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Let's Talk About It
Let's Talk About It has long been the backbone of library programming offered by The Humanities CouncilSC as well as councils across the country. These book discussion series are designed around themes ranging from women's autobiography to the importance of heritage in South Carolina literature. 
The LTAI groups meet every other week to discuss each book in the series, and each meeting features group discussions led by a qualified scholar (a different scholar for each book). Scheduling of the series, meeting facilities, and other such details are left to the library's discretion. But, rest assured: THCSC has all the publicity tools, scholar suggestions, and general advice you will need to make your programs attract patrons and run smoothly.
Be sure to check out our list of available series, download the application form, and contact us if you need help finding scholars or would like to check the availability of a series. If you have any questions, check our FAQ first. You're certain to find lots of intriguing topics and titles.
Five new LTAI Series!
These series are sponsored by the South Carolina State Library and The Humanities CouncilSC. They are currently available!STIFF UPPER LIPS 2 - MASTERPIECE THEATRE
Follow the protagonists of Collins, Austen and Du Maurier from the page to the screen as they navigate challenging landscapes of romance and social hierarchy in their respective worlds.
Rebecca, by Daphne DuMaurier
Rebecca (1997 Masterpiece Theatre Film with Faye Dunaway)
Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen
Mansfield Park (2007 Masterpiece Theatre Film with Billie Piper)
The Woman In White, by Wilkie Collins
The Woman In White (1997 Masterpiece Theatre Film with Justine Waddell)
CHANGING PLACES: REFLECTIONS ON THE NATURAL WORLD
Prepare to be captivated by this survey of American Nature Writing in the 20th Century, which encompasses perspectives from a junkyard to a greenhouse and from the Blue Ridge Mountains to
A Sand
The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s Eye View of the World, Michael Pollan
Ecology of a Cracker Childhood, Janisse Ray
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Annie Dillard
BANNED BOOKS
Books are banned and censored for a variety of reasons—from religious to political to social. Celebrate your freedom to read by enjoying five frequently challenged and banned books from a variety of authors and time periods. Whether banned for being “sexually explicit” or for “occult themes,” these books all offer a wide scope for discussion and for enjoyment.
Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Food is important. We all know we can’t live without it! Food also evokes powerful emotional responses: from the happy memory of a favorite shared meal to the horror and anxiety invoked by lean times and hunger. Each of the five fiction works in this series offer images and discussions of food—its production, consumption, or accompanying traditions. What does food mean to people in different cultures at different times? Grab a snack, find a comfortable armchair, and find out! This series was a companion piece to the Smithsonian exhibit Key Ingredients: America By Food, which toured South Carolina from June 2008 - May 2009.
Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko
Dubliners by James Joyce
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café by Fannie Flagg
LOVE AND FORGIVENESS IN THE PRESENCE OF THE ENEMY
Explore themes of love and forgiveness in everyday life through classic and contemporary literature.
Scenes from The Illiad, by Homer
Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte
Embers, by Sandor Marai
The Guardians, by Ana Castillo
Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett
(accommodates 18)
**Donated by Pickens County Public Library
Contact The Humanities CouncilSC soon to reserve these exciting new series.
Libraries praise Let’s Talk About It:
“We had no adult programming for a number of years. We obtained two of the LTAI programs within one fiscal year, and our adults loved the discussions.”
~Cristi Bade, Kershaw County Library
“The visiting scholars are wonderful and add so much to the book discussion!”
~Dianne Boersma, Berkeley County Library
“Participants enjoyed talking to each other about what they had read, but they seemed especially hungry for the scholar’s information—they were eager for a learning experience.”
~Sarah McMaster, Fairfield County Library
“Modern American Poets: Voices and Visions was a very positive experience for me both as staff of a sponsoring library and as a participant. I was excited to see how enriching the experience was for participants—many of whom were completely unfamiliar with poets such as Wallace Stevens and Elizabeth Bishop.”
~Mary Jo Dawson, ABBE Regional Library System
“We normally do LTAI in the winter, since our snowbirds are more responsive than the locals. They just love Let’s Talk About It!”
~Shelley Ridout, North Myrtle Beach Library
“The one complaint I occasionally receive is that I cut off the discussions too soon.”
~Sara Breibart, Charleston County Library