Community Calendar

The Friends of Drake Community Library cordially invite the community to their annual meeting scheduled for Thursday, January 16, from 6 to 8:00 pm, at Drake Community Library, located at 930 Park Street, Grinnell in the Community Room. The event is open to the public.

 

Dr. Michael Hustedde, Professor Emeritus at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, will deliver an informative talk on Iowa author Ruth Suckow. Dr. Hustedde, a native Iowan, began his forty-two-year teaching career in social studies at West Des Moines Dowling High School before shifting his focus to Language and Linguistics, earning both an MA and a PhD. His passion for Ruth Suckow's work was ignited during a 1980s summer course on regional literature at the University of Iowa, which led him to read "A Ruth Suckow Omnibus" and join the Ruth Suckow Memorial Association.

 

Dr. Hustedde's presentation will highlight Suckow's time in Grinnell as a high school and college student, with a special focus on her works "The Joke" and "A Part of the Institution." Suckow's life in Grinnell and her contributions to regional literature will also be discussed.

 

"We are delighted to have Dr. Hustedde present as part of the centennial celebration of local author Ruth Suckow's book Country People," expressed Karen Neal, Library Director.

The annual meeting is an opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments of the Friends of Drake Community Library in 2024, review the annual financial report, and elect officers for the forthcoming year.