New Book: Red River Rising

[star2city]

It is rather ironic that as soon as the GF Herald officially proclaims that Grand Forks has moved beyond the post-flood recovery period, a book, Red River Rising is coming out that will rehash everything publicly.

The reviews seem to be in stark contrast:

Red River Rising is a beautifully written, haunting saga of a community in distress. Although the touchstone of this narrative is April 19, 1997, when one of the worst floods in U.S. history occurred, in truth it's a gripping human drama with timeless appeal. Words cannot fully express the admiration I have for Ashley Shelby's seamless and compassionate prose-style.” — Douglas Brinkley, author of Tour of Duty: John Kerry and the Vietnam War and director of the Eisenhower Center for American Studies at the University of New Orleans.

versus, forgive me, John Hoff in the Dakota Student:

The book seldom misses a chance to take shots at North Dakota, at one point concluding, “The history of North Dakota is, essentially, a narrative of failure and flight” (page 211). The author of the book, Ashley Shelby, is a master’s graduate of Columbia University and the winner of prestigious writing prizes. Her work, including a recent expose of Exxon, has appeared in such notable publications as The Nation. Over the next several years, Shelby’s book will undoubtedly be cited as “Exhibit A” by Congressmen who are hostile to doling out recovery money to any community in a flood-prone area.

If there is no such thing as bad publicity, it's all for good.

But what's next? A movie screenplay?

[SiouxMeNow]

John Hoff??? is that asshole still around?? Hasn't he graduated and moved on YET? GOD PLEASE TELL ME HE'S NOT STILL HERE!!!!!!

[SiouxMeNow]

ps...he's ONE GUY ND won't be afraid to lose after graduation....