Dystopian novel is FF Book Club selection for February
Fri, Feb 24 2023, 2pm
Awarded the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson follows the misadventures of Jun Do, a North Korean everyman whose name is a homonym for John Doe. Raised in an orphanage, the son of the orphanage director, Jun Do is sent to combat training in the military and then on an undercover mission to kidnap Japanese women. According to the author, the abduction sequence, which goes badly, is based on historical facts. Jun Do manages to fail his numerous assignments but, nevertheless, is rewarded with ever more-satisfying promotions.
Johnson, who is currently an associate professor in creative writing at Stanford University, based the novel on interviews with North Korean defectors. He visited the country once.
According to journalist Barbara Demick, who has reported extensively on the country, “It is a book full of audacity, more or less conforming to stereotypes about North Korea. I fear that some readers might have a hard time figuring out where fact leaves off and fiction begins. … North Korea, bad as it is, I've not heard of political prisoners being lobotomized with nails inserted over the eyeball.” Ugh!
The Orphan Master's Son is in a class of dystopian novels along with the classics 1984 and Brave New World.
UMRA's Fourth Friday Book Club meeting will be held via Zoom from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on February 24. Email Dorothy Marden or Margaret Catambay for information about how to join the meeting.
Upcoming Events
Our July 15 "hike" is going to be a kayaking adventure on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun) and Lake of the Isles! If you don't have a kayak (or paddleboard), Wheel Fun Rentals, located next to the new concession stand rents single kayaks at $15 an hour and double kayaks at $25. The second hour is free if we rent before noon. Life jackets are provided with the rental.
Laura Ericksen will lead the discussion of How Stella Learned to Talk by Christina Hunger, a true story by a speech-language pathologist who taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using buttons associated with different words.
Our August 5 hike will be a reprise of our hike last summer at William O'Brien State Park. This is a beautiful park with a winding trail and a great view of the countryside. The hike is about 5.5 to 6 miles and we'll go at a moderate pace with frequent water breaks. After the hike, we will eat lunch at Rustic Roots Winery, a half mile north of the park.
Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of The Bookbinder by Pip Williams, a book set in 1914 Oxford chronicling the life of Peggy who works in the University bindery, but craves a life beyond binding books but to being a scholar herself.
Enjoy a two-hour cruise on the Jonathan Padelford, leaving from the Harriet Island dock in St. Paul, boarding time at 5:30 p.m. We will have a brief program on board by Patrick Nunnally from the River Life Program of the Institute on the Environment.
August 31 is the due date for annual reports and updates. Annual Reports, Toolkits, web page updates, operating document updates and archives collections are all due each year on this date.
Autumn is a wonderful season in Minnesota so plan to join UMRA at the Andersen Horticultural Library at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Kristen Mastel, head librarian and curator, will reveal its treasure trove of publications and artifacts relating to plant history, horticulture, and natural history. After the tour, those who are interested may stay to eat lunch together, sitting outside if the weather is nice. Later, you are invited to a one-hour tram tour of the entire Arboretum that includes natural areas of flowering shrubs, bogs, and forests, family garden and landscaping showpieces, and the red barn farm
After a summer break the UMRA Photo Club will next meet September 10, 2024 in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library. For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 am. For September the THEME will be Curves
We will continue to discuss the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage. You will also hear about notable non-health plan and non-broker resources.