The Duncan Banner

Local News

August 31, 2010

Reading, discussion series to look at myths

Derrick Miller The Duncan Banner

DUNCAN — Just about everyone knows one myth. And by the time the Duncan Public Library is done, some people will know even more.

The library will have a reading and discussion series “Myth & Literature” beginning with Joseph Campbell’s book “The Power of Myth.” The series will look into the connection between literature and myths. The first meeting will be Thursday. All discussion meetings will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the library’s annex building, and a scholar has been selected to discuss each book.

 “I’m excited about it. I’m very interested to see how the scholars will approach the different books, especially the first one. There’s so much in it,” Library Director Jan Cole said.

The library has the books in the series for check out. The books, services and other materials for the program are being provided by the “Let’s Talk About It, Oklahoma,” which is a project of the Oklahoma Humanities Council with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Inasmuch Foundation gave grants to the library to provide the funding needed for the series.

Diana Morgan with the American Association of University Women did much of the leg work for the series, including applying for the grant. Morgan said the library has had a lot of similar series, but last year’s discussion series, which was about friendship, got such good feedback, she wanted to bring another series to the library.

“Last fall’s was well received,” Morgan said. “This year’s has a broad interest because of the theme.”

The theme and the scholars were selected from lists supplied by the Oklahoma Humanities Council, Morgan said. The AAUW was responsible for setting up the discussion leaders.

“We’ve been lucky,” she said. “The scholars we’ve had have always been good.”

Cole said she hasn’t been part of a series with scholar discussions and was looking forward to seeing what ideas could be sparked from the series.

Other books to be discussed in the series include “Black Elk Speaks” by John Neihardt, “A Passage to India” by E.M. Forester, “The Summer Before the Dark” by Doris Lessing and “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Cole said she has read some of the books in the past, but she plans to revisit those books as the series moves along. She said she has read “The Power of Myth,” but has been rereading it to refresh the book in her mind.

Morgan said the series should provide insight into the books people might not have originally gotten from a read through.

“Of course, I’m a real reader,” Morgan said. “The scholars and the people make you think in a different way.”

Cole said there has been people asking about the book series and checking out the books in the series.

“There’s been a lot of interest,” Cole said.

For information about this or other library programs, call the library at 580-255-0636.



— Derrick Miller is a reporter for The Duncan Banner. He can be reached at 580-255-5354, Ext. 160, or via e-mail at derrick.miller@duncanbanner.com.

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