Graphic by Bell Jackson By McKenzie Pickett
The Book Club, led by Hannah Wilder, manager of Freddie’s Books and More, is a relatively new club available to all in the city of Montevallo. It takes place on the first Wednesday of each month in Freddie’s Books and More. at 6:00 p.m.
Wilder expressed that she loved reading in her youth but could not do it as much as life began to get in the way. She also loves seeing new perspectives from characters in books and the various ones of the club members.
When talking through her goals for the club, Wilder conveyed her desire to have an open space for discussion and conversation for students, faculty and even community members outside of the restrictions of a classroom. The diversity in age shown in the first meeting made the discussion more meaningful and reflective. Her goals for the club are to uplift minority voices and provide a safe space for them. We both acknowledged that this is a great way to help integrate people into campus life outside of the university.
She mentioned that an incentive for joining the club could take the form of a safe environment to openly share and discuss your thoughts. She also said there would be a possibility of snacks and help with reading goals if you have them. She brought up that this is something that will look good on a resume. Another incentive is the input members can add regarding things such as snacks and books.
She has plans to continue advertising the club and expanding the member count. She said that she was looking to be more active on social media and will start a weekly newsletter for the book club. She will be partnering with MADE, an organization on campus, to start an open mic night where people can read poetry, short stories, songs, essays, etc., and possibly get critiques if they would like them.
It is a fun activity to potentially do with family members and friends who live in the city or can visit once a month. Also, it is a great inspiration if you are looking to start a book club of your own.
