"If you went to a place where you could see forever, so much so that you could see the curvature of the Earth, that feels like home."
These are the words of Kim Rudningen whose inspiring story is featured in Reframing Rural's first episode! I am honored to share with you Kim's story of preservation and motherhood on the Northern Great Plains. In Reframing Rural's first episode, we'll learn what it's like to work as an environmental compliance officer in the second largest oil producing region in the U.S., what it's like to raise four kids in the remote reaches of Sheridan County, Montana, and how Kim and her family are helping to reinvigorate the community surrounding our hometown Dagmar.
I started working on this episode in a cabin in the Skagit Valley, an agricultural community in Western Washington that like my own, is home to many descendants of Scandinavian immigrants. I love how Kim is helping preserve Dagmar's Scandinavian traditions, and how she expresses in episode one how heritage and the land inform her identity. You can listen to her episode on SoundCloud and subscribe to hear future episodes on Apple Podcasts and soon Spotify.
There is much to be grateful for this last month. In addition to publishing Reframing Rural's first episode, I was selected as the Guest House Cultural Capital Residency's 2020 Remote Scholar in Residence! I am incredibly excited to continue my research in rural-adjacent Richland, Washington later this year. I have also begun planning Reframing Rural's Montana "Coming Home" Tour. This immersive mobile art exhibit tour will include audio stories from season one, "Coming Home," photographs of those interviewed, a talk and Q&A, and butcher paper upon which guests can share their stories of home, the countryside and Montana. Check out ReframingRural.org for more details on my journey across my favorite state this May.
Look forward to sharing news of a Kickstarter campaign and the next episode soon!
Keep in touch,
Megan