Community Book Discussion of "My Monticello"

IMCC will host a virtual discussion of "My Monticello" by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson, facilitated by sangha member Susan Kaufman on Monday, December 6, 7-8:15pm on Zoom. (link below)

"My Monticello" is a collection of 5 short stories and a novella by local art teacher turned author, Jocelyn Nicole Johnson. This is her first published collection and it has received rave reviews from the NY Times, the Washington Post, NPR, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, as well as authors such as Colson Whitehead and Roxane Gay.

On December 6, we will discuss the titular novella, My Monticello, a fictional reimagining inspired by the events of August 11 & 12, 2017 in Charlottesville. It weaves together local settings and events in a dystopian story with themes of racial identity, climate change, income inequality, and the meaning of community. Rich topics for discussion.

The following Sunday, December 12 at 3pm, the Congregation Beth Israel will host an Interfaith gathering with the author who will read from her book and answer questions. We are invited to join this event with other participants from spiritual communities that are members of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective via Zoom.

About the Book
From the Atlantic Constitution:
Johnson’s historically tethered story collection is startlingly timely. In addition to systemic racism and hundreds of years of threats of violence and terror against Black people, other topics like the breakdown of the supply chain, infrastructure issues, power grid failures and environmental anxieties from storms and fires are made to feel close to the reader’s skin.

All the stories are set in Virginia, where Johnson was born and lives, and they deal with the psychological and emotional costs of racism in haunting and unsettling ways.

From Kirkus reviews:
“A compilation of vivid, complex stories, at times reminiscent of works by Octavia Butler, Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison and Colson Whitehead… a startling, beautiful debut….”

Zoom link for December 6

Time: Dec 6, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

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Meeting ID: 850 4037 6738
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