Photo by Mary Lynn Pelican Participants in this first exciting meeting about Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

      You could feel the excitement in the air at the Fremont Main Library on Tuesday evening, September 22, as the 10 participants present for the first Animal, Vegetable, Miracle meeting heard about the excellent programs being planned for AAUW members and citizens of Fremont.

      AAUW’s Margery Leonard and Genevieve Angelides hosted the one-hour get-together to sign up potential discussion leaders and greeters for the 10 sessions already planned from October to December and gave them some guidelines to help them with their assignments.

      Both Margery and Genevieve have been busy lining up sessions, creating publicity, dialoging with collaborators and spreading the word about this wonderful book by well-known author Barbara Kingsolver describing her family’s one-year adventure at growing their own food and eating locally.

      The book, said Margery, has made popular a new word:  locavore.  Margery mentioned that locavore was the top new word in Webster’s dictionary three years ago.  Locavores are people who advocate buying food close to home to reduce the amount of energy used to transport them to our area.  As a result we get to enjoy the freshest, best foods possible.

      Margery and Genevieve shared some of the upcoming and ambitious projects that are in the making to bring Animal, Vegetable and Miracle to our community:

• The 10 sessions planned are in spots throughout the community – not just in libraries – so that they are accessible to the maximum number of people.
   
• Fremont’s Mayor Wasserman has agreed to sanction Animal, Vegetable, Miracle as the book all Fremont will read in the 2009-2010 One Book, One Community program.  He will sign a proclamation to that effect at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, November 10.
   
• Although, at this time, Barbara Kingsolver will not be coming to Fremont, AAUW members can see her at the Menlo Park Library at 7:00 p.m. on November 18.  She will also be at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco on November 17 as part of the City Arts and Lectures series and that presentation will be aired on NPR on February 21 at 1:00 p.m.
   
• Margery and Genevieve have an appointment to see representatives of the Fremont Unified School District.  The district has chosen the environment as a central theme for students this year and next and the co-chairs are meeting with educators to see how Animal, Vegetable, Miracle can fit in with the theme and curriculum.

      Margery, a retired English teacher, shared her enthusiasm for this One Book, One Community project and the work of Barbara Kingsolver.  She has read all of Kingsolver’s fiction and non-fiction works, and tries hard to obtain her own food close to home by frequenting our area’s wonderful farmers’ markets.

      She got involved with this project in typical AAUW fashion.  She asked Genevieve if there was a plan to continue with One Book, One Community and suggested the Kingsolver book as the next assignment.

      Genevieve immediately introduced Margery as chairperson of the program.  “I agreed to do it with a few provisos,” she said. “First, Genevieve must be my co-chair. She has so much rich experience. Next, that my own book talk group, Evening Lit, act as the steering committee.  And, finally, that people in all of AAUW’s book talk groups get involved.”

      Margery announced that there are discussion sessions planned until December and now additional ones are being put together from January to May.  She’s especially excited about the first discussion at Dale Hardware on Saturday, October 17 since it will be held at the same time as the nearby Farmers’ Market will be open for business.  “How great,” she said, “to be able to go from our book talk to get some wonderful, fresh food.”

      If you would like to sign up to be a discussion leader or AAUW greeter then contact Margery Leonard at president@aauw-fremontbranch.org or leave a message on the AAUW voicemail number: (510) 728-9700.

• Set the right tone:  She emphasized this point by quoting the Kingsolver phrase “Fascination, not fanaticism.” “This should be the theme that epitomizes all book talks,” she said.  “Kingsolver was fascinated by the idea of growing or obtaining food close to home but she wasn’t fanatical about it.  There’s a difference,” Margery said, “between a book review and a book discussion.”   A discussion entails dialog and it’s important to engage as many participants as possible.  
   
• The leader should ascertain that everyone has a chance to contribute.  A review monopolizes the stage and tells the audience about the book and its reception.   All our talks should focus on discussion.
   
• Allow some “wait” time after posing a question.   Give folks time to think about the question.   If there’s still silence, rephrase the question.
   
• Draw everyone in:  No monopolizers and no attacks.   Margery stressed creating an environment of civil sharing.
   
• Create some strategies for facilitation.  “Good leaders,” she said, “make connections to other things they’ve read and other parts of the book.”
   
• Stick to related follow-up questions.  Try to steer the conversation back to the book if participants stray to other topics.  For example, if someone wants to talk about Michael Pollard and his books and ideas, suggest he’s quoted in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and then go back to the question at hand.
   
• Put post-its in places that are especially meaningful to you and if there is silence, read some of the passages that spoke to you and would interest the audience.