Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Community Read of Hillbilly Elegy

Hillbilly Elegy Book Cover
McIntyre Library and the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library have teamed up to host a reading program entitled "One Book, One Community." This program will feature a handful of events in which participants will read and discuss J.D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy.

UW-Eau Claire faculty, staff, and students are invited to read the book and join the discussion on campus on April 9 at noon in CETL (OL 1142). Additional programs will be held throughout the week at the Eau Claire Public Library.

McIntyre Library will be giving away copies of the book to the first 15 registrants. To register contact Eric Jennings (jenninge@uwec.edu).

About the Program
One Book, One Community is a reading program designed to encourage literacy and civic involvement by reading a single book which highlights issues relevant to our community. This collaboration is for all members of the UW-Eau Claire (students, faculty, staff) and greater Eau Claire community.

About the Book
Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance is a memoir about the Appalachian values of the Vance's upbringing and their relation to the social problems of his hometown. The author reflects on upward mobility in America seen through the lens of a white, working-class family.

The book has received high praise from a variety of sources. This #1 New York Times Best Seller was listed as one of six books to help understand Trump's election. The Economist said "You will not read a more important book about America this year." Christianity Today remarked "The troubles of the working poor are well known to policymakers, but Vance offers an insider’s view of the problem.”

Program Listing 
  • Monday, April 9, noon-1 pm (CETL, UW-Eau Claire): Book Discussion
  • Monday, April 9, 6 -7:30 pm (L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library): More than Meth: A Town Hall Meeting
  • Wednesday, April 11, 6 -7:30 pm (L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library): The Past, Present, and Future of "Fake News" 
  • Friday, April 13, 5:30 -7:30 pm (The Plus): Civic Lab: Table Talk
  • Saturday, April 14, 1 -2:30 pm (L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library): Adverse Childhood Experiences: Translating Evidence into Action

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