The Wyoming Humanities Council, together with the Albany County Public Library and the Laramie County Library System, announces a five-part reading and discussion series titled “Let’s Talk About It: Muslim Journeys,” starting in early 2014. The council is one of 125 organizations across the country selected to participate in this project, which focuses on the people, history and cultures of Muslims in the United States and around the world.
The titles in the reading series are “Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood” by Marjane Satrapi, “House of Stone” by Anthony Shadid, “Dreams of Trespass” by Fatima Mernissi, “Broken Verses” by Kamila Shamsie, and “In the Country of Men” by Hisham Matar. Deborah Amos, international correspondent for National Public Radio, developed the series, which features several memoirs.
Clara Keyt is the discussion leader in Cheyenne. Keyt holds a doctorate in public history from Arizona State University and teaches for the University of Wyoming and Colorado State University.
In Laramie, Bonnie Zare and Nichol Bondurant are discussion leaders. Zare is a faculty member in the Gender and Women’s Studies program at the University of Wyoming. Much of her research focuses on India. Bondurant teaches world literature at Laramie High School.
In addition to the reading series, both libraries will host the following programs in conjunction with Muslim Journeys: Seth Ward, a faculty member in the University of Wyoming Religious Studies program, will present “An Introduction to Islam for the Equality State,” and Anne Marie Lane, from the Toppan Rare Books Library at the American Heritage Center, will discuss Islamic influences on European bookmaking.
All programs are free and open to the public. To register and borrow books, contact the libraries directly.
“Let’s Talk About It: Muslim Journeys” is a project of the National Endowment for the Humanities, conducted in cooperation with the American Library Association with support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Local support is provided by the Wyoming Humanities Council, Albany County Public Library, and the Laramie County Library System.
A full schedule of events appears below.
Cheyenne:
Contact Jennifer Rife, 773-7218.
January 9, 7 pm: book discussion, “In the Country of Men”
January 23, 7 pm: book discussion, “Persepolis”
February 6, 7 pm: book discussion, “House of Stone”
February 12, 6:30 pm: Seth Ward, UW Religious Studies Program, “Introduction to Islam for the Equality State”
February 20, 7 pm: book discussion, “Broken Verses”
February 24, 6:30 pm: Anne Marie Lane, AHC Toppan Rare Books Library, “Islamic Influences on European Bookmaking”
March 6, 7 pm: book discussion, “Dreams of Trespass”
Laramie:
Contact Kathy Marquis, 721-2580, x 5438
January 23, 7 pm: Seth Ward, UW Religious Studies Program, “Introduction to Islam for the Equality State”
February 13, 7 pm: book discussion, “Persepolis” (Nichol Bondurant is discussion leader)
March 6, 7 pm: book discussion, “In the Country of Men”
March 27, 7 pm: book discussion, “House of Stone”
April 17, 7 pm: book discussion, “Broken Verses”
April 23, 7 pm: Anne Marie Lane, AHC Toppan Rare Books Library, “Islamic Influences on European Bookmaking”
May 8, 7 pm: “Dreams of Trespass”