Critical Grooves Book Lab

Critical Grooves Book Lab: Winter/Spring 2025

Join us for the eighth (8th) iteration of Critical Grooves Book Lab, a community-based book forum at Plains Art Museum. This season, we explore four thought-provoking works that intersect with the museum’s exhibitions, fostering dynamic conversations on history, memory, art, and identity.

We begin with Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns, a sweeping chronicle of the Great Migration that resonates with Anne Labovitz’s exhibition on well-being, resilience, and connection. Next, Percival Everett’s So Much Blue—a richly layered novel about an artist navigating memory, secrecy, and creativity—creates a compelling dialogue with Don Powell’s A Little Grey for Color, which examines the emotional resonance of design and architecture. Gayl Jones’s The Healing, a lyrical exploration of reclamation and transformation through a mysterious faith healer, converges with the layered expressions of history and spirituality in Jaque Fragua’s Ghostwriting. Finally, we close with Richard Wright’s Native Son, a searing examination of systemic inequality and structuring narratives in mid-20th century America. While Native Son shares thematic resonance with Mickey Smith’s exploration of text, media, and identity, its concerns also align with the broader discourse surrounding race, power, and historical narratives—intersecting meaningfully with the upcoming reinstallation of Alfred Conteh’s Malik and Marquis (2020).

Whether you’re new to these authors or revisiting their works, join us at Plains Art Museum for engaging discussions and reflections. We’ll have an assortment of hot teas and hot chocolate, but feel free to bring your own snacks and beverages.

Winter/Spring 2025 Schedule

📚 Feb. 13th, 2025 – The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
📚 Mar. 13th, 2025 – So Much Blue by Percival Everett
📚 Apr. 10th, 2025 – The Healing by Gayl Jones
📚 May 8th, 2025 – Native Son by Richard Wright

To encourage broad participation, you may acquire the selected texts through any means that best suit your situation. Copies will also be available for purchase at The Store at Plains Art Museum • 704 1st Ave. N • Fargo, ND 58102.

Ages 16+ are welcome.