Mountain-Plains Museums Association (MPMA) has a wonderful speaker lined up for its conference this fall in Topeka (October 2-5, 2002): best-selling author William Least Heat-Moon.

You know him best from one of his earlier books, Blue Highways, that established him as America's great chronicler of America's back roads. He has written many books since his first one came out in the 1980s, most recently River Horse and before that PrairyErth. He has written about the back roads and the characters he stumbled across. He has also written descriptively about Kansas - his birthplace. Indeed, when Heat-Moon spoke to the MPMA audience about 10 years ago, those who remember that talk say it was one of the best they ever heard. Since we are coming to Kansas this October for our conference, it seemed fitting to ask William Least Heat-Moon to tell us not only about Kansas but to let us know what else has captured his attention over the past decade as he has traveled the back roads of the nation.

Ed Able, president and CEO of the American Association of Museums, will be our other special keynoter. He will talk about the "Current Issues Facing Today's Museum Community." He will also lead a forum for directors to come together to comment on the state of the museum field. Ed will start off the day directing a breakfast forum on Museum and Community, a follow-up to AAM's nationwide initiative that was taken to towns across America to get communities and museums to discuss common issues.

There is still time to register for MPMA's conference in October. Respond to this email if you need information about the conference to register.

(Ms.) Monta Lee Dakin, Executive Director
Mountain-Plains Museums Association
7110 West David Drive, Littleton, CO 80128-5404
303-979-9358 / 303-979-3553 (fax)
web site: www.mountplainsmuseums.org
email: [log in to unmask]

MPMA's 2002 Conference will be held in Topeka, October 2-5, 2002. Why come to Topeka? It's affordable and it'll be lots of fun.

Check our web site for conference information:www.mountplainsmuseums.org.

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