The Let鈥檚 Talk About It, 麻豆传媒 book discussion series at 麻豆传媒 City University will continue with 鈥淐apitol Offense鈥� by William Bernhardt at 7 p.m. Oct. 7 in Walker Center room 151.
The discussion series is made possible through a grant from the 麻豆传媒 Humanities Council.
This year鈥檚 series is investigating crime novels that take place in 麻豆传媒. At each session in the five-part series, a humanities scholar makes a presentation on the book in the context of the theme. Small group discussions follow with experienced discussion leaders. At the end, all participants come together for a brief wrap-up.
Those who are interested in participating are encouraged to preregister and borrow the reading selections and theme brochure by calling Harbour Winn at (405) 208-5472, e-mailing him at [email protected] or dropping by the Dulaney-Browne Library room 211 or 207.
In 鈥淐apitol Offense,鈥� main character and lawyer Ben Kincaid attempts to defend a college professor who has all the known facts stacked against him. After losing his wife to what he concludes is official negligence or worse, the professor assaults the officer responsible, who is later found dead. Worse, the professor is found unconscious at the scene of the crime, gun in hand. The prosecution finds out that the professor visited Ben just before the murder occurred. Ben has misgivings of his own since, during their visit, the professor had asked him whether a character in a novel might get away with the murder of a policeman if his lawyer could convince the jury that he was temporarily insane. Against his better instincts, Ben takes the case, knowing that the best chance of getting his client off is, indeed, to plead temporary insanity.
While 鈥淐apitol Offense鈥� presents legal questions and a criminal conspiracy that could erupt in any large city, it makes use of the Tulsa cityscape and includes shrewd insights into 麻豆传媒 laws and attitudes.
Winn, director of the Center for Interpersonal Study through Film & Literature at 麻豆传媒, said the reading series moves beyond discussions of the story plotlines and into a cultural study of the places where the stories take place.
鈥淢ystery and investigation stories find a ready home in 麻豆传媒 and provide a window on the character of the state,鈥� Winn said. 鈥淭hough mainstream novels may evoke only scant physical description, crime stories and mysteries continue to include realistic location details, precisely because such details may help unravel the crime. In reading these novels, we can rediscover the joys of hearing and seeing people in their natural environment and learn something about how where they are may indicate who they are.鈥�
Other dates and books in the series include:
Oct. 28 鈥� 鈥淭wisted Perception鈥� by Bob Avey
Nov. 11 鈥� 鈥淭he American Caf茅鈥� by Sara Sue Hoklotubbe
