Daily News Coverage in December!

For those of you who missed Heber's column on Our View, section B, page 8:

Have you read a good book lately?By Heber Taylor The Daily News
Published December 26, 2007

Do people still read for pleasure? Do good things happen when people get together to discuss — and even argue about — books?Galveston County Reads has shown that good discussions are still possible in the age of electronic entertainment and instant gratification.Every year, the organization chooses a book and puts on a series of public discussions. The theory is that we become a better community if we turn off the TV for a couple of evenings, read the same book and discuss it.In an age where we’re bombarded by predictable sound bites, it’s refreshing to hear differing — but well reasoned — perspectives on topics that affect us all.It’s interesting, challenging and free.To get in on the fun, all you have to do is read the book.This year’s selection is Ernest J. Gaines’ novel “A Lesson Before Dying,” which won a National Book Critics Circle Award in 1993. It was chosen for Oprah’s Book Club 10 years ago.The story, set in Louisiana in the 1940s, is about Jefferson, an uneducated black man who is going to be executed for the murder of a white man. It’s also the story of Grant Wiggins, a young teacher who visits him in jail and tries to give him a sense of his own humanity before he dies.How do you give people in prison a sense of their own humanity? Is it a religious quest or something else? Characters in this novel disagree on that point.Is the value of people in prison something we even think about today?Critics have had vastly different assessments of the value of this book. We suspect there might be a disagreement or two among readers of this page.We’ve got three invitations:First, read the book.Second, check the schedule of events and commit to making at least one. As you see, the first discussion is set for Jan. 2. But don’t worry. “A Lesson Before Dying” is a quick read.Third, drop us a line. We’d love to fill an installment or two of “Word on the Street” with your views about his book.

He concludes by posting the events and book discussions.

One event he missed was:

3/11/08 A Lesson Before Dying: An interactive videoconference with Ernest Gaines. Facilitated by John Gorman. Galveston College, Auditorium FA-207, 4015 Ave. Q, Galveston. Sponsorship and refreshments provided by Galveston College. 7 pm

All events are free and open to the public. Please join us!