Champion Public Library will conclude the Let’s Talk About It series with “Travel: New Ways of Seeing” with “America for Beginners” by Leah Franqui on Thursday, April 3rd at 5:30 p.m. Dr. Vivian Thomlinson will serve as the evening’s scholar.
Pival travels to California in search of her son, Rahi, who came out as gay a year ago and whose sudden death she refuses to accept. With her husband Ram gone, she’s determined to uncover the truth about Rahi. Arriving in New York, Pival’s journey proves more complicated than expected. Accompanied by Satya, a resourceful new hire at the travel company, and Rebecca, an aspiring actress looking for work, the three women embark on a two-week trip across America. As they travel from coast to coast, Pival’s understanding of her son and her hopes for a reunion are challenged by her growing knowledge of his adoptive country. Through their journey, the trio learns to see America and themselves in new ways.
This program will be presented by scholar Dr. Vivian Thomlinson. Dr. Thomlinson earned her MA and PhD in English from Texas Woman’s University. Thomlinson taught English literature at Cameron University from 1986-1994 and again from 1998-2014. Thomlinson was awarded the national Carnegie Foundation for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching for Oklahoma in 2006 and Cameron University’s most prestigious teaching award, the Hackler Award, Cameron Professor of the Year. Thomlinson has traveled extensively in Europe and the Middle East and is currently restoring a Queen Ann Victorian home in Gainesville, TX.
Books, services, and other materials for this series are provided by Let’s Talk About It, a program of Oklahoma Humanities. Generous funding and support for this series was provided by Kirkpatrick Family Fund, McCasland Foundation, and Oklahoma City University. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in these programs do not necessarily represent those of Oklahoma Humanities.
This program is free and open to the public. Copies of the books are available at the library. For more information, call the Champion Public Library at (580) 223-3164 or visit us at 601 Railway Express in Ardmore. The Champion Public Library is a branch of the Southern Oklahoma Library System.
