Summer is in full swing in Chicago. Last week it was in the 90s all week, and this week it’s been in the upper 80s and hasn’t rained. The grass at my house is getting brown; I’ve been watering my tomatoes every night.
In June I had the privilege of doing a radio interview to talk about A Prairie Faith on Ozarks radio station KHOZ (FM 94.9, AM 900) in Harrison, Arkansas. Dan Reynolds had stopped by my book table when I was at the Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival at the end of April. He and Ann Lemley host a show called “Around the Table” on KHOZ every mid-morning. We worked out that he would call me on the morning of June 10. I had a great time talking with Dan and Ann; I really appreciated their invitation.
Early in June I also learned that A Prairie Faith had been named a Bronze Award winner in the 2024 INDIES Book of the Year Awards for Biography from Foreword Reviews. Eerdmans had three books win awards from the Foreword website, which reviews and promotes books from small publishers and self-published authors. Here is their description of the INDIES Awards:
Whether you’re a librarian, a bookseller, or just a general lover of books, you know that independent presses and authors are publishing some of the most innovative, creative, and beautiful books. To honor the very best of indie publishing each year, we’re pleased to host the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards!
Thousands of books are entered each year, and over 100 librarians and booksellers take part in the judging process, narrowing down a group of finalists in 55 categories to Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners that truly represent the best in independent publishing.
My deepest thanks to the folks at Eerdmans who nominated the book and the judges at Forward who named it a finalist and then gave it the award!
Later this month, on July 18, I will be recording a podcast for the website Mere Orthodoxy about the 90th anniversary of the publication of Little House on the Prairie. Many thanks to Nadya Williams for that invitation.
Finally, I am very sad to not be able to attend LauraPalooza 2025 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, next week. I will be traveling east for a family reunion in New Jersey at the end of this week and could not figure out how to make the trip west at the same time. I hope that all who are heading to Sioux Falls and De Smet have safe travels and a great time of gathering and sharing. Thanks to Rachel Luther and everyone at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association (LIWLRA) for their work putting that event together.
As always, if you’re interested in having me speak, please let me know (john.fry@trnty.edu). Thanks for reading!
Links
Around the Table with Dan and Ann
2024 Foreword INDIES Awards for Biography
Foreword’s Listing for my book
The Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association (LIWLRA)
The Faith of Laura Ingalls Wilder 