Last week I attended LauraPalooza 2022: The Wilder Side. The conference was sponsored by the Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association (LIWLRA). It is (obviously) the only conference of its kind, half academic conference and half fan gathering. I had attended the first LauraPalooza in 2010 in Mankato, Minnesota, and the fourth in Springfield, Missouri, in 2017. This year’s was the seventh, and it was held in Burlington, Vermont.
It was great to be back with a group of people who are interested in pretty much everything about Laura Ingalls Wilder. There are multiple worlds associated with Wilder:
1) The world of the historical Laura, who lived from 1867 to 1957, her husband Almanzo, who lived from 1857 (maybe 1859) to 1949, and their daughter Rose Wilder Lane, who lived from 1886 to 1968.
2) The fictional world of the Little House books, published between 1932 and 1943. The books were the product of a collaboration between Laura and Rose.
3) The world of the television series, “Little House on the Prairie.” Nine seasons aired between 1974 and 1983, and it has never been off the air (it immediately went into syndication and is still on cable stations and streaming services).
4) The world of the historical sites that one can visit to see the landscapes where she lived and walk in her footsteps, in Wisconsin, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, Missouri, and New York.
This year, there were presentations about all these worlds, and the last day of the conference was a bus trip to the Wilder Homestead in Burke, New York. The Wilder Homestead is where Almanzo Wilder, Laura’s husband, grew up in the late 1850s, 1860s, and 1870s.
There were almost one hundred in attendance. The community that gathers at LauraPalooza is striking for several reasons:
- It is a group that loves to learn new things. This year, they invited Robert Goodby, an anthropologist who studies Native Americans in New England, to talk about the world of Indigenous peoples in upstate New York and how they are addressed in Farmer Boy, the Little House book about a year in Almanzo Wilder’s childhood.
- It is also a group that loves to read. One of the keynote speakers was Mitali Perkins, whose book Steeped in Stories argues for the benefits of children reading a lot of different stories. In addition, since I was presenting a paper, I was included in the Authors’ and Artists’ reception. I took copies of my second book, Almost Pioneers, which is not about Laura Ingalls Wilder. I still sold all the copies that I took. Dr. Goodby also sold some copies of his book.
- Finally, it is a group that understands the nuance involved in understanding people who lived in the past, and therefore didn’t think the way we do today. Wilder’s attitude toward—and her writing about—people of other cultures was at times negative, dismissive, and lacking in understanding. But it is possible to condemn that and still appreciate the positive aspects of her life and written work. IT’s like applying the Biblical instruction to love your neighbor as yourself to our neighbors who lived in the past.
At one point, attendees were asked to put up our hands to indicate how many conferences we had attended. It appeared that the two biggest groups were those who were first time attendees (one of the advantages of having the conference in different locations) and those who had attended all six conferences. Fascinating.
Seven highlights:
- Robert Goodby, “The Wilder Homestead in An Indigenous Landscape: Native American History and Farmer Boy.”
- Barb Bousted’s update of her research on the Hard Winter of 1880-1881.
- Mitali Perkins, “Steeped in Stories: The Power of a Multi-Storied Child.”
- Melissa Stoller’s reflection on the Laura and Almanzo’s age difference when they got married, in the context of late nineteenth century marriage statistics.
- Michelle McClellan’s overview of the development of the Wilder Homestead as a historic site.
- Patty Dowd Schmitz’s presentation about the location of the hill in the “Grandpa’s Sled and the Pig” story from Little House in the Big Woods.
- Chris Czajka and Caroline Curvan’s backstage tour of the making of the PBS American Master’s Documentary, “Laura Ingalls Wilder: From Prairie to Page.”
I was somewhat reluctant to make such a list because such lists inevitably leave some people out. I think that I probably learned something from every presentation.
I presented some of the conclusions from my book about Wilder’s faith and got some excellent feedback, both during the question and answer period, and later on that day. It was also a blessing to talk at length with Bill Anderson, who has been an incredible help throughout my project. I will refrain from listing the many old friends I saw and new friends I made because I would certainly forget someone. I had some new Facebook friend requests when I got home.
I was not able to go to the Wilder Homestead on Friday because I had to get back to the Midwest. My first grandchild was born early Saturday morning.
Many thanks to those in the LIWLRA who made everything possible. Particular thanks are due to Lauri Goforth and Sue Poremba, the conference Co-Chairs, to Carole Nebhut and her son Adam for taking care of everyone’s audio-visual needs, and to Sarah Manley for her calm and steady leadership of the organization. I hope that everyone has been able to rest this week after all of their work. Many thanks also to my institution, Trinity Christian College, for paying for my trip to Burlington.
Stay tuned for more updates.
Links:
The Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association (LIWLRA)
The Faith of Laura Ingalls Wilder 