Monthly Discussion Series At Library to Focus on Civil War

The Civil War will be the main topic of discussion during a series of free events at the University Place Library beginning next week.

The monthly "Let's Talk About It" sessions on Thursdays at 7 p.m. at the library, 3609 Market Place West, are a reading and discussion series that focuses on "Making Sense of the American Civil War." The first session, on Thursday, will be an orientation. The other discussions will be Jan. 5, Feb. 2, March 1, April 5 and May 3.

The library will provide all materials at the orientation, including the following books for discussion:

• “America’s War: Talking about the Civil War and Emancipation on their 150th Anniversaries,” edited by Edward L. Ayers;
• “Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam,” by James M. McPherson;
• “March,” by Geraldine Brooks.

Registration is required. People may sign up at the library or by calling 253-548-3307.

William Breitenbach, a professor of U.S. History at the University of Puget Sound, will lead the discussions and serve as the local project scholar. In his classes, Breitenbach, who studied at Harvard and Yale, covers the Colonial Period through the Civil War. teaches U.S. history from the colonial period through the Civil War at the University of Puget Sound.

Pierce County Library System received a $3,000 grant from the American Library Association and the National Endowment for the Humanities to host the discussion series. There are 65 public libraries nationwide receiving such grants.