Inspired by a mythic Round River, John Hildebrand set off in a small boat to rediscover his home state of Wisconsin. The result was a journey through a forgotten America—a land of great physical beauty but with struggling small towns and divided loyalties. From the broad and hard-working Mississippi to the wild and slender waters of Tyler Forks, Hildebrand searches for the values that connect us—neighborliness, a sense of fairness, and a belief in the common good. The program will combine photographs, discussion, and short excerpts from the book as Hildebrand shares the sense of both wonder and belonging he discovered through his travels. >> Hildebrand is debuting this book at the festival. Our book sales committee will have copies of Long Way Round : Through the Heartland by River available for purchase at this event. Please join us for an autographing session following the presentation. John Hildebrand is the author of five nonfiction books: the award-winning Mapping the Farm: The Chronicle of a Family, Reading the River: A Voyage Down the Yukon, and two collections of essays: A Northern Front: New and Selected Essays and The Heart of Things: a Midwestern Almanac. His latest book, Long Way Round: Through the Heartland by River, will be released at the festival. His articles and essays have appeared in Harper’s, Audubon, Outside Magazine, Sports Illustrated, GEO, Manoa: A Pacific Journal of International Writing, and The Missouri Review. He has won the Minnesota Book Award for Science and Nature writing and was awarded the Council of Writers' Blei-Derleth Award. Tickets are required for this FREE event.