Let’s talk about The Antidote
You are invited to join the Alumni Book Club on Tuesday, November 11 from 7:00 - 8:30 pm (CT) to discuss The Antidote, by Karen Russell. The discussion is facilitated by Dr. Katie Van Wert, Assistant Professor of English in the UMD Department of English, Linguistics, and Writing Studies.
Alumni Book Club: The Antidote
Tuesday, November 11
7:00 - 8:30 PM (CT)
Hosted on Zoom
The Alumni Book Club is free to join and participants are responsible for purchasing their own copy of The Antidote, by Karen Russell.
About the Book
The Antidote opens on Black Sunday, as a historic dust storm ravages the fictional town of Uz, Nebraska. But Uz is already collapsing—not just under the weight of the Great Depression and the dust bowl drought but beneath its own violent histories. The Antidote follows a “Prairie Witch,” whose body serves as a bank vault for peoples’ memories and secrets; a Polish wheat farmer who learns how quickly a hoarded blessing can become a curse; his orphan niece, a basketball star and witch’s apprentice in furious flight from her grief; a voluble scarecrow; and a New Deal photographer whose time-traveling camera threatens to reveal both the town’s secrets and its fate.
Russell’s novel is above all a reckoning with a nation’s forgetting—enacting the settler amnesia and willful omissions passed down from generation to generation, and unearthing not only horrors but shimmering possibilities. The Antidote echoes with urgent warnings for our own climate emergency, challenging readers with a vision of what might have been—and what still could be. (Penguin Random House)
What is the Alumni Book Club?
The Alumni Book Club connects through a live virtual meeting on Zoom. Meetings are guided by a faculty member who will share their expertise on the topic.
FAQs
What to Expect
Meaningful Conversation with Fellow Bulldogs
- Engaging Discussion: Join fellow alumni for a guided conversation about The Antidote, led by Dr. Katie Van Wert, Assistant Professor of English.
- Virtual Connection: Participate from anywhere—this event is hosted live on Zoom.
- Faculty Insight: Explore the book’s themes, characters, and contemporary relevance through an academic lens.
- Casual Atmosphere: No presentations or lectures—just thoughtful discussion and shared perspectives.
- Free to Join: There’s no cost to participate; simply purchase your own copy of The Antidote before the event.
Questions?
Connect with Us
- Questions about this alumni event? Please contact Alumni Relations at [email protected].