Bismarck readers will have a chance to talk through Joy Harjo’s poetry collection “An American Sunrise” together on Sunday, Nov. 22, when the Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library hosts a Big Read community book discussion at 2 p.m., according to a media advisory the library issued Nov. 5 through the City of Bismarck.
The discussion will be held in the library’s Missouri River Room at 515 N. Fifth St. and is free and open to adults 18 and older, the advisory says. It will be led by Joshua Kern, an associate professor of English at Bismarck State College who teaches composition, film as literature, fantasy and science fiction, and creative writing, according to the library.
Part of BSC’s first NEA Big Read
The discussion is one piece of a community-wide reading initiative Bismarck State College is leading this academic year. BSC, through the BSC Foundation, received a $20,000 National Endowment for the Arts Big Read grant — its first, the college said — to lead a reading program focused on Indigenous culture, history and experiences, according to a Sept. 25 college news release. The college said it is one of 71 organizations nationwide selected for a 2026–27 NEA Big Read grant and the only North Dakota recipient this cycle. The NEA Big Read is run by the NEA in partnership with Arts Midwest, BSC said.
Harjo, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, was the first Native American to serve as U.S. poet laureate, the library’s advisory notes. It says “An American Sunrise” explores displacement, memory, resilience, identity and connection to land and history, and that BSC chose the book to encourage greater understanding and appreciation of Indigenous cultures and the role Indigenous people have played, and continue to play, in American history.
According to BSC, about 400 free copies of the book are being distributed through the initiative, which the college said will include book discussions, art, film, speakers and cultural experiences throughout the academic year. BSC scheduled the program’s kickoff for Sept. 29, with a reading marathon and schedule unveiling at the BSC Library in Skogen Hall, according to the release.
The college’s release lists a range of partners: the Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library, Bismarck Public Schools, Mandan Public Schools, Bowbells Public School, the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College, Sitting Bull College, BSC’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and the BSC Library. BSC led the effort through its Humanities, Arts & Sciences division, the release says.
How to take part
If you want to read ahead, copies of Harjo’s book and additional materials related to Indigenous culture are available for checkout at the Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library, according to the advisory. The library did not say in the advisory whether registration is required for the Nov. 22 session; check with the library’s adult services department before you go. BSC said additional Big Read event dates and ways to participate would continue to be announced throughout the fall.
Sources: Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library media advisory via City of Bismarck, Nov. 5, 2026; Bismarck State College news release, Sept. 25, 2026
