Dunbar Library | Photo by Monica Brutto | The Wright State Guardian
Wright State University Dunbar Library continues to host book club discussions during spring semester, celebrating the works of local authors and awardees.
Books and content
Closing in on its tenth anniversary, the WSU Library Book Club has been a part of the community since 2014 (with a two-year hiatus for part of the year 2017-2018), according to the official library blog.
Back in full swing since 2019, the book club features books like “Blackout: A Thriller” by WSU Professor Erin Flanagan and “We Germans: A Novel” by Alexander Starritt, a Dayton Literary Peace Prize winner for Fiction.
This year, for the month of March, the book club will be discussing the 2022 Dayton Literary Prize for Fiction winner “The Love Songs of W.E.B. Dubois” by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers. This novel describes the horrors of the slave trade and living in contemporary America.
The discussion of this work will occur on Mar. 9 following the Jan. 12 discussion on “The Island of Missing Trees: A Novel” by Elif Shafak.
Discussion
Assistant librarian Mandy Shannon provided insight into the discussions during the book club.
“We have a wonderful mix of different perspectives represented, which really enhances the discussion,” Shannon said.
Shannon also explained that the book club members are dedicated individuals from a wide range of backgrounds in the Dayton community.
“There are some community members who have been attending since the first session in 2014. They range from Wright State staff and faculty to community members who checked it out because they worked across the street from our original meeting location,” Shannon explained.
Shannon also mentioned another hopeful prospect for a particular group of attendees.
“We’ve had more students in attendance this year than in the past, which I think is really exciting,” Shannon exclaimed.
Sponsors and what to expect
The 2022-2023 Book Club sponsors are the Friends of the Libraries, WSU Alumni Association and the WSU Retirees Association.
Friends of the Library member Catherine Queener provided insight into a normal book club discussion.
“Expect the moderators to come prepared with thought-provoking questions, but the discussion often takes a tangent to another aspect of the book that attendees found maddening, or funny, or inexplicable,” Queener said.
A wide range of voices are welcome and encouraged during the discussions. Queener explained the environment of the discussion space.
“Multiple points of view are welcome, and we do not have to agree on all aspects of a book. The discussion is just an hour long, and it moves pretty fast. We encourage everyone to speak,” Queener said.
Student opinion and application
Student Ashley Carter expressed interest in attending a book club meeting, but would find making time difficult due to family, work and school obligations; however, all students are welcome to attend the online meetings and discussions for the club.
The WSU community is able to borrow books from the WSU Libraries collection. For more information, visit the WSU Library Book Club Blog, or visit this registration link.
