Books & Brunch
First Saturday of the month during library hours. Food, Books, and Friends.
Chapter 250: Reading America’s Story Together is a community book club that explores the American Revolution through shared reading, discussion, and film. The adult group, open to participants ages nineteen and older, will meet on Tuesday, February 24th, at 5:00 p.m. at the Granville Branch, with a virtual option available via Zoom.
This month’s selection is “Founding Faith: Providence, Politics, and the Birth of Religious Freedom in America,” by Steven Waldman. In Founding Faith, Waldman debunks myths from both the left and the right about America’s religious origins, revealing how the Founders crafted a new model of liberty that protected faith by keeping government out of it. Through vivid accounts from the colonies to the early presidencies, he shows how this delicate balance between belief and freedom shaped the nation.
Before the discussion, participants will watch a 26-minute preview from the upcoming 2025 PBS documentary “American Revolution,” by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt. The preview explores religion and religious diversity in the 18th century, offering insight into how faith helped shape the nation’s early history.
Copies of the book will be available at the Granville Branch beginning in January. For more information, please contact the Library at 815-339-2038. To participate via Zoom, please register via Zoom: https://shorturl.at/L6uCA.
Corporate funding for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by Bank of America. Major funding was provided by The Better Angels Society and its members Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine with the Crimson Lion Foundation, and the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Major funding was also provided by David M. Rubenstein; The Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Family Foundation; Lilly Endowment Inc.; and the following Better Angels Society members: Eric and Wendy Schmidt; Stephen A. Schwarzman; and Kenneth C. Griffin with Griffin Catalyst. Additional support for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by: The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations; The Pew Charitable Trusts; Gilbert S. Omenn and Martha A. Darling; Park Foundation; and the following Better Angels Society members: Gilchrist and Amy Berg; Perry and Donna Golkin; The Michelson Foundation; Jacqueline B. Mars; Kissick Family Foundation; Diane and Hal Brierley; John H. N. Fisher and Jennifer Caldwell; John and Catherine Debs; The Fullerton Family Charitable Fund; Philip I. Kent; Gail Elden; Deborah and Jon Dawson; David and Susan Kreisman; The McCloskey Family Charitable Trust; Becky and Jim Morgan; Carol and Ned Spieker; Mark A. Tracy; and Paul and Shelley Whyte. THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was made possible, in part, with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
How It Feels To Be Free is a powerful and inspiring documentary that honors six trailblazing African American women who transformed the entertainment industry and reshaped American culture. Through the extraordinary careers of Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson, and Pam Grier, the film reveals how these groundbreaking performers challenged Hollywood’s racial barriers and stereotypes, forging new paths for representation, artistic freedom, and social change.
Featuring rare archival footage, intimate interviews, and heartfelt reflections from those who knew them best, the documentary offers a deeply personal look at their courage, creativity, and lasting influence. It also includes insights from contemporary artists inspired by their legacies including Alicia Keys, Halle Berry, Lena Waithe, Meagan Good, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson, and Gail Lumet Buckley, daughter of Lena Horne.
Based on Ruth Feldstein’s acclaimed book How It Feels To Be Free: Black Women Entertainers and the Civil Rights Movement, the film situates these women’s artistry and activism within the broader fight for racial and gender equality, illustrating how their voices continue to echo in today’s movements for justice and representation. The film runs 1 hour and 53 minutes, is rated TV-14, and is made available through Kanopy. This program is free and open to the public.
Docs & Dialogue: American Stories: A Reading Road Trip
Wednesday, March 4th, 5:00 p.m.
American Stories: A Reading Road Trip begins in Rhode Island, a state with a long and varied literary tradition. This 35-minute documentary examines Rhode Island’s literary legacy, from the revolutionary writings of Roger Williams and the Gothic fiction of H. P. Lovecraft to Edgar Allan Poe’s time in Providence and the work of Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jhumpa Lahiri, including Interpreter of Maladies and The Namesake. The program also includes interviews with writers and illustrators such as Anika Aldamuy Denise (Planting Stories), Christopher Denise (Knight Owl), Caldecott honoree Oge Mora (Thank You, Omu!), David Macaulay (The Way Things Work), and Elizabeth Rush (Rising). Their perspectives highlight how Rhode Island’s landscape, architecture, and arts community influence both literary and visual storytelling.
Viewers will also see historic and cultural institutions including the Providence Athenaeum, Redwood Library, and John Hay Library, along with an examination of the role the Rhode Island School of Design has played in shaping generations of artists and storytellers. The documentary is not rated and is made possible through PBS Books. The program is free and open to the public.
