MARSHA COHEN
Staff Writer
Fredonia’s Pride Alliance is branching out with their very own book club. The Pride Book Club meets on Fridays to discuss literature pertaining to the queer community. It does not require attendance from Pride Alliance members but does provide an outlet for Fredonia students, faculty and members of the club to learn more about the queer environment.
The club was formed by the adviser of Pride Alliance and assistant English professor Dr. Heather McEntarfer, who said she was inspired by last year’s closing ceremonies for Gay History Month. At the ceremonies, Rachel Spangler, a local lesbian romance writer, talked with students about the importance of being aware of their literary roots, something she says is achievable only by reading both historical and contemporary literature about the queer community.
“It was a great talk, and it made me want to create a place where students could get to know their literature,” McEntarfer said. “We hope students will … find literature that they can connect with, but there are whole groups of students who never see themselves there. So that’s part of what I was hoping to do — create a place where students could come to know their own literary history, as Rachel had called on them to do, and also a place where students who are LGBTQ, straight and cisgender could read about LGBTQ people and see that they do exist in literature, and maybe develop some of those connections to literary characters.”
For the Fall 2014 semester, the club is reading “Giovanni’s Room” by James Baldwin. The plot centers around the main character, David, and his relationships with other men in the 1950s. The book allows members to compare how society’s views have changed toward the queer community as a whole.
There is no set duration for how long the book club will last. Members are currently more focused on gaining knowledge of the queer community in the present moment.
“We read a wide variety of literature. Last semester, we delved into some young adult literature and historical fiction. As a group, we decide which books we would like to read,” said Kristin Vignona, senior English adolescent education major and member of the book club. “The books we select generally have characters who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community, although I would not say the books are necessarily centered around these characters. These books do not have queer characters; moreover, these books have characters who happen to be queer.”
Even though the book club is less than a year old, members are excited about the impact it has made thus far and where it is heading.
“I believe that some of the books are also being read and discussed by other teachers and students, but absolutely students can swing by. It would be cool to get their input,” said Dylan Scacchetti, a junior animation and illustration major and a member of the book club. The Pride Book Club meets in Fenton Hall on various dates throughout the semester.
In Scachetti’s words, “The goal of the book club is if one person gets something from it, that’s enough.”