Western Illinois University-Quad Cities Professor of English Everett Hamner will lead a discussion of Octavia Butler's novel Kindred on Thursday, April 3rd, 7:00 p.m. at the Moline Public Library. Space is limited, so registration is required. To borrow a copy of the novel and register for the discussion, visit the library at 3210 - 41st Street, or call 309-524-2470.
This book discussion of Kindred is presented as part of the six-week series Created Equal and Changing America, which explores our nation's civil rights history through film, exhibition, and presentations. The novel tells the story of Dana, a black woman living in 1976 Los Angeles who finds herself travelling through time to the 19th century South, where she saves the life of her ancestor, the white son of a slaveholder. Kindred uses science fiction to explore the themes of slavery, race, and gender. Octavia Butler (1947-2006), one of the most acclaimed female authors in science fiction, and has been praised for "writing the most detailed social criticism and creating some of the most fascinating female characters in the genre" (The Village Voice).
Leading the discussion is Dr. Everett Hamner, who earned his master's degrees from Johns Hopkins and Regent College (University of British Columbia) and his PhD from the University of Iowa. His essays may be found in such journals as American Literature, Modern Fiction Studies, Religion and Literature, and Science Fiction Studies.
Created Equal: America's Civil Rights Struggle is made possible through a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, as part of its Bridging Cultures initiative, in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.
Changing America is presented by the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of American History in collaboration with the American Library Association Public Programs Office. The traveling exhibition is made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor.
Local support for Created Equal and Changing America has been provided by Friends of the Moline Public Library, WQPT, and The Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus/QCOnline.
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