At a time when prominent artists and writers were inscribing the West with the triumphalist vision of manifest destiny, Mary Hallock Foote created work that pushes back against that narrative. Her articles, stories, and drawings earned the actual income that made it possible for her family to build a home in the Boise canyon, but they also, perhaps ironically, challenge us to think about homesteading in the West in unexpected ways.

Jenny Emery Davidson is the executive director of The Community Library in Ketchum. She holds a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Utah, and her scholarly interests have focused on the literature and history of the American West. She has taught literature at the university and community college levels, as well as at the Universidad of Guanajuato, where she served a Fulbright fellowship.

Advanced seating is sold out! If you have not already reserved a seat, a limited number of seats will be available on a first come, first served basis. Doors for the lecture will open at 6pm.

Part of The Center’s BIG IDEA project Idaho Stories, Oct 20, 2016–Jan 6, 2017.