Updated 2/13/25 at 2:35 p.m. – Location of the discussion changed.
“JAMES: A NOVEL” -League of Women Voters Book Club Discussion, Part I
The League of Women Voters of Whitewater Area’s Book Club is pleased to announce the first of three discussions of the book James: A Novel by Percival Everett, on Tuesday, February 18th, starting at 6:30 PM. The discussion will be held at The Book Teller, 171 W Main Street in Whitewater. [Please note the change of location.]
Tara McKenzie-Peotter, Whitewater High School teacher, will lead the discussion
including such topics as comparing the text to Huckleberry Finn and the historical and contemporary use of the “n” word.
The book James: A Novel, is a re-imaging of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of the enslaved Jim. The powerful, thought-provoking novel is written in three parts and we will be discussing each part separately.
Mark your calendars for the following two discussions:
Part II: Thursday, March 20 @ 6:30 pm – Greg Stewart, Whitewater High School teacher, will continue the book discussion with emphasis on the teaching of historical time frames and concepts such as cake walks, minstrels, slave narratives, and the Civil War.
Part III: Thursday, April 17 @ 6:30 pm – UW-Whitewater professor, Dr. Tamara
Lindsey, will lead the final session with an emphasis on topics such as emancipation, liberation, freedom and social construction theory that suggests reality and knowledge are shaped by societal agreements and shared assumptions.
A limited supply of books is available at The Book Teller. Call 262-269-9109 to hold a copy. For questions or further information please call Deb Gamble at 262-953-1946.
We invite all in the Whitewater community to join us in the discussions of the book of which The New York Times writes “below the packed dirt floor of Everett’s moral sensibility, James is an intensely imagined human being.” Let’s delve into that world together.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Visit our website at https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin/whitewater-area and like us on Facebook.
