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"Let's talk about it" at the Washington County Public Library

"Let's Talk About It: Making Sense of the American Civil War" is a series of conversations designed to explore American's war among and against themselves. A series of five conversations, the program begins Saturday, Feb. 4 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The topics range from modern fiction that imagines what its protagonists must have been feeling, to letters and speeches written at the time, to modern history and battlefield accounts. Participants will meet in the conference room at the main library, refreshments will be served.

"The purpose of the selections is to give people interesting things to talk about," Edward Ayers, president, University of Richmond, and the creator of the program, wrote in an essay to accompany the program. "Historians' understanding of the global significance of the war has shifted from 50 years ago, when its major consequence seemed to be the unification of a nation that would stand against communism. Today, the Civil War matters just as much, it seems, for bringing an end to the most powerful system of slavery in the modern world. A 150 years after the defining war in our nations' history, we are still discovering its meanings."

Some of the works chosen to serve as conversation starters are "March" by Geraldine Brooks, "Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam," by James McPherson and "America's War: Talking About the Civil War and Emancipation on their 150th Anniversaries," a new anthology edited by Ayers and published by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association.

The public is encouraged to participate at whatever level they feel comfortable. They may attend the conversations and simply listen, if they are uncomfortable speaking in front of others. Reading the books is helpful, but not required. If participants wish to read the books, contact Will Stein at the main library to sign up for the program and receive copies of the books.

In addition to the conversation series, Professor Stephanie McCurry from the University of Pennsylvania will speak Thursday, March 1. Her lecture, "Antigone's Claim: Gender and Treason in the American Civil War," will be held at Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center at 7:30 p.m. McCurry is the author of "Confederate Reckoning: Power and Politics in the Civil War South," which was named one of the best Civil War books of 2001 by "Civil War Monitor."

A traveling exhibit, "An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia," will be at the library from March 18 through March 31. This 1,000-square-foot traveling panel exhibition explores the people and communities affected by the greatest turmoil to happen on American soil. The exhibition is designed to appeal to a broad audience by giving voice to previously marginalized participants—free and enslaved African Americans, Unionists, women and children. It shows how civil war disrupts society and is experienced by more than just soldiers.

"Our overall goal is to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Civil War doing what libraries do best, serving as a venue for the public to convene to pursue lifelong learning," Will Stein, reference librarian, said. "This series is an opportunity for our community to have a conversation, to reflect on and re-examine this critical time in American history through works of historical fiction, interpretations and primary resources."

The program scholar is Mike Shaffer, associate director at the Center for the Study of the Civil War Era at Kennesaw State University in Georgia.

The program is funded by the NEH as part of its "We The People" initiative which encourages learning about America's history and culture. Only 66 grants were awarded nationwide.

For more information about the library, visit www.wcpl.net or call 276-676-6222. The Washington County Public Library is located at 205 Oak Hill St., Abingdon, Va. Its four branches are located in Damascus, Glade Spring, Hayters Gap and Mendota.

McCurry comes through the Organization of American Historians which promotes excellence in the scholarship, teaching and presentation of American history and encourages wide discussion of historical questions and equitable treatment of all practitioners of history. For more information about the organization, its speakers or to become a member, visit www.oah.org.

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