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| Power Style Wellness Connections |
Book Club - What Are They Reading?
By Elaine Rooker Jack and Janet C. Blake
Photos by Joon Kim
Who they are: Coffee Talk Book Club,
a group of readers, some who are disabled
and some who are not: BJ Levis, Brent Priddy,
Theresa Hughes, Judith Hearn, Gail Egelhoff,
Pat Randolph, Rebecca “Becky” Ramsey,
Mary Jane Williams, Mary Margaret Kalley,
Loretta Dunlevy, Linda Huss, Steve S. Kuchenbrod,
Jackie Koch, and Ruth Beattie.
First meeting: February 2002
Number of books per year: 8 to 10
Types of disabilities: Paralysis from past strokes and childhood polio; multiple sclerosis;
cerebral palsy; visual impairment and blindness, among others.
How they got together: Brent and BJ, confessed “non-readers” before starting the book
club, came up with the idea as part of their jobs at the Douglass Community Center. BJ
is recreation administrator of the Center; Brent is the supervisor of Recreation
Programs for Adapted Leisure Activities, a Louisville Metro Parks recreation program
for individuals with mental and/or physical disabilities.
Some of their conversation about it:
“She (Janie) finally found something that is real and is worth risking everything for. Is
that what we’re supposed to get out of it?”
— Brent
“She lived her life the way she wanted to live it and things don’t necessarily turn out
bad. … You can go through your life and you can love and lose and love again.” –
Theresa
“Sometimes love takes a shot at ya!” — Becky (Without giving away the plot, this
comment’s double-meaning brings the house down.)
“It’s a self-discovery thing. Each phase of her life unveils a little more of herself and
what’s important to her.” — Linda
How they adapted the club: The club is for readers who need a slower pace. BJ and
Brent choose the books a year ahead of time. Members read in small chunks (three to
five chapters) and meet weekly — this helps those who have trouble with retention.
Anyone who cannot read a traditional book because of a visual or physical disability
gets a specially recorded book from the Louisville Free Public Library’s Talking Book
Library. If the book they are reading is not available from the Talking Book Library,
arrangements are made to have it recorded at the recording studio at the American
Printing House for the Blind.
Their meetings: They gather weekly from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Douglass Community
Center, home of the Adapted Leisure Activities program.
What they are reading this month:
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Why they picked it: It was the book chosen for the Louisville Free Public Library’s “Big
Read” event in February. It was distributed free to many community groups.
What it’s about: The life journey of a Southern black woman in the 1930s, Janie
Crawford, who searches for her identity through three marriages.
What they thought of it: Theresa noted that she hadn’t thought too highly of the book
until they began discussing it, and slowly found it had more to offer than she had
realized on her own. Many found it difficult to follow, struggling with the frequent
conversations that are written in the black Southern dialect of the era. For example:
“Most of dese zigaboos is so het up over yo’ business till they liable to hurry theyself to
Judgment to find out about you if they don’t soon know. You better make haste and tell
‘em ‘bout you and Tea Cake gittin’ married, and if he taken all yo’ money and went off
wid some young gal, and where at he is now and where at is all yo’ clothes dat you got
to come back here in overhalls.”
“Ah don’t mean to bother wid tellin’ ‘em nothin’, Pheoby. ‘Tain’t worth de trouble. You
can tell ‘em what Ah say if you wants to. Dat’s just de same as me ‘cause mah tongue is
in mah friend’s mouf.”
“If you so desire Ah’ll tell ‘em what you tell me to tell ‘em.”
To help with the dialect issues, they had watched the made-for-
television movie the previous week. The second-floor room is large and lined with large
windows. It is sunny and bright, with walls the color of peanut butter and a ceiling
desperately in need of repair. There is a great flurry of activity as the members come in
and exchange noisy, joyous greetings. Everyone is excited to see one another. Three
are in wheelchairs. Folding tables and chairs are set up in a square, and a coffee pot
is plugged in and turned on. Members who rely on TARC to get around trickle in a little
late. One member serves a homemade chocolate cake; another, crackers and a
homemade cream-cheese spread with sliced beef and pecans. Someone almost always
brings a special food item from home to share and if not, other treats are served. A
guest is introduced and immediately made to feel like a friend.
BJ leads the group of 14 and gets them down to business: This week’s meeting is going
to be faster-paced than usual, she announces. The group has spent a month reading a
novel and members are going to discuss it in one session. They know it will be
challenging, but they are eager to begin. BJ leads them through the characters, then
the plot.
Books they have enjoyed:
• Fit From Within: 101 Simple Secrets to Change Your Body and Your Life, by Victoria
Moran
• The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, by Don Miguel Ruiz
• Patti’s Pearls: Lessons in Living Genuinely,
Joyfully, Generously, by Patti LaBelle
(their first book)
• The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, by Kim Edwards
• The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd
• The Mermaid Chair, by Sue Monk Kidd
• The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, by Alexander McCall Smith
• The Kalahari Typing School for Men, by Alexander McCall Smith
• The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold
• Gift From the Sea, by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
• The Notebook, by Nicholas Sparks
• Sam’s Letters to Jennifer, by James Patterson
• My Losing Season, by Pat Conroy
Books they don’t recommend:
• A Salty Piece of Land, by Jimmy Buffett
• One for the Money, by Janet EvanovichTheir rules:
• Don’t talk over other people. Sometimes, they pass around a “talking stick” and the
only person who can speak is the one holding the stick. It’s been used only rarely, but
was essential during an animated discussion of The Sweet Potato Queens’ Book of
Love by Jill Conner Browne.
Don’t give away the ending. Because they read only a few chapters a week, some
members read ahead, so this one’s crucial. “I am really the worst at that,” Steve
confesses as the group howls with laughter.
Why they need a sponsor: Book club members are provided with the books, and
members are asked to reimburse Metro Parks if they can. They pay only what they can
afford. BJ and Brent are searching for a sponsor to help defray book costs. “We want
them to be able to keep the book,” says BJ. “They get the best, the latest and the
trendiest.” Members say the books from this club are among their most treasured
possessions.
Their favorite author: Kim Edwards. Last December, Edwards, a University of Kentucky
associate professor, made a personal visit to the Coffee Talk Book Club. BJ met her at
a book-signing and invited her because one club member has a child with Down
Syndrome (as does a character in The Memory Keeper’s Daughter). “She even did a
writing exercise with everyone and everyone cried when she left,” BJ says. “Our club
presented her with a Down Syndrome bracelet and it was very moving. There wasn’t a
dry eye in the room.”
How to join this book club: The club is open to new members, disabled or non-disabled.
Call BJ Levis or Brent Priddy at the Douglass Community Center, (502) 456-8148. The
Center, part of the Metro Parks department, is located at 2305 Douglass Blvd.
Elaine Jack at elainej@iamtodayswoman.com is a regular feature writer for Today’s
Woman magazine, Janet Blake is filling in for her as Elaine recovers from an accident.
By Elaine Rooker Jack and Janet C. Blake
Photos by Joon Kim
Who they are: Coffee Talk Book Club,
a group of readers, some who are disabled
and some who are not: BJ Levis, Brent Priddy,
Theresa Hughes, Judith Hearn, Gail Egelhoff,
Pat Randolph, Rebecca “Becky” Ramsey,
Mary Jane Williams, Mary Margaret Kalley,
Loretta Dunlevy, Linda Huss, Steve S. Kuchenbrod,
Jackie Koch, and Ruth Beattie.
First meeting: February 2002
Number of books per year: 8 to 10
Types of disabilities: Paralysis from past strokes and childhood polio; multiple sclerosis;
cerebral palsy; visual impairment and blindness, among others.
How they got together: Brent and BJ, confessed “non-readers” before starting the book
club, came up with the idea as part of their jobs at the Douglass Community Center. BJ
is recreation administrator of the Center; Brent is the supervisor of Recreation
Programs for Adapted Leisure Activities, a Louisville Metro Parks recreation program
for individuals with mental and/or physical disabilities.
Some of their conversation about it:
“She (Janie) finally found something that is real and is worth risking everything for. Is
that what we’re supposed to get out of it?”
— Brent
“She lived her life the way she wanted to live it and things don’t necessarily turn out
bad. … You can go through your life and you can love and lose and love again.” –
Theresa
“Sometimes love takes a shot at ya!” — Becky (Without giving away the plot, this
comment’s double-meaning brings the house down.)
“It’s a self-discovery thing. Each phase of her life unveils a little more of herself and
what’s important to her.” — Linda
How they adapted the club: The club is for readers who need a slower pace. BJ and
Brent choose the books a year ahead of time. Members read in small chunks (three to
five chapters) and meet weekly — this helps those who have trouble with retention.
Anyone who cannot read a traditional book because of a visual or physical disability
gets a specially recorded book from the Louisville Free Public Library’s Talking Book
Library. If the book they are reading is not available from the Talking Book Library,
arrangements are made to have it recorded at the recording studio at the American
Printing House for the Blind.
Their meetings: They gather weekly from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Douglass Community
Center, home of the Adapted Leisure Activities program.
What they are reading this month:
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Why they picked it: It was the book chosen for the Louisville Free Public Library’s “Big
Read” event in February. It was distributed free to many community groups.
What it’s about: The life journey of a Southern black woman in the 1930s, Janie
Crawford, who searches for her identity through three marriages.
What they thought of it: Theresa noted that she hadn’t thought too highly of the book
until they began discussing it, and slowly found it had more to offer than she had
realized on her own. Many found it difficult to follow, struggling with the frequent
conversations that are written in the black Southern dialect of the era. For example:
“Most of dese zigaboos is so het up over yo’ business till they liable to hurry theyself to
Judgment to find out about you if they don’t soon know. You better make haste and tell
‘em ‘bout you and Tea Cake gittin’ married, and if he taken all yo’ money and went off
wid some young gal, and where at he is now and where at is all yo’ clothes dat you got
to come back here in overhalls.”
“Ah don’t mean to bother wid tellin’ ‘em nothin’, Pheoby. ‘Tain’t worth de trouble. You
can tell ‘em what Ah say if you wants to. Dat’s just de same as me ‘cause mah tongue is
in mah friend’s mouf.”
“If you so desire Ah’ll tell ‘em what you tell me to tell ‘em.”
To help with the dialect issues, they had watched the made-for-
television movie the previous week. The second-floor room is large and lined with large
windows. It is sunny and bright, with walls the color of peanut butter and a ceiling
desperately in need of repair. There is a great flurry of activity as the members come in
and exchange noisy, joyous greetings. Everyone is excited to see one another. Three
are in wheelchairs. Folding tables and chairs are set up in a square, and a coffee pot
is plugged in and turned on. Members who rely on TARC to get around trickle in a little
late. One member serves a homemade chocolate cake; another, crackers and a
homemade cream-cheese spread with sliced beef and pecans. Someone almost always
brings a special food item from home to share and if not, other treats are served. A
guest is introduced and immediately made to feel like a friend.
BJ leads the group of 14 and gets them down to business: This week’s meeting is going
to be faster-paced than usual, she announces. The group has spent a month reading a
novel and members are going to discuss it in one session. They know it will be
challenging, but they are eager to begin. BJ leads them through the characters, then
the plot.
Books they have enjoyed:
• Fit From Within: 101 Simple Secrets to Change Your Body and Your Life, by Victoria
Moran
• The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, by Don Miguel Ruiz
• Patti’s Pearls: Lessons in Living Genuinely,
Joyfully, Generously, by Patti LaBelle
(their first book)
• The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, by Kim Edwards
• The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd
• The Mermaid Chair, by Sue Monk Kidd
• The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, by Alexander McCall Smith
• The Kalahari Typing School for Men, by Alexander McCall Smith
• The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold
• Gift From the Sea, by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
• The Notebook, by Nicholas Sparks
• Sam’s Letters to Jennifer, by James Patterson
• My Losing Season, by Pat Conroy
Books they don’t recommend:
• A Salty Piece of Land, by Jimmy Buffett
• One for the Money, by Janet EvanovichTheir rules:
• Don’t talk over other people. Sometimes, they pass around a “talking stick” and the
only person who can speak is the one holding the stick. It’s been used only rarely, but
was essential during an animated discussion of The Sweet Potato Queens’ Book of
Love by Jill Conner Browne.
Don’t give away the ending. Because they read only a few chapters a week, some
members read ahead, so this one’s crucial. “I am really the worst at that,” Steve
confesses as the group howls with laughter.
Why they need a sponsor: Book club members are provided with the books, and
members are asked to reimburse Metro Parks if they can. They pay only what they can
afford. BJ and Brent are searching for a sponsor to help defray book costs. “We want
them to be able to keep the book,” says BJ. “They get the best, the latest and the
trendiest.” Members say the books from this club are among their most treasured
possessions.
Their favorite author: Kim Edwards. Last December, Edwards, a University of Kentucky
associate professor, made a personal visit to the Coffee Talk Book Club. BJ met her at
a book-signing and invited her because one club member has a child with Down
Syndrome (as does a character in The Memory Keeper’s Daughter). “She even did a
writing exercise with everyone and everyone cried when she left,” BJ says. “Our club
presented her with a Down Syndrome bracelet and it was very moving. There wasn’t a
dry eye in the room.”
How to join this book club: The club is open to new members, disabled or non-disabled.
Call BJ Levis or Brent Priddy at the Douglass Community Center, (502) 456-8148. The
Center, part of the Metro Parks department, is located at 2305 Douglass Blvd.
Elaine Jack at elainej@iamtodayswoman.com is a regular feature writer for Today’s
Woman magazine, Janet Blake is filling in for her as Elaine recovers from an accident.
