By Ella Kozlowski
Copy Editor
As the semester comes to a close, Chestertown’s annual Dickens of a Christmas Festival gives students something to look forward to before finals week.
Occurring this Friday and Saturday, the festival includes a wide variety of events and features such as music, Victorian-inspired food, carriage rides, artisan vendors, and book talks.
The book talk this year will feature literary journalist Matthew Davis who will discuss his new book, “Biography of a Mountain: The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore” which was released on Nov. 11. Hosted by The Bookplate, the talk will begin at 2 p.m. on Dec. 6 at Parish Hall of Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Cross Street.
Davis is a D.C.-based writer and the author of 6 books, the most popular of which include “When Things Get Dark: A Mongolian Winter’s Tale” and “Los Angeles Review of Books: On Protection.” Along with his book publications, Davis has offered journalism workshops as part of the Rose O’Neill Literary House’s summer writing conference.
“Biography of a Mountain” discusses the importance of the mountain known as Tȟuŋkášila Šákpe or Six Grandfathers to the Lakota Nation, as well as how the Lakota were forced out of the region and why the location was chosen as the site of the monument.
In the book Davis also discusses the history of the Black Hills, as he said he feels the region’s history is largely swept under the rug.
The talk will be presented as a conversation between Davis and Eleanor Jones Harvey, a senior curator at The Smithsonian American Art Museum. Davis and Harvey will discuss the South Dakota mountain’s complicated legacy and the stories surrounding it from before it became the site of the U.S. monument widely known today.
Davis said he hopes those who read his book and attend the upcoming talk will think about the complex history of the Black Hills concerning the people native to the area as well as those who colonized the region.
Davis also hopes to prompt meaningful discussion with the audience about how individuals think and talk about monuments in the modern day.
“I think it’s important to consider how memorials are made, what stories they tell, and where they are placed,” Davis said. “Additionally, I want people to reflect on how the meanings of memorials evolve over time, just as our perspectives on history evolve over time.”
Davis’s idea for the book came from his lengthy throughout South Dakota and the Great Plains region. While traveling, Davis said he spoke with many locals and historians and became increasingly fascinated with the region along the way.
“[Mount Rushmore] was the idea of [a] State Historian who wanted to positively impact the tourism industry … It became a political memorial because of the sculptor, Gutzon Borglum,” Davis said.
The legacy of Mount Rushmore’s sculptor is only a small chunk of the wide history connected to the monument and the mountain. There is much more to discuss regarding the mountain’s history, ranging from the impact of the Manifest Destiny concept to the legends associated with the region and the Lakota people.
These topics and more will be discussed during the Dec. 6 talk.
Photo Caption: Matt Davis’s latest book is available at The Bookplate.
Photo by Evelyn Lucado