Heads of the Colored People, by Nafissa Thompson-Spires, has been chosen as the spotlight title for the 2019 Bloomington Reads Programming Series. Area residents are encouraged to read this title, discuss it with their peers, and attend corresponding programs which focus on themes found in the book.
The programs listed below make up the 2019 Bloomington Reads programming series and culminate with an April 9 author presentation by Thompson-Spires at the library.
Featured Programs
Letter Writing
- Sunday, March 3
- Community Room; 2-3:30pm
- For teens and adults (age 12+)
- Is letter writing a lost art ceded to bygone eras, or is there value today in handwritten communication? Attend this program to learn about the art of letter writing as you gather tips and encouragement to continue the craft. Attendees will spend some time writing and discussing the art with other participants and workshop leader Michael Theune, Ph.D. Theune is Illinois Wesleyan University’s Writing Program Director and co-editor of the Keats Letters Project. This program is for adults and teens (age 12+)
Movie: The Hate U Give
- Sunday, March 10
- Community Room; 2pm
- For teens and adults (age 12+)
- PG-13
- Adults and teens in grades 6-12 are invited to come to the Library to watch The Hate U Give, a movie based on the book of the same title by Angie Thomas. Children age 12 and younger should be accompanied by a parent or caregiver.
Plot from IMDB: Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend, Khalil, at the hands of a police officer. Now, facing pressure from all sides of the community, Starr must find her voice and stand up for what’s right.
Book Discussion
- Thursday, March 14
- Wetzel Reading Room; 7-8:30pm
- Join other readers and delve into themes found in Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires.
Creating a Vision Board
- Thursday, March 21
- Community Room; 6:30-8:30pm
- Registration is required and limited to 12 participants
- For teens and adults (age 12+)
- A vision board is a guide to help attain a goal or set a life path to follow. Learn about these boards and create one of your own. Library staff will provide background information about the boards and suggest additional resources for exploration. Supplies will then be provided, and attendees will create their own boards. This program is being offered to teens and adults (age 12+). Registration is required and limited to 12 teens and adults. Registration opens at 10am on Monday, February 18, and can be completed by calling 309.261.3935. Neither in-person nor online registration will be offered.
Next to Normal Story Slam at MCAC
- Friday, March 22
- McLean County Arts Center; 7:30-9pm
- During Next to Normal Story Slams, people share with an audience personal stories that revolve around a chosen theme. The March 22 Story Slam will focus on identity. Join us for "The Real You: Who Does the World See and Who is the Real You?" Admission is free and limited to the first 90 attendees. People will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis; no reservations will be accepted. Not everyone will share a story. Many will simply listen. Please contact us at p.devon66@gmail.com if you have an idea for an identity-related story you would like to share.
Self-Portrait Collages
- Saturday, March 23
- Community Room; 10am-12pm
- Registration is required and limited to 15 participants
- For adults (age 17+)
- Peoria mixed-media artist Trish Williams will share and discuss her work before leading attendees through a workshop where each will create a self-portrait collage using various textiles. From Williams’ website: “I bring together the rhythm of hand dyed, painted and commercially made fabrics with the syncopated lines of my quilting to tell stories about the African Diaspora and my community.” All supplies will be provided. Registration is required and limited to 15 adults, age 17+. Registration opens at 10 am on Tuesday, March 5. Register by calling 309.261.3935. Neither in-person nor online registration will be offered.
Graphic Novel Design
- Saturday, March 23
- Community Room; 2-4pm
- Registration is required and limited to 15 participants
- For teens and adults (age 12+)
- Local graphic novelist Anthony Feinman, holding degrees in cartooning, photography, and graphic design, will share tips about writing and designing graphic novels. Examples from his own work will be shared, and participants will have a chance to try their hands at techniques discussed. All supplies will be provided. This program is for teens and adults (age 12+) and is limited to the first 15 people to register. Registration is required and can be completed beginning at 10am on Wednesday, March 6, in person at the Adult Services Desk, online at bloomingtonlibrary.org, or by calling 309.828.6093.
Social Justice and Racial Identity
Book Discussion with Books on Tap
- Monday, April 1
- Upper level of Lucca Grill; 7-8:30pm
- The Library’s monthly Books on Tap book club will meet on the upper level of Lucca Grill, 116 E. Market St., to discuss Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires. This book club is geared toward people in their 20s and 30s.
Portrait Drawing
- Saturday, April 6
- Community Room; 2-4pm
- Registration is required and limited to 15 participants
- For adults (ages 17+)
- Doug Johnson, Director of the McLean County Arts Center, will lead a skills class on sketching portraits. All supplies will be provided. Registration is required and limited to 15 adults (age 17+). Registration opens at 10am on Tuesday, March 19, and can be completed by calling 309.261.3935. Neither in-person nor online registration will be offered.
Short Story Writing
- Sunday, April 7
- Community Room; 2-4pm
- For teens and adults (ages 12+)
- Professor Brandi Reissenweber, of Illinois Wesleyan University’s English Department, will discuss the art of writing short stories. Learn about the components of a great story and how to write one. Time to write is included. All aspiring adult and teen writers (age 12+) are invited to attend.
Author Presentation by Nafissa Thompson-Spires
- Tuesday, April 9
- Community Room; 6:30-8:30pm
- The collection of stories in Nafissa Thompson-Spires’ Heads of the Colored People range from darkly humorous to devastatingly poignant and cover a wide variety of life events. Each tale centers on black characters and their experiences. Thompson-Spires, Ph.D., will share these stories and tell attendees how she created them as the final program in the 2019 Bloomington Reads programming series. In addition to this collection, Thompson-Spires has written many other short stories and articles. A professor at the University of Illinois in Champaign, she teaches in the English, African American Studies, and Jewish Culture and Society departments. A Q & A session and book signing will follow this program. Books will be available for purchase at the program.
