‘TJ Crowley' Picked for Wichita's Candid Conversations Book Club

WICHITA, Kan. -- The Wichita Public Library's Candid Conversations Book Club selection for July was The Real Education of T.J. Crowley, written by local author Grant Overstake. The young adult novel was selected for the citywide event by discussion facilitator, Dr. Michael Birzer, Professor of Criminal Justice at Wichita State University.

About 20 people gathered July 19 at the Maya Angelou Branch in northeast Wichita, less than a mile from where the novel is set, in 1968-69.

"We had a great turnout," said librarian Julie Sherwood, coordinator for the series, which selects books dealing with matters of culture, race and social justice issues nationally, and in the case of TJ Crowley, local issues as well.Set in the late Civil Rights Era, The Real Education of TJ Crowley is set in  the aftermath of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination, when a 13-year-old boy learns the lesson of a lifetime. The story holds a particular interest for Dr. Birzer, who prior to his entry into academia, served for 18 years with the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department, which includes Wichita.

"Having The Real Education of TJ Crowley selected as a CandidConversations book is a great honor to me as a native of Wichita, and a tribute to the real people who inspired me to write the novel," Overstake said. "By all accounts, it was a great night for everyone who gathered, and I heard that Dr. Birzer did a great job as facilitator, which is no surprise."

The Candid Conversations Book Club selection for August was There There by Tommy Orange. This month's book discussion is The Learning Tree by Gordon Parks, a story about racial prejudice in small-town Kansas of the 1920s. The discussion will be led by Carla Eckels, Director of Cultural Diversity for news and engagement at KMUW.

Multiple copies of The Real Education of TJ Crowley are available at the library for book discussions, and includes questions for discussion. Books can be checked out for up to six weeks, or by arrangement. To reserve discussion set, contact the Library at (316) 261-8500.The Real Education of TJ Crowley is available at all major online booksellers.