Book notes | Strangers in Their Own Land
At the end of a week like no other (the House Jan. 6 committee hearings and Supreme Court decisions on gun control in New York and overturning Roe v. Wade), UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club met on June 24 and had a deep and passionate discussion on Strangers in Their Own Land by Arlie Russell Hochschild.
Although the book had been selected months earlier, it seemed to be a most relevant choice for this particular day. Members of our group all agreed that this well-written and well-researched book helped us to understand how our country has become more divisive and segmented.
Strangers in Their Own Land was published in 2016. At the core of the book is the nagging question of contemporary American politics: Why do people who would seem to benefit most from “liberal” government intervention abhor the very idea?
To explore what she calls “the great paradox,” Hochschild traveled to the deeply conservative Louisiana bayou country—a stronghold of the conservative right and an “extreme example” of a population that strongly opposes many of the ideas she famously champions.
Hochschild, a professor emerita of sociology at the University of California, Berkeley, in fact recognizes many core areas of common concern: the desire for community, the embrace of family and hopes for their children. She also creates a space for normative discussion of widely held issues.
It was a welcome read. And perhaps out there is the conservative counterpart to Hochschild to make a similar journey to a bastion of liberal advocacy.
—Laura Coffin Koch, UMRA Fourth Friday Book Club member
Fourth Friday Book Club to meet June 24
Fri, Jun 24 2022, 2pm
The long-awaited selection Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right by Arlie Russell Hochschild will be discussed when UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club meets via Zoom on Friday, June 24, from 2 to 3 pm Central Time.
Hochschild is an emeritus professor of sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. She is a widely respected sociologist generally associated with the advocacy of liberal causes.
Strangers in Their Own Land was published in 2016; the topic was timely then and perhaps even more so now. At the core of the book is the nagging question of contemporary American politics: Why do people who would seem to benefit most from “liberal” government intervention abhor the very idea?
In the book, Hochschild travels to the deeply conservative Louisiana bayou country, a stronghold of the conservative right—aka the “basket of deplorables,” a population that strongly opposes many of the ideas she famously champions.
Hochschild recognizes many core areas of common concern: the desire for community, the embrace of family, and hope for their children. She also creates a space for normative discussion of widely held issues. It will be a welcome read. And perhaps out there is the conservative counterpart to Hochschild to make a similar journey to the bastions of liberal advocacy.
Email Dorothy Marden or Margaret Catambay for more information including how to join the Zoom meeting.
—Dorothy Marden, Fourth Friday Book Club
Upcoming Events
Silk Parachute, an anthology of essays and the 40th of 44 published books by author John McPhee, will be the topic of discussion when UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club meets via Zoom from 2 to 3:30 p.m. CDT on April 26.
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.