Book notes | The Vanishing Half
The (Fourth Friday) UMRA Book Club II met on February 26 to discuss The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. Attendees agreed this was a very well-developed story of racial passing, racial colorism, and, to a lesser extent, homophobia.
The story is of twin sisters from a Black Louisiana town during Jim Crow. The separate fates of the sisters assume lots of plot twists. In a period spanning 50 years, there are identities chosen and imposed; there are possibilities embraced and rebutted. Consequences are in abundance.
There is even some hometown color: the University of Minnesota Medical School and the very harsh (the author’s words) Minnesota winters.
We also briefly noted The Human Stain by Phillip Roth. Roth considers the same issue of identity, the same crises of racism—but with the act of passing sometimes a celebration of challenging racial constructs, an exhilaration of the grand and elaborate art, and an act to “take his future into his own hands.”
—Brit Britten, Fourth Friday Book Club member
UMRA Book Club II to meet February 26
Fri, Feb 26 2021, 2pm
The UMRA Book Club II is new and we welcome new readers. We meet at 2 p.m. on the fourth Friday of every month except December. At the present time, we are meeting online via Zoom.
Dorothy Marden will lead the discussion of The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, recounts the separate fates of twin sisters from a Black Louisiana town during Jim Crow. The sisters' lives diverge, only to intersect unexpectedly years later. The novel spans nearly half a century from the 1940's to the 1990's. On the one hand a provocative meditation on the possibilities and the limits of self-definition, and yet there is the challenge of identity that is both chosen and imposed.
The Vanishing Half is one of the New York Times "The 10 Best Books of 2020" and other honored citations.
If you would like more information, have book suggestions for future meetings, or wish to join this discussion, please send your name and email address to us for the ZOOM INVITATION:
Dorothy [email protected]
Maggie: [email protected]
What would you like to read in the future? Some suggestions:
Red Pill, by Hari Kunzru
Turn of the Screw, by Henry James
Nectar in a Sieve, by Kamala Markandaya
Short Stories, by Herman Melville, such as Billy Budd, and Bartleby the Scrivner
The Black Tulip, by Alexander Dumas
Night Train to Lisbon, by Pascal Mercier
Upcoming Events
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.