Standing L-R from CCSNH-Berlin are Katie Doherty, Director of Learning Resources; Susan Zoino, Associate Professor of English; John Colbath, Professor of Nursing; Peg Heaney, Professor of Geographic Information Systems. Seated: NHPR's Laura Knoy
The book discussion group from CCSNH-Berlin was invited to participate in NHPR's Granite State Stories 2006. Granite State Stories, a five segment series of the daily radio call-in program The Exchange, explores each week a different book that looks at who we are and what matters to us in New Hampshire.
The college book discussion group, represented by Katie Doherty, Director of Learning Resources, and professors Peg Heaney, Susan Zoino, and John Colbath drove to the State Library in Concord on September 15 for the live broadcast dealing with Harriet E. Wilson's autobiographical novel Our Nig. Considered to be the first novel published by an African American woman, Wilson's book retells her story about living as an indentured servant in pre-Civil War in Milford, New Hampshire. Also on hand for the live broadcast were members of book discussion groups from the Milford Public Library and the Portsmouth Library. Each group had an opportunity to speak on-air about the book. Heaney represented the NHCTC book discussion group and addressed questions posed by The Exchange host, Laura Knoy. "It was a thrill to be chosen to participate in the live broadcast discussing Our Nig. Being in the audience was interesting, and Peg did a superb job of representing us," says Doherty.
The CCSNH-Berlin book discussion group has been meeting for five years. Heaney was the first to express interest in the group and librarian Katie Doherty and library aide Denise Bergeron were able to get the group started. The group size fluctuates between 10 and 15 people, and Doherty says there are about 10 "regular" members who are able to meet every month. It is comprised mainly of faculty and staff, but students do drop in from time to time. According to Doherty, the group has managed to have telephone interviews with some of the authors they have discussed, and those conversations are always really interesting. She is hoping to organize at least one of those interviews over the course of this academic year.
Individuals interested in hearing the broadcast can do so by logging onto http://www.nhpr.org/node/11414.
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