There’s something great about sitting down and getting into one of your favorite books and escaping reality just for a minute. Have you ever wanted to share your thoughts and experiences with literature? Look no further than the Book Discussion Group led by Professor Michael Hennessey.

Michael Hennessey is a professor in the Language and Literature department at Bucks. He has been working at the school since 1998 and started participating in the Book Discussion Group even before then. He has been a member of the group for around 25 years.

Hennessey jokingly explained he’s been into literature since being delivered as a baby, but really got into literature in high school. Books like the Hardy Boys series and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce caught his attention. The book discussion group was founded in 1988 and is still going strong 30 years later.

The book discussion group meets every second Thursday of each month and meets in both fall and spring semesters. The group meets in room 114 in the Rollins Center located near the Student Life Office. The book discussion is open to the public so Bucks students can bring a friend or family member if they would like.

There is a link on the Bucks main website for the Book Discussion Group with the current schedule. If an individual scrolls down they will see “Get Involved” in bold and white. Under that, click Arts + Entertainment and then on the right of the next page, click Book Group and you will be brought to the schedule and how to contact Professor Hennessey for questions.

When asked who picks the books discussed in the group Hennessey replied, “It’s done as a group, everyone comes with suggestions of what they want to read and we all have a vote like a democracy.” When asked what happens at the meetings Hennessy stated, “The person who picked the book comes with a question and then in no time a discussion breaks out.”

Hennessey explained the group discusses various things like psychological motives from characters you read about to the style of writing and even discussions about related experiences to the literature read. Members will read an array of stories from all over the world.
When posed the question, “Why should students at Bucks join the book discussion group?” Hennessey replied, “It’s a good way to see people’s perspectives on things and I think it helps develop toleration and empathy.”

“Everyone encounters conflict in life and there is usually always conflict in works of literature and an individual can learn from that by relating their own conflicts to the ones they read about.”

Hennessey also stated that many people don’t get the chance to travel but through books you can travel throughout the world. “Literature is the easiest and least expensive way to educate one’s self.”

So, check your schedules and get down to the book discussion group you won’t regret it!