Monthly book club discusses southern views in 1960s

The City of Lawton Arts and Humanities and McMahon Auditorium Authority continue the Let’s Talk About It series with “Everything That Rises Must Converge,” by Flannery O’Connor at 6 p.m. September 19 at the Cameron University Library, 2800 W. Gore Blvd. Dr. David Fennema will lead the discussion.

A part of “Writing Worlds: The Art of Seeing in Anthropology, Fiction and Autobiography,” the series explores how our observations can be shaped by our life contexts and identities and asks how we perceive the reality of others, according to a press release.

Flannery O’Connor’s “Everything That Rises Must Converge” is a short story exploring racial tension, generational conflict and social change in the South during the 1960s, the release said. The narrative follows Julian, a young man who escorts his prejudiced mother to a YMCA class while grappling with their differing worldviews. As the story unravels, the clash between Julian’s progressive ideals and his mother’s staunch racism reveals the complexities of pride, guilt and human connection. O’Connor’s sharp, ironic prose captures the painful convergence of old and new societal values.

The series is made possible by Let’s Talk About It, a project of Oklahoma Humanities, with funding and support from The Kirkpatrick Family Fund and Oklahoma City University.

For more information, contact Jason Poudrier at (580) 581-3470 or at [email protected].