Pageturners, the book club of Schoolcraft College, has planned an engaging schedule of virtual book discussions this fall. The books, dates and times are as follows:
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
“Olive Kitteridge” by Elizabeth Strout
About the book: Olive Kitteridge, a retired schoolteacher, deplores the changes in her little town of Crosby, Maine, and in the world at large, but she doesn’t always recognize the changes in those around her. As the townspeople grapple with their problems, mild and dire, Olive is brought to a deeper understanding of herself and her life—sometimes painfully, but always with ruthless honesty. Olive Kitteridge offers profound insights into the human condition— its conflicts, its tragedies and joys, and the endurance it requires.
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
“Conspiracy Theories: Philosophers Connect the Dots” edited by Richard Greene and Rachel Robison-Greene
About the book: Conspiracy theories have become a major element in modern opinion formation. From the theory that the killing of President Kennedy was masterminded by a powerful conspiracy to the theory that 9/11 was an inside job, from the story that Barack Obama wasn’t born in America to the story that Donald Trump was a Russian asset, conspiracy theories have become a major element in opinion formation and an ever-present influence, sometimes open, sometimes hidden, on the daily headline news. In “Conspiracy Theories,” philosophers of diverse backgrounds and persuasions focus their lenses on the phenomenon of the conspiracy theory, its psychological causes, its typical shape and its political consequences.
Also: Dr. Mark Huston, one of the contributors to the book, will host a virtual conversation with the authors on Thursday, Oct. 29, from 1:30-2:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 4, noon
“The Son of Good Fortune” by Lysley Tenorio
About the book: Excel spends his days trying to seem like an unremarkable American teenager. But
Excel knows that his family is far from normal. Excel is undocumented—and one accidental slip could uproot his entire life. Casting aside the paranoia and secrecy of his childhood, Excel takes a leap, joining Sab on a journey south to a ramshackle desert town called Hello City. Populated by drifters, old hippies, and washed-up techies—and existing outside the normal constructs of American society—Hello City offers Excel a chance to forge his own path for the first time. But after so many years of trying to be invisible, who does he want to become? And is it possible to put down roots in a country that has always considered you an outsider?
Also: This is meet-the-author event is co-sponsored by the Schoolcraft College International Institute and the Pageturners Book Club.
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
“The Nickel Boys: A Novel” by Colson Whitehead
About the book: Colson Whitehead brilliantly dramatizes a strand of American history through the story of two boys sentenced to a hellish reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida. When Elwood Curtis, a black boy growing up in 1960s Tallahassee, is unfairly sentenced to a juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy, he finds himself trapped in a grotesque chamber of horrors. Elwood’s only salvation is his friendship with fellow “delinquent” Turner, which deepens despite Turner’s conviction that Elwood is hopelessly naive, that the world is crooked, and that the only way to survive is to scheme and avoid trouble. As life at the Academy becomes ever more perilous, the tension between Elwood’s ideals and Turner’s skepticism leads to a decision whose repercussions will echo down the decades.
Pageturners is open to all Schoolcraft College students, faculty, staff, administrators and community members. Discussion sessions are facilitated by Schoolcraft College students.
For more information and to obtain links for the virtual sessions, please contact Denise Schell at dschell@schoolcraft.edu or call 734-462-7189.