Where the Heart Is
by Billie Letts
The Letās Talk About It, Oklahoma book discussion series at Ļć½¶Šć University will continue with āWhere the Heart Isā by Billie Letts at 7 p.m. Oct. 13 in Walker Center room 151.
The discussion series is titled āHope Amidst Hardship.ā It is made possible through a grant from the Oklahoma Humanities Council.
Oklahoma-born Lettsā novel āWhere the Heart Isā begins when a pregnant teenager is dumped by her boyfriend at a Wal-Mart in a strange town. The book captures many of the seamier aspects of life in the state, but also highlights the willingness of its citizens to help strangers. The homeless teenager experiences pregnancy and childbirth, abandonment, poverty and the devastation brought by a tornado.
At each session in the five-part series, a humanities scholar makes a presentation on the book in the context of the theme. Small group discussions follow with experienced discussion leaders. At the end, all participants come together for a brief wrap-up.
Those who are interested in participating are encouraged to preregister and borrow the reading selections and theme brochure by calling Harbour Winn at (405) 208-5472, e-mailing him at [email protected] or dropping by the Dulaney-Browne Library room 211 or 207.
Winn, director of the Center for Interpersonal Study through Film & Literature at Ļć½¶Šć, hopes the series will help participants find a ācommonality of hope and perseverance.ā
āRecognizing ourselves in others, even as we read of hardship, is a major reason we find reading enjoyable,ā Winn said. āHardship comes in many varieties, and the books in this series offer varied examples but present a common theme: there is hope along the way. Sometimes this hope comes from deep within ourselves. Sometimes it comes from others in unexpected ways.ā
Remaining dates and books in the series include:
Oct. 27 ā āThe Secret Life of Beesā by Sue Monk Kidd
Nov. 10 ā āTuesdays with Morrieā by Mitch Albom
