Spartanburg County Public Libraries to host Let's Talk About It: Making Sense of the American Civil War Reading and Discussion Series
Spartanburg, SC, February 27, 2012 -- The Headquarters Library recently received a $3,000 grant from the American Library Association (ALA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to host "Let's Talk About It: Making Sense of the American Civil War," a five-part reading and discussion series. The library is one of 65 public libraries nationwide receiving direct grants to host the series developed by the American Library Association and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
"We are delighted to have been chosen to host this unique series that will allow patrons a chance to discuss the legacy of the Civil War with fellow community members and with the help of a well-qualified scholar," said Steve Smith, Coordinator of Local History and Collections and Project Director for the LTAI programs.
Group discussion events will be held beginning in February 2012 at the library on the following works:
• "March" by Geraldine Brooks (Penguin, 2006)
• "Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam" by James McPherson (Oxford University Press, 2002)
• "America's War: Talking About the Civil War and Emancipation on Their 150th Anniversaries," a forthcoming anthology of historical fiction, speeches, diaries, memoirs, biography, and short stories, edited by national project scholar Edward L. Ayers and co-published by NEH and ALA.
Dr. Andrew Myers will lead a discussion of the book at each session. Dr. Myers, our project scholar, serves as the Associate Professor of American Studies at the University of South Carolina Upstate and is currently teaching a course entitled "American Military Culture: the Civil War."
The Spartanburg County Public Libraries are thrilled to be able to bring this program to the citizens of Spartanburg County and are excited to be working with several community partners on this project including: Converse College, the Foothills Civil War Roundtable, the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the Spartanburg County Historical Association, the University of South Carolina Upstate and Wofford College.
Contact Steve Smith at steves@infodepot.org for more information on this program or visit the library's website www.infodepot.org.
The mission of the Spartanburg County Public Libraries is to create, connect, change.
