November 16, 2023
2023-11-16T18:00:00
Banned Books Club meets monthly on the second Thursday at 6:00 PM in the Conference Room at Arcata Public Library. To become a member, please email Cayman at the link below. You must be 18 or older. Questions? Call Arcata Library at 707-822-5954 during open hours.
500 7th Street
(behind and below City Hall)
Arcata, CA 95521
Free. Sponsored by Humboldt Library Foundation and Friends of Arcata Library.
6:00 PM, Arcata Library's Banned Book Club, ‘The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian’ by Sherman Alexie (in Person and via Zoom).
Thursday, November 16, 2023
For November, Native American Heritage month, we discuss ‘The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian’ by Sherman Alexie, with an optional read by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, ‘An Indigenous People’s History for Young People’. In 'Absolutely True Diary', we follow the coming-of-age story, partly based on Alexie's own life, of a Native American teenager struggling to find his place in two very different worlds. Content warning - there are accounts of sexual harassment and misconduct admitted to by Alexie himself, that will be part of the discussion. If that is something that you would rather avoid, we encourage you to read the second option, that will be covered in the beginning of the meeting.
Banned Books Club
- ‘The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian’ by Sherman Alexie
- ‘An Indigenous People’s History for Young People’ by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, adapted by Jean Mendoza and Debbie Reese
The Banned Books Club, brought to you by Arcata Public Library, was hatched from curiosity about the books we've been told to avoid. Book banning has been around for centuries in the U.S., and even longer internationally. Who are the people and/or groups challenging and banning these titles? What are the reasons cited? Where in the U.S. are we seeing this occur? These are some of the questions we will be asking and as we explore each title, we will discuss trends and patterns we see emerge from historical and current bans.
Due to the nature of the titles we read, the book club is an 18+ space.
Discuss Banned Books with Cayman
Say 'hello!' to Cayman, one of Arcata Public Library's Assistants and the host of our new Banned Books Club! Cayman's pronouns are She/Her/Hers, she has worked for Humboldt County Libraries since January 2022 and is currently a student at Cal Poly Humboldt working towards her Bachelors of Arts in Literary Studies. She is an avid collector of pressed pennies, first edition books, and hopes to adopt a kitty this year. This is her first time hosting a book group. Cayman looks forward to learning and growing with you all!