Tuesday Morning Booktalks

media release: Join fellow booklovers and UW English professor Emily Auerbach for a lively discussion of two powerful books focused on resilience. Classes meet on Tuesdays in the South Madison Community Room at 2300 S. Park St. (free and accessible parking) from 10-11:30 AM, with coffee and snacks served starting at 9:30 AM. This program is offered free, but with hope that participants will donate to the life-changing UW Odyssey Project, a free jumpstart course in the humanities for adults facing barriers to higher education. Find details for the Spring 2025 sessions below:

Tuesday, March 4: Bonnie Garmus, Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel (2022)

This novel, acclaimed for its originality and humor, features Elizabeth Zott, a female scientist treated with sexism by her peers. Described as a “chemistry whiz, single mother, and outspoken atheist,” Elizabeth unexpectedly becomes a 1950s TV star whose Supper at Six show empowers women to change not only their cooking but also their lives. Elizabeth says, “Cooking is chemistry. Chemistry is life. Your ability to change everything – including yourself – starts here.”

Tuesday, April 22: Percival Everett, James: A Novel (2024)

Explore the classic Adventures of Huckleberry Finn reimagined from the standpoint of Jim, the slave Huck helps escape. The author notes of his highly successful work, “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is the source of my novel. I hope that I have written the novel that Twain did not and also could not have written. I do not view the work as a corrective, but rather I see myself in conversation with Twain.”

REGISTRATION LINK: If you plan to attend Tuesday Morning Booktalks this spring, please register below (even though free) so we know how much food to order and how many handouts to make.

Register here

Questions about Tuesday Morning Booktalks? Contact Professor Emily Auerbach at emily.auerbach@wisc.edu.