Coffee With Ivan

Jan Zauha, humanities and outreach librarian at the MSU Library, will lead an exploration of Ivan Doig's life and legacy. This special 'Snowmester' course will focus on two of Doig's most popular works, This House of Sky and The Bartender's Tale, will be equal parts biography and book discussion. Using items from the Ivan Doig Archive housed in the MSU Library's Archives and Special Collections, Zauha will share unpublished documents, letters, photos and sounds to provide attendees with an insider's look at Doig's life and writing process.

Doig, who grew up in White Sulphur Springs and Dupuyer, Montana, was a writer of international acclaim who published 16 volumes of fiction and non-fiction. Although Doig lived in Seattle for many years, the lives of his characters often shared Doig's Big Sky roots. Doig died in 2015 at the age of 75. In his obituary, the New York Times wrote that Doig "created a body of work that helped shape our understanding of rural working-class life in the postwar American West."

Participants are encouraged to read This House of Sky (December) and The Bartender's Tale (January) so they can participate in these online "show and tell" discussions. However, no knowledge of Doig or his works is required.

Friends of MSU Library, the MSU Retiree Association and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at MSU are partnering to present "Coffee with Ivan." This Snowmester course is expected to fill quickly.