The final part of the Stillwater Public Library’s program, “Let’s Talk About It: Native American Writers of the Plains,” will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 6:30 p.m.  Scholar Helen Clements will provide instruction on the final book in the series, “Medicine River” by Thomas King, at both the evening program and a 3 p.m. program at the Edmon Low Library on the same day.

“Medicine River” was Thomas King’s first novel, published in 1989.  The book takes place in Alberta, Canada and is known for its humor and unusual small–town characters.

“The characters and situations in the book are reminiscent of the Cicely, Alaska residents from the 1990s television show ‘Northern Exposure,’” said Clements.  “The characters are offbeat, involved with each other, and generally accepting of each other’s differences.  The atmosphere King created allows the characters to come to terms with the sadness of the past and live with the inconclusions of the present.”

Clements is a third-generation Oklahoman who grew up in Elk City, on what was formerly Cheyenne-Arapaho land. She attended Oklahoma State University, earning a BA in English, and later earned degrees in library science and anthropology from the University of Illinois, the Texas Tech University, and the University of Texas at Austin.

Copies of “Medicine River” can be picked up at the Stillwater Public Library.  Books in the series are provided by the Oklahoma Humanities Council with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Kirkpatrick Family Fund and the Inasmuch Foundation.  Reading the book is encouraged but not required to participate.