Saturday, July 21, 2012

A Summer's Worth of Black Literature

   The African American Literature discussion group will be taking a break this summer, with our next meeting scheduled for Tuesday September 11th. We'll be discussing Percival Everett's Erasure, a fascinating novel about a black intellectual confronting what that terms mean to his colleagues, his readers and his family. Easily one of the best books I've read this year!

 In the meantime, there are plenty of fascinating African American titles you might want to check out for your summer reading. A good place to start is EPL's list of notable recent African American fiction and nonfiction. If you're interested in biographies and memoirs, we have a list for that as well. But if you're in true "beach read" mode, perhaps this list of African American mysteries might be more to your taste!

Wherever your literary travels take you, I wish you a healthy and happy summer, and I look forward to seeing everyone in September for Erasure!

Lesley

Monday, July 2, 2012

Religion, Race and Family in American Politics

 Just a week left until our discussion of Keli Goff's The GQ Candidate! Ms Goff is a lively, articulate presence on CNN,  MSNBC, and the Huffington Post.  Much of her commentary focuses on the destructive role she sees religion playing in political discourse. Although The GQ Candidate deals primarily with race, and with how politics affects families and friends, religion is also a key issue. The central character, Luke Cooper, is African American but was adopted and raised by a Jewish couple and now considers himself an agnostic. Is it possible to be a successful African American politician without being a Christian?

In Keli's  video above, she mostly talks about the pressures political campaigns put on the families and friends of candidates. But check out this interview  on Washington Watch where she explores the religious issue more fully.

Join us next Tuesday July 10th at 7:00 pm for the discussion! We still have a couple of copies left at the 2nd floor desk, so stop by or call 847-448-8620.

Trivia question: who did Goff name the lead character and his wife in The GQ Candidate  after? Email lawilliams@cityofevanston.org with the correct answer for a chance at a free pair of Ravinia tickets! Hint: politics is such a soap opera, isn't it?