Let’s Talk About It book series features “As I Lay Dying”

The Let’s Talk About It, Oklahoma book discussion series will begin the new semester with a discussion of William Faulkner’s “As I Lay Dying.”

The discussion will take place at 7 p.m. on Jan. 27 in room 151 of Walker Center.

“As I Lay Dying” features the story of a fractured Mississippi family who deal with the death of their relative, Addie Bundren. The family works together to fulfill Addie’s dying wish: to be buried in her hometown of Jefferson. The story is told from the view points of 15 family members in an expansive tale of duty, love, and honor.

The book discussion will mark the continuation of “The Dynamics of Dysfunction: To Laugh or Cry or Both” series, which includes books that involve familial relationships and their role in individual’s lives. Harbour Winn, director of the Center for Interpersonal Studies through Film and Literature, said that the series reflects human’s long-standing interest in family dynamics.

“Look no further than the tortured families of Joseph with that colorful coat or Noah after the flood in the Old Testament,” said Winn in a recent press release. “William Shakespeare, too, penned a couple of dramas featuring some rather unbalanced families.”

The discussion series is made possible by a grant through the Oklahoma Humanities Council. The series has five sessions, during which a humanities scholar will present the book and discuss how it relates to the dysfunction theme. Next, small groups will discuss the novel with experienced discussion leaders to delve for deeper understanding.

At the end of each session, all participants will come together for a final wrap-up of the book.

The other dates and discussion in the series will include:

For more information, please contact Harbour Winn at 405-208-5472 or through email at hwinn@okcu.edu.