Made possible in part by the Idaho Humanities Council.
In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, The Community Library will host a series of five reading/discussion programs in Ketchum that will explore the experience of the Vietnam War through history and literature. The programs will be comprised of lectures and discussions led by three Idaho scholars. Two lectures will explore the history of the war, from French colonialism (1946-1954) to the arrival of American troops in Da Nang in 1965; two lectures will explore presidential power and Constitutional challenges to civil liberties; and the last presentation will explore the Vietnam War experience in an iconic work of literature.
The Community Library has a limited supply of two books available on loan to the first 25 participants who sign up. Others are free to purchase copies on their own. Participants are encouraged to read all materials in advance of the sessions to ensure the richest discussions.
The program is FREE of charge, but advance reading and registration is required.
To register and/or borrow books, contact Scott Burton, (208) 806-2621,
or email Scott at sburton@comlib.org
Tuesday, March 22: Reading Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried. Discussion led by Clyde Moneyhun, Boise State University English Department
This session will explore how this major work of American literature makes sense of the Vietnam War, for those who were there and those who weren’t. A guided discussion among all participants will be prefaced by a brief placement of the book in historical and literary context, with suggestions for further reading.
Scholar bio:
Dr. Clyde Moneyhun teaches fiction writing, nonfiction writing, and translation in the English Department at Boise State University. He has published fiction, literary nonfiction, and translations of contemporary Catalan poetry, as well as scholarly articles on the teaching of writing and literature. He is the author of Crafting Fiction and Living Languages.
Reading List:
Mark Atwood Lawrence, The Vietnam War: A Concise International History. New York: Oxford UP, 2010.
Tim O’Brien, The Things They Carried. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1990.