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New book about Laura Ingalls Wilder to be discussed Nov. 4 at Cultural Heritage Center

Nancy Tystad Koupal will discuss “Pioneer Girl: The Revised Texts” at 7 p.m. CDT (6 p.m. MDT) on Thursday, Nov. 4 at the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre. This is the newest book published by the South Dakota State Historical Society’s Pioneer Girl Project.

“Pioneer Girl: The Revised Texts” was written by Laura Ingalls Wilder and annotated by Tystad Koupal.

Tystad Koupal will speak in person at the Cultural Heritage Center, with the program also offered virtually via Zoom. Those who plan to attend are asked to register at sdhsf.org. Everyone is welcome at the free program, sponsored by the South Dakota Historical Society Foundation and the South Dakota Historical Society Press.

Wilder completed her autobiography, “Pioneer Girl,” in 1930, when she was 63 years old. She turned over her manuscript to her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, already a well-known reporter and writer, who sent the manuscript to her agent, Carl Brandt of the Brandt & Brandt literary agency in New York City. The manuscript was not published, and Wilder and Lane continued to revise it. The manuscript later became the basis for the “Little House” books for young readers. “Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography” was published by the South Dakota Historical Society Press in 2014 and contains Wilder’s handwritten autobiography and annotations.

“Pioneer Girl: The Revised Texts” presents, side by side, the three typescript versions of Wilder’s “Pioneer Girl.” Each manuscript has its own column showing the changes made to the manuscript, with a fourth column of annotations providing historical context and explaining the ways Wilder or Lane changed and reused the material.

“Wilder and Lane’s working relationship is explored in this book about the writing and legacy of Wilder. It represents the first stages in the evolution of Wilder’s story from memoir to the ‘Little House’ books,” said foundation Chief Executive Officer Catherine Forsch.

Tystad Koupal is from Pierre and is the director and editor-in-chief of the Pioneer Girl Project. The Pioneer Girl Project is a research and publishing program of the South Dakota State Historical Society, working since 2010 to create a comprehensive edition of Wilder’s “Pioneer Girl” and books dedicated to exploring her life and works.

“Pioneer Girl: The Revised Texts” is sold at the Heritage Stores at the Cultural Heritage Center and Capitol. Please call 605-773-6006 for more information about the program. For information about membership in the State Historical Society, call 605-773-6000.

About the South Dakota State Historical Society
The South Dakota State Historical Society is a division of the Department of Education. The State Historical Society, an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution since 2013, is headquartered at the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre. The center houses the society’s world-class museum, the archives, and the historic preservation, publishing, and administrative/development offices. Call 605-773-3458 or visit www.history.sd.gov for more information. The society also has an archaeology office in Rapid City; call 605-394-1936 for more information.

About the South Dakota Historical Society Foundation
The South Dakota Historical Society Foundation is a private charitable nonprofit that seeks funding to assist the South Dakota State Historical Society in programming and projects to preserve South Dakota’s history and heritage for future generations.