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Humanities Book Group

A monthly reading and discussion group focusing on topics in history, culture, and the humanities. The group meets first Thursdays at 7pm and is led by guest scholars. Pick up a copy of each month's book from the front desk.

Utah Humanities ideas in action logo

This program has received funding from Utah Humanities. Utah Humanities enriches our cultural, intellectual, and civic life by providing opportunities for all Utahns to explore life's most engaging questions and the wonders of the human experience.

The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains
 

Thursday, 5 Jan 2023, 7 p.m.

Scholar: Kathryn MacKay, PhD, WSU.

The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains

By Wister, Owen
Introduction by Seelye, John
1988-08 - Penguin Group
9780140390650 CHECK CATALOG

The foreman of a large cattle ranch on the Wyoming frontier lives by the honor code of the West even though it means helping lynch a friend or possibly losing the girl he is to marry. …More

West of Everything: The Inner Life of Westerns

Thursday, 2 Feb 2023, 7 p.m.

Scholar: Tracey Smith, PhD, WSU.

West of Everything: The Inner Life of Westerns

By Tompkins, Jane
1993-04 - Oxford University Press, USA
9780195082685 CHECK CATALOG


A leading figure in the debate over the literary canon, Jane Tompkins was one of the first to point to the ongoing relevance of popular women's fiction in the 19th century, long overlooked or scorned by literary critics. Now, in West of Everything, Tompkins shows how popular novels and films of the American west have shaped the emotional lives of people in our time.

Into this …More

The Best of the West: Anthology of Classic Writing from the American West, an

Thursday, 2 Mar 2023, 7 p.m.

(Selected Parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 13)

Scholar: Keri Holt, PhD, USU.

The Best of the West: An Anthology of Classic Writing from the American West


By Hillerman, Tony
1992-09 - Harper Perennial
9780060923525 CHECK CATALOG


A sterling collection of classic and contemporary fiction and nonfiction evoking the unique spirit of the West and its people, selected and introduced by one of today's premier chroniclers of the Western landscape and New York Times bestselling author of Coyote Waits. "Anyone who enjoys a slumgullion stew can find something tasty in this campfire collection".--Entertainment Weekly. …More

The Best of the West: Anthology of Classic Writing from the American West, an

Thursday, 6 Apr 2023, 7 p.m.

(Selected Parts: 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15)

Scholar: Keri Holt, PhD, USU.

The Best of the West: An Anthology of Classic Writing from the American West


By Hillerman, Tony
1992-09 - Harper Perennial
9780060923525 CHECK CATALOG


A sterling collection of classic and contemporary fiction and nonfiction evoking the unique spirit of the West and its people, selected and introduced by one of today's premier chroniclers of the Western landscape and New York Times bestselling author of Coyote Waits. "Anyone who enjoys a slumgullion stew can find something tasty in this campfire collection".--Entertainment Weekly. …More

Ghosts of Gold Mountain: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad

Thursday, 4 May 2023, 7 p.m.

Scholar: Jay Hart, PhD, WSU.

Ghosts of Gold Mountain: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad


By Chang, Gordon H.
2020-05 - Mariner Books
9780358331810 CHECK CATALOG

A groundbreaking, breathtaking history of the Chinese workers who built the Transcontinental Railroad, helping to forge modern America …More



Birthing the West: Mothers and Midwives in the Rockies and Plains

Thursday, 20 Jul 2023, 7 p.m. (Rescheduled from 1 Jun 2023)

Scholar: Leah LaGrone, PhD, WSU.

Birthing the West: Mothers and Midwives in the Rockies and Plains


By Hill, Jennifer J.
2022-03 - Bison Books
9781496226853 CHECK CATALOG


Childbirth defines families, communities, and nations. In Birthing the West, Jennifer J. Hill fills the silences around historical reproduction with copious new evidence and an enticing narrative, describing a process of settlement in the American West that depended on the nurturing connections of reproductive caregivers and the authority of mothers over birth.

Economic and cultural …More

The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West

Thursday, 6 Jul 2023, 7 p.m.

Scholar: Eric Swedin, PhD, WSU.

The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West


By McCullough, David
2020-05 - Simon & Schuster
9781501168703 CHECK CATALOG

The #1 New York Times bestseller by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David McCullough rediscovers an important chapter in the American story that's "as resonant today as ever" (The Wall Street Journal)--the settling of the Northwest Territory by courageous pioneers who overcame incredible hardships to build a community based on ideals that would define our country. …More

The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend

Thursday, 3 Aug 2023, 7 p.m.

Scholar: Nathan Rives, PhD, WSU.

The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend


By Frankel, Glenn
2014-02 - Bloomsbury USA
9781620400654 CHECK CATALOG

The true story behind the classic Western The Searchers by Pulitzer Prize-wining writer Glenn Frankel that the New York Times calls A …More


New Women in the Old West: From Settlers to Suffragists, an Untold American Story

Thursday, 5 Oct 2023, 7 p.m.

Scholar: Rebecca Andersen, PhD, USU.

New Women in the Old West: From Settlers to Suffragists, an Untold American Story


By Gallagher, Winifred
2021-07 - Penguin Press
9780735223257 CHECK CATALOG

A riveting history of the American West told for the first time through the pioneering women who used the challenges of migration and settlement as opportunities to advocate for their rights, and transformed the country in the process.

Between 1840 and 1910, hundreds of thousands of men and women traveled deep into the underdeveloped American West, lured by the prospect of adventure and …More

The Bear River Massacre: A Shoshone History

Thursday, 2 Nov 2023, 7 p.m.

Scholar: Darren Parry, author.

The Bear River Massacre: A Shoshone History


By Parry, Darren
2019-11 - By Common Consent Press
9781948218191 CHECK CATALOG


Even though the Bear River Massacre was a defining event in the history of the Northwest Band of the Shoshone, in Parry's retelling the massacre did not trap his people in death, but offered them rebirth. While never flinching from the realities of Latter-day Saint encroachment on Shoshone land and the racial ramifications of America's spread westward, Parry offers messages of hope. As …More

Code Talker: A Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two

Thursday, 7 Dec 2023, 7 p.m.

Scholar: Branden Little, PhD, WSU.

Code Talker: A Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two


By Bruchac, Joseph
2006-07 - Speak
9780142405963 CHECK CATALOG


Viewed through the eyes of a 16-year-old Navajo youth, "Code Talker" is a fascinating slice of World War II history by a much-respected and acclaimed author. …More

Upcoming Book Groups
Thu, Dec 07, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Rooms 1&2 (Combined),Room 3
Reading discussion on "Code Talker" by Joseph Bruchac.

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  • Requests must be made at least 24 hours in advance.
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  • If you haven't received a link within 4 hours of the event, please call us at 435-723-5850.

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