The group, led by Sister Rosemary Kolich, prepares to discuss Bruce Bair’s “Good Land, or My Life as a Farm-Boy.” The group meets once a month to discuss their literature choices.
Photo by Sergio Cisneros
Sergio Cisneros
Lantern Staff
Walking up to the library in the 600 building at any given moment will result in finding students and faculty alike deep in their work either on a comfy chair or at a desk with a computer.
However on Wednesday, Feb. 15, you would have found a meeting of the minds there to delve deep into the meaning of the novel “Good Land, or My Life as a Farm-Boy” by Bruce Bair.
The L.W. Nixon Library hosted this semester’s first Talk About Literature meeting. The meeting is more like a book club, where the material is discussed in a polite round-table discussion.
The overall theme of the books they plan on reading is unravelling the mystery of growing up in rural America, a life greatly unknown except by those who lived the life themselves, which seemed to be the case for the vast majority of the readers in attendance.
Reference and Instruction Librarian Martha Gregg joined in on the group to discuss the book and its content.
“I enjoy the participants, they bring so much life experience,” Gregg said. “They give everything great thought, and the quality of the discussion leaders enriches the discussions deeply. The books are also very good. They go beyond what people would most likely pick up.”
Gregg said that the group has been meeting for over 15 years when an organization call Life Enrichment started the idea, but because of staff cuts, they could not run Talk about Literature anymore. The library staff has kept the event going since then Gregg also said that the people enjoyed it too much, and the community should not lose it.
Anyone can join the discussion of the month, even if they have not read the book. One can go there just to listen in on the insightful conversations that take up every second of the event, which goes from 2 to 3 p.m.
The discussion leader for each book always changes, but the leader is always one who is knowledgeable, cares deeply about reading and loves to read the fine print of the book.
Sister Rosemary Kolich, an English professor from the University of Saint Mary, led the February meeting and was excited to participate.
“I felt the group had wonderful insight about the book, they had read it closely and came prepared,” Sister Kolich said. “Their remarks were great spring boards for discussions.”
Sister Kolich is an advocate for reading in education and in the community outside of the school who attends many events in Kansas through the Kansas Humanities Council (KHC), along with others who sign up with KHC, to go around the state and spread the power that reading has.
“People reading books anytime is important,” Sister Kolich said. “I love when people want to break open a book and delve into the deeper meaning, and then be able to relate it to their own life and create and insight through the book.”
The next events are scheduled for Wednesday, March 15 and Wednesday, April 26. They will be reading “Farmer Boy” by Laura Ingalls Wilder and then “Under the Feet of Jesus” by Helena Maria Viramontes.
If you are wishing to join in on the experience or need more information, contact the library by phone 316-322-3234 or go to http://www.butlercc.edu/libraries.
