Today's hours
We're open 9:00AM to 8:00PM
We're closed Friday July 04
Join us for a Get Lit Discussion of Division Street: America by Studs Terkel
Join us for a Get Lit Discussion of Division Street: America by Studs Terkel.
Division Street, Studs Terkel's first book of oral history, established his reputation as America's foremost oral historian and as one of those rare thinkers who is actually willing to go out and talk to the incredible people of this country (in the words of Tom Wolfe).
Viewing the inhabitants of a single city, Chicago, as a microcosm of the nation at large, Division Street chronicles the thoughts and feelings of some seventy people from widely varying backgrounds in terms of class, race, and personal history. From a mother and son who migrated from Appalachia to a Native American boilerman, from a streetwise ex-gang leader to a liberal police officer, from the poorest African Americans to the richest socialites, these unique and often intimate first-person accounts form a multifaceted collage that defies any simple stereotype of America.
As Terkel himself put it: I was on the prowl for a cross-section of urban thought, using no one method or technique. . . I guess I was seeking some balance in the wildlife of the city as Rachel Carson sought it in nature. Revealing aspects of people's lives that are normally invisible to most of us, Division Street is a fascinating survey of a city, and a society, at a pivotal moment of the twentieth century.
Get Lit is a book discussion group for those adventurous souls who would like to read a little something different. A limited number of books are available at the Information Desk on a first come basis.
Get Lit is now meeting outside the library at Adventurous Brewing in Bettendorf. Please note Adventurous Brewing is a 21 and older.
Can't make the meeting? Join us online in our Goodreads group Get Lit - Bettendorf Public Library or drop by our Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/bplgetlit/. For more information email dotten@bettendorf.org.
Get Lit is sponsored by the Friends of the Bettendorf Public Library.
The Bettendorf Public Library has served the community of Bettendorf since July 12, 1955. We offer Library events for all ages, and our meeting rooms are available for public use. See more information about our meeting room policy at http://www.bettendorflibrary.com/services/meeting-rooms.
