3 The RAPS Sheet Summer 2020 RAPS Group Reports Book Group THE RAPS BOOK GROUP met via Zoom on May 19 to discuss Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. We had some audio trouble and found it a complicated book to discuss remotely. Once again Eileen Brennan set up the ZOOM meeting for us, and provided some questions to focus the discussion. We were quite divided in our opinions of the book. We were intrigued by the author’s framing of events and issues, often in ways none of us expected. His history is indeed sweeping, from our history as hunter-gatherers to our present. And he offers ways to think about how the evolution of homo sapiens is going to continue. We used Zoom again to meet on June 16. In an abrupt turnabout, we picked a much lighter summer-reading book to discuss, Ann Patchett’s Dutch House. It is a novel about a family that separates and reunites; family values and sibling bonds are explored, and the house is a character in the story. Again Eileen Brennan set up our Zoom meeting and provided discussion ideas. We were more comfortable with the remote format and had a good discussion. On July 21 we met to discuss Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. The book is a tour of a forgotten America, told partly through the kids who rode on Kristof’s old school bus in Yamhill, Oregon. A quarter are now dead, and others are homeless, in prison or struggling with drugs. However, some of the riders on that bus have had successful lives. The authors explore why some made multiple bad choices, and why some were able to build more successful lives. Brian Lewis led the discussion. On August 18 we will discuss The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel. This is the third in a series; the group has read the first two. Thomas Cromwell is the subject of this series, beginning with a hard childhood, continuing through service to Cardinal Woolsey, then as a minister to King Henry VIII, and finally to his execution as his increasing power led others to betray him. Again we expect to use Zoom to enable our discussion; Joan Shireman will lead this discussion. Our September meeting is either the final one of the summer or the first of the fall. It will be on September 15 and we will discuss A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell. This is the biography of a woman who became the head of a vast spy ring during World War II, and was important in the French Resistance. It has won multiple awards, and we expect it to be an interesting book to read and discuss. By September we might be able to meet in person again; if not, we will continue to meet through Zoom. The book group meets the third Tuesday of each month at 1:30 p.m. All RAPS members are welcome to join the book group. —Joan Shireman Bridge and Hiking Groups BRIDGE GROUP AND HIKING GROUP activities have been suspended due to the coronavirus. Upcoming RAPS events WELL BEFORE THE ARRIVAL of the coronavirus pandemic, RAPS had already scheduled a full complement of presentations for the 2020-21 program year. While the Board cannot guarantee that the meetings will occur as scheduled (meetings rooms on campus are still TBA), please save the dates in your calendars. We hope to hold the on-campus meetings in newly configured classrooms specifically set up to allow safe social distancing. If we cannot hold in-person meetings, we may be able to deliver them to the RAPS membership through a video conferencing platform such as Zoom. Please see page 1 for the article about the September meeting featuring President Steve Percy. The schedule for the remainder of fall term: OCTOBER Thursday, October 15 “Behind the Headlines: Reflections on PSU Magazine Cover Stories,” presented by recent PSU retirees Kathryn and John Kirkland. Kathryn is the former editor of PSU Magazine; John was a staff writer in the Office of University Communications. NOVEMBER Thursday, November 19 Bryce Henry, archivist for Capital Projects and Construction, offers a PowerPoint presentation that includes images of the PSU campus taken over several decades. DECEMBER Thursday, December 10 Annual Holiday Brunch, held at St. Augustana Lutheran Church in Northeast Portland.
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