kooser, American Book Award winner Maria Mazziotti Gillan, Elizabeth Cook-Lynn, David Lee, and William Kloefkorn.
For more information regarding upcoming GPWT dates, please email Dr. Jim Reese.
This Year's Great Plains' Writers
APRIL
J. Ryan Stradal, New York Times Best Selling Author
Past Great Plains' Writers
APRIL
Keith Pilapil Lesmeister, Author, Founding Editor of CutLeaf and EastOver Press, and Instructor at Northeast Iowa Community College
SEPTEMBER
Matt Mason, Nebraska State Poet
John Price, Author
OCTOBER
Kent Meyers, Author
MARCH
Chris Vondracek, Journalist and Agriculture Reporter for the Star Tribune
Lori Walsh, South Dakota Public Broadcasting Host and Senior Producer of "In the Moment"
APRIL
Dr. Seema Sehgal
Maria Mazziotti Gillan, American Book Award Winner and Social Activist
SEPTEMBER
New York Times Best Selling Author Marc Cameron, Dr. Jim Reese, Dr. Stephen Bell, Javier Murguia, Josh Klimek and Jerod Abarolle, A Discussion About Cops and Criminals - Writing Facts in Fiction
OCTOBER
Mary Woster Haug, Writer & Editor
february
Kevin Carey, Writer & Filmmaker
march
Geitner Simmons, Deputy Opinions Editor of the Omaha World Herald
april
Kelly Hertz, Journalist & Editor of the Yankton Press and Dakotan
september
Fritzi Horstman, Sept. 2021 Grammy award-winning producer and Founder & Executive Director of the Compassion Prison Project
September
Jamie Sullivan & John Sibley Williams
march
Dante Di Stefano, Kent Meyers, Raymond Hammond & Bernie Hunhoff
october
Mark Sanders, Sara Henning & Kim Verhines
march
Jim Daniels
april
Allen Eskens
november
Stephen Coyne, Christine Stewart-Nuñez & Debra Marguart
march
Gailmarie Pahmeier & David Lee
september
Ted Kooser
march
Charles Bowden & Molly Molloy
october
Patrick Hicks & Joe Weil
february
Dan O'Brien
march
Writing for Transformative Justice
november
Maria Mazziotti Gillan
february
David Lee & Neil Harrison
april
George Bilgere
september
William Trowbridge
October
Sarah McKinstry-Brown & Marge Saiser
november
Lisa Sandlin & Barbara Schmitz
February
Kent Meyers
march
Neil Harrison & Don Welch
october
Daryl Farmer
October
Vivian Shipley
march
Maria Mazziotte Gillan
september
Brian Bedard & John Price
october
Dave Pichaske & Patrick Hicks