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Author Talks at the Matthews returns with a new lineup of local writers ready to dive into their stories, their methods, and their inspirations. Join us in the fireplace room every Tuesday at 12:30 for an hour with some of the best authors in the Black Hills area!
Are you interested in presenting an Author Talk? Contact us at 605-717-6967 or [email protected]
Featured author…
February 28: Noel Hamiel
Noel Hamiel is a career newspaperman of 35 years beginning at the Huron Plainsman, and the final 14 years at The Daily Republic where he retired as publisher in 2007. In 2007, he accepted a position with the South Dakota Community Foundation where he worked with communities statewide in philanthropic development. During his career, Hamiel received numerous awards for editorial and column writing. He served as an instructor of mass communications at St. Thomas More College, Fort Thomas, Ky. He is also the author of Sketches of South Dakota, published in 2002 and illustrated by Allison Hamiel.
Hamiel will speak about his book, South Dakota Mathis Murders: Horror in the Heartland, which focusses on, perhaps, the most infamous murder case in state history. Mathis was shot twice in the head at point-blank range inside the family’s steel shed serving as their makeshift home. Two of her three children, ages 2 and 4, were also shot in the head. The brutality of the killings shocked the state and set off a frenzy of law enforcement activity. Despite its intensity, the investigation never found the murderer or the murder weapon. Though charged with the crime, Mathis’s husband was acquitted, leaving the door open for endless speculation about what really occurred on that late summer morning of Sept. 8, 1981. With renewed insight from those involved, veteran South Dakota journalist Noel Hamiel explores this cold case of murder and mystery that still haunts the Mount Rushmore state.
Coming Soon…
March 7: Belle Fourche Writers
The Many Faces of Marnie Anderson, presented by the Belle Fourche Writers
Belle Fourche Writers 2022 “Writers’ Challenge” asked each writer to “birth a character” and then use two or more of the characters in a story. One character, Marnie Anderson, a 45-year-old City Administrator of Scandinavian descent, appears in several stories. Marnie is successful at her career but hides the one thing she wishes she had been able to achieve. Come meet Marnie as she appears in three stories.
Meet the authors…
Joan Gerkin is a South Dakota native, moving to Belle Fourche in 1989. Her early years as a farm wife and mother, was followed by a twenty-year career as a Fairfield Inn by Marriott General Manager. Now retired, she draws on her life experiences for writing inspiration.
Lynda Edwards began writing after taking creative writing courses provided by Community Education of the Black Hills. Her writings include fiction, poetry, and memoirs f other childhood ranch life. Her writings have won awards at the SD State Fair.
Eric Beeman grew up in Minnesota. After high school, he served four years in the US Navy, then enrolled in an electronics program. He retired in 2019 after a career as a maintenance technician.
