February Book Notes
This month two Book Club members share impressions of the February book, The HomePlace: A Colored Man’s Affair with Nature by J. Drew Lanham.
Judy Leahy Grimes writes: I liked Lanham’s economy of words and his gentle, very honest portrayal of how he lived his life. To me, some things that stood out were his experiences with guns: the first when he kills a sparrow with his new BB gun and even as a young boy realizes it was a needless act. Later in life he shot a giant buck, which provided his family with food for a year.
Also, I was struck by this small paragraph on p. 57: “I loved my parents, but I’ve long found it ironic that any black people coming through the civil rights movement, witnessing all the violence the period brought to bear, and with their parents born at the edge of slavery, would carry the whip forward as a means of control. I’ve tried to do better with my own children.” He does not diminish his love and admiration for his parents, but, admirably, he chose not to follow that path.
Mary Jane Towle writes: Lanham beautifully demonstrates his pride in his West African heritage. He says, “I am as much a scientist as I am a black man; my skin defines me no more than my heart does. …I’ve yet to have a wild creature question my identity.”
With a “birder” husb and, I can fully appreciate the author’s interest in nature and birds and that he wants to encourage more African American young people to enter such fields as botany and zoology. My husband and I have noted there are very few African American birders in Minnesota or in our wider travels.
When speaking of the flora and fauna of his beloved Edgefield, South Carolina, Lanham nevertheless admits that “Edgefield has been less welcoming of—less of a refuge for—human diversity.”
We hope everyone will consider reading this very interesting and inspiring book.
— UMRA Book Club
UMRA Book Club to discuss The Home Place at February 16 meeting
Fri, Feb 16 2018, 2pm
Book Club member Judy Helgen will lead the discussion of The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature by J. Drew Lanham at the February 16 meeting. The Book Club meets at 2 p.m. the third Friday of every month except December. Meetings are held at the 1666 Coffman Building which is on Larpenteur Avenue near the St. Paul Campus. Newcomers are welcome. For more information contact Pat Tollefson at [email protected].
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.