Talk About Literature in Kansas is a program for every Kansan who loves to read and discuss good books. The Friends of the Grant County Library Foundation is proud to sponsor for Winter/ Spring 2012, Literature With Kansas Connections.
Even if it isn’t always completely accurate, almost everyone has a picture of 19th century Kansas – Free State Bleeding Kansas, Sod House Early Settler Kansas, Populist Farmer Kansas, and other conceptions of the state we call home. We often hear that those were the days when the open frontier offered all men (and some women) real opportunities, when families worked together and children grew up knowing the true values of work and community. There’s less agreement about what it’s meant to live in 20th century Kansas.
Each book in this series offers a different window through which to look at modern-day Kansas. Kansans are proud of their anti-slavery history – these authors help raise the question of just how well the state enacted its implied commitment to equality. Equally important is the “frontier myth.” The books examine how life in Kansas has changed since the “Wild West outpost” days. Urbanization, rural decline, and social changes in the roles of women and the races have fundamentally changed what it means to be a Kansan. Growing up in 20th century, small-town Kansas is far different from the same experience in 19th century, small-town Kansas. The desire to cling to tradition is set at odds with the changing technological and social landscape.
Langston Hughes focused on eastern Kansas in the pre-Civil Rights, but post-Civil War era. Bob Dole writes about his experiences in World War II-era western Kansas. Laura Moriarty and Tom Averill have written recent novels about fictional late-20th century towns that deal with young people coming of age. You may find it interesting to compare each kind of experience with the others. These Kansas authors bring questions involving gender, ethnicity, time and perspective together in their work. Each author’s picture of a highly individualized Kansas experience brings readers to an understanding of our common experiences as Kansans.
All adults are invited to join the discussions of following titles on the dates listed below. Discussions will be held in the Cooper Clark meeting room at 7:30 p.m. Books are available for check out at the main circulation desk. Discussions will be lead by a scholar, and refreshments will be served.
January 30th, Not Without Laughter by Langston Hughes. Discussion lead by Sandra Wiechert
March 1st, The Slow Air of Ewan McPherson by Thomas Fox Averill. Discussion lead by Sara Richter
March 26th, The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty. Discussion lead by Kim Stanley
April 30th, One Soldier’s Story by Bob Dole. Discussion lead by Nancy Hope
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