Yuba College “Book Talk,” a gathering of students and teachers to discuss literature, started Friday, Feb. 13, in the Writing and Language Development Center. This semester the first book will be George Orwell’s dystopian novel, “1984.”Meetings are every Friday from 10 -11 a.m.
According to Rosemary McKeever, Instructional Associate at the WLDC, “‘Book Talk’ was started to promote a reading culture. We talk about literature and we connect it to current events and to our experience.”
“1984” remains relevant today even though it was originally published in 1949, 35 years before the book’s setting, “Times have changed because of technology,” McKeever said. “In ‘1984,’ you have no privacy; you are always watched; everything is tracked. Today a huge amount of data about you is collected based on your browsing history so ‘1984’ is very timely. Everything you click on Facebook and Google adjusts your news feed and the ads that are fed to you. Its creepy.”
Although George Orwell couldn’t predict the technology age, his critiques on society remain ever pertinent. His many novels and short essays like “1984,” “Animal Farm,” “Shooting an Elephant,” and “Politics of the English Language,” are still widely celebrated.
Whether you are a seasoned reader or simply a novice with an appetite for learning, “Book Talk” is a great place to enjoy and discuss reading.
Dale Holder is a BioEngineering major at Yuba College, and a reporter for the Prospector.
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