I was born and raised in South Dakota, and my sister, Molly Noem Fulton, is an artist living in Vermillion. The Mt. Rushmore State is home and we collaborated together to bring a little light to healthcare workers and vulnerable folks during the pandemic. We each offered one of our creative works to support folks in South Dakota. Molly’s piece was a 5×5 archival print, part of a series of work she did about the land in South Dakota. And in my book, all the characters are named after South Dakota cities, counties, or landmarks. All the proceeds from this fundraiser went to the South Dakota Community Foundation.
I wrote my novel, The End of Ending, as a testament to hope — it tells the story of people catching something that’s actually making them well instead of sick. And, paired with Molly’s print — which is titled “Resurrection” — together, we hoped to brighten what was a dark winter.
Josh Noem 