Book-lovers across Kansas will be talking about Langston Hughes this fall and winter.
Kansas University has secured a $6,600 grant from the Kansas Humanities Council to fund six “poetry circles” across the state, where readers will discuss works by Hughes.
The circles dubbed “Reading and Remembering Langston Hughes” are part of the 100th birthday celebration planned for Hughes, who lived most of his childhood years, from 1903 to 1915, in Lawrence.
But unlike most of the events planned for the celebration which includes a variety of performances, readings and discussions the poetry circles will reach beyond Lawrence.
“We have the opportunity to help Kansas reclaim a native son, to get people together to discuss his works,” said John Edgar Tidwell, associate professor of English at KU. “We want to get the name of Langston Hughes and the work of Langston Hughes and the legacy of Langston Hughes filtered out to the whole state of Kansas.”
Participants in the discussion groups will read four books by Hughes: “Not Without Laughter,” a fictionalized account of his childhood in Lawrence; “The Best of Simple,” a series of character sketches in prose; “The Big Sea,” the first of his two autobiographies; and “The Collected Poems.”
The Lawrence Public Library will be host to the first series on Oct. 10 and 24 and Nov. 7 and 28. Other groups in Topeka, Iola, Independence, Hays and Norton will begin in January. Scholars from Kansas universities will serve as discussion leaders. Each group will have about 35 members.
The $6,600 grant will help purchase copies of the books. Book publisher Hill and Wang is donating 50 copies each of “The Big Sea” and “The Best of Simple.”
Sandra Wiechert, community relations coordinator at Lawrence Public Library, said response to the Hughes groups has been overwhelming.
“The book discussion groups haven’t been fully announced in the press nor in our own library newsletter, and they’re already half full, just by word of mouth,” she said.
Anyone wanting to sign up for the group can contact the library’s reference desk at 843-1178.
Cheryl Greer, adult services librarian in Independence, said she thought there would be similar response in her town.
“I think the community is open to anything the library presents,” she said. “The persona of Langston Hughes isn’t going to be as familiar (as other authors groups have discussed), but it’s a chance to tie in another character that isn’t as well known, especially in our community.”
Tidwell said he thought the groups were a good chance for readers to understand the meaning behind Hughes’ works.
“I think we can get a better sense of identity and who we are as part of the larger body politic,” he said. “I think once people begin to talk about the implications of Hughes’ writing and see how their lives are represented in what Hughes had to say, it will have a transformative power. They’ll emerge from these discussions seeing themselves in a larger whole.”
A symposium on Hughes will take place Jan. 31 and Feb. 7-10, 2002. Presenters include actor Danny Glover, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker and former U.S. poet laureate Robert Pinsky.
Book-lovers across Kansas will be talking about Langston Hughes this fall and winter.
Kansas University has secured a $6,600 grant from the Kansas Humanities Council to fund six “poetry circles” across the state, where readers will discuss works by Hughes.
The circles dubbed “Reading and Remembering Langston Hughes” are part of the 100th birthday celebration planned for Hughes, who lived most of his childhood years, from 1903 to 1915, in Lawrence.
But unlike most of the events planned for the celebration which includes a variety of performances, readings and discussions the poetry circles will reach beyond Lawrence.
“We have the opportunity to help Kansas reclaim a native son, to get people together to discuss his works,” said John Edgar Tidwell, associate professor of English at KU. “We want to get the name of Langston Hughes and the work of Langston Hughes and the legacy of Langston Hughes filtered out to the whole state of Kansas.”
Participants in the discussion groups will read four books by Hughes: “Not Without Laughter,” a fictionalized account of his childhood in Lawrence; “The Best of Simple,” a series of character sketches in prose; “The Big Sea,” the first of his two autobiographies; and “The Collected Poems.”
The Lawrence Public Library will be host to the first series on Oct. 10 and 24 and Nov. 7 and 28. Other groups in Topeka, Iola, Independence, Hays and Norton will begin in January. Scholars from Kansas universities will serve as discussion leaders. Each group will have about 35 members.
The $6,600 grant will help purchase copies of the books. Book publisher Hill and Wang is donating 50 copies each of “The Big Sea” and “The Best of Simple.”
Sandra Wiechert, community relations coordinator at Lawrence Public Library, said response to the Hughes groups has been overwhelming.
“The book discussion groups haven’t been fully announced in the press nor in our own library newsletter, and they’re already half full, just by word of mouth,” she said.
Anyone wanting to sign up for the group can contact the library’s reference desk at 843-1178.
Cheryl Greer, adult services librarian in Independence, said she thought there would be similar response in her town.
“I think the community is open to anything the library presents,” she said. “The persona of Langston Hughes isn’t going to be as familiar (as other authors groups have discussed), but it’s a chance to tie in another character that isn’t as well known, especially in our community.”
Tidwell said he thought the groups were a good chance for readers to understand the meaning behind Hughes’ works.
“I think we can get a better sense of identity and who we are as part of the larger body politic,” he said. “I think once people begin to talk about the implications of Hughes’ writing and see how their lives are represented in what Hughes had to say, it will have a transformative power. They’ll emerge from these discussions seeing themselves in a larger whole.”
A symposium on Hughes will take place Jan. 31 and Feb. 7-10, 2002. Presenters include actor Danny Glover, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker and former U.S. poet laureate Robert Pinsky.
Book-lovers across Kansas will be talking about Langston Hughes this fall and winter.
Kansas University has secured a $6,600 grant from the Kansas Humanities Council to fund six “poetry circles” across the state, where readers will discuss works by Hughes.
The circles dubbed “Reading and Remembering Langston Hughes” are part of the 100th birthday celebration planned for Hughes, who lived most of his childhood years, from 1903 to 1915, in Lawrence.
But unlike most of the events planned for the celebration which includes a variety of performances, readings and discussions the poetry circles will reach beyond Lawrence.
“We have the opportunity to help Kansas reclaim a native son, to get people together to discuss his works,” said John Edgar Tidwell, associate professor of English at KU. “We want to get the name of Langston Hughes and the work of Langston Hughes and the legacy of Langston Hughes filtered out to the whole state of Kansas.”
Participants in the discussion groups will read four books by Hughes: “Not Without Laughter,” a fictionalized account of his childhood in Lawrence; “The Best of Simple,” a series of character sketches in prose; “The Big Sea,” the first of his two autobiographies; and “The Collected Poems.”
The Lawrence Public Library will be host to the first series on Oct. 10 and 24 and Nov. 7 and 28. Other groups in Topeka, Iola, Independence, Hays and Norton will begin in January. Scholars from Kansas universities will serve as discussion leaders. Each group will have about 35 members.
The $6,600 grant will help purchase copies of the books. Book publisher Hill and Wang is donating 50 copies each of “The Big Sea” and “The Best of Simple.”
Sandra Wiechert, community relations coordinator at Lawrence Public Library, said response to the Hughes groups has been overwhelming.
“The book discussion groups haven’t been fully announced in the press nor in our own library newsletter, and they’re already half full, just by word of mouth,” she said.
Anyone wanting to sign up for the group can contact the library’s reference desk at 843-1178.
Cheryl Greer, adult services librarian in Independence, said she thought there would be similar response in her town.
“I think the community is open to anything the library presents,” she said. “The persona of Langston Hughes isn’t going to be as familiar (as other authors groups have discussed), but it’s a chance to tie in another character that isn’t as well known, especially in our community.”
Tidwell said he thought the groups were a good chance for readers to understand the meaning behind Hughes’ works.
“I think we can get a better sense of identity and who we are as part of the larger body politic,” he said. “I think once people begin to talk about the implications of Hughes’ writing and see how their lives are represented in what Hughes had to say, it will have a transformative power. They’ll emerge from these discussions seeing themselves in a larger whole.”
A symposium on Hughes will take place Jan. 31 and Feb. 7-10, 2002. Presenters include actor Danny Glover, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker and former U.S. poet laureate Robert Pinsky.
Book-lovers across Kansas will be talking about Langston Hughes this fall and winter.
Kansas University has secured a $6,600 grant from the Kansas Humanities Council to fund six “poetry circles” across the state, where readers will discuss works by Hughes.
The circles dubbed “Reading and Remembering Langston Hughes” are part of the 100th birthday celebration planned for Hughes, who lived most of his childhood years, from 1903 to 1915, in Lawrence.
But unlike most of the events planned for the celebration which includes a variety of performances, readings and discussions the poetry circles will reach beyond Lawrence.
“We have the opportunity to help Kansas reclaim a native son, to get people together to discuss his works,” said John Edgar Tidwell, associate professor of English at KU. “We want to get the name of Langston Hughes and the work of Langston Hughes and the legacy of Langston Hughes filtered out to the whole state of Kansas.”
Participants in the discussion groups will read four books by Hughes: “Not Without Laughter,” a fictionalized account of his childhood in Lawrence; “The Best of Simple,” a series of character sketches in prose; “The Big Sea,” the first of his two autobiographies; and “The Collected Poems.”
The Lawrence Public Library will be host to the first series on Oct. 10 and 24 and Nov. 7 and 28. Other groups in Topeka, Iola, Independence, Hays and Norton will begin in January. Scholars from Kansas universities will serve as discussion leaders. Each group will have about 35 members.
The $6,600 grant will help purchase copies of the books. Book publisher Hill and Wang is donating 50 copies each of “The Big Sea” and “The Best of Simple.”
Sandra Wiechert, community relations coordinator at Lawrence Public Library, said response to the Hughes groups has been overwhelming.
“The book discussion groups haven’t been fully announced in the press nor in our own library newsletter, and they’re already half full, just by word of mouth,” she said.
Anyone wanting to sign up for the group can contact the library’s reference desk at 843-1178.
Cheryl Greer, adult services librarian in Independence, said she thought there would be similar response in her town.
“I think the community is open to anything the library presents,” she said. “The persona of Langston Hughes isn’t going to be as familiar (as other authors groups have discussed), but it’s a chance to tie in another character that isn’t as well known, especially in our community.”
Tidwell said he thought the groups were a good chance for readers to understand the meaning behind Hughes’ works.
“I think we can get a better sense of identity and who we are as part of the larger body politic,” he said. “I think once people begin to talk about the implications of Hughes’ writing and see how their lives are represented in what Hughes had to say, it will have a transformative power. They’ll emerge from these discussions seeing themselves in a larger whole.”
A symposium on Hughes will take place Jan. 31 and Feb. 7-10, 2002. Presenters include actor Danny Glover, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker and former U.S. poet laureate Robert Pinsky.
