ONLINE NNO Book Club: The Memory Librarian

This is the ONLINE version of this event. There is also an in-person event at 1 pm on this date.

I already knew Janelle Monáe was a million times cooler than me – but maybe this month I will have proof she is also way way smarter than me. This month is shaping up to be wild. We have a book with tons of collaborators whose work we’ve read, a music album, and an art film thingy that was released in support of the album back in 2018? Buckle up, y’all. This should be an adventure!

***Book summary from Goodreads***
In The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer, singer-songwriter, actor, fashion icon, activist, and worldwide superstar Janelle Monáe brings to the written page the Afrofuturistic world of one of her critically acclaimed albums, exploring how different threads of liberation—queerness, race, gender plurality, and love—become tangled with future possibilities of memory and time in such a totalitarian landscape…and what the costs might be when trying to unravel and weave them into freedoms.

Whoever controls our memories controls the future.

Janelle Monáe and an incredible array of talented collaborating creators have written a collection of tales comprising the bold vision and powerful themes that have made Monáe such a compelling and celebrated storyteller. Dirty Computer introduced a world in which thoughts—as a means of self-conception—could be controlled or erased by a select few. And whether human, A.I., or other, your life and sentience was dictated by those who’d convinced themselves they had the right to decide your fate.

That was until Jane 57821 decided to remember and break free.

Expanding from that mythos, these stories fully explore what it’s like to live in such a totalitarian existence…and what it takes to get out of it. Building off the traditions of speculative writers such as Octavia Butler, Ted Chiang, Becky Chambers, and Nnedi Okorafor—and filled with the artistic genius and powerful themes that have made Monáe a worldwide icon in the first place—The Memory Librarian serves readers tales grounded in the human trials of identity expression, technology, and love, but also reaching through to the worlds of memory and time within, and the stakes and power that exists there.

***EXTRA INFO FOR AUGUST 2023***
So based on skimming the Goodreads reviews – you may want to check out the following:

Dirty Computer Emotion Picture (like “motion picture” I guess, but E-motion?):
Available free on Vimeo here: https://vimeo.com/268498567
Yes, it’s like 45 minutes long. Maybe stream to a large screen and fix a snack before hand.

Dirty Computer Album:
Available for checkout via Hillsborough Library here: https://hcplc.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S142C1464170

And via Pinellas Co. Library here: (Link is to search page – cannot direct link)
https://pplc.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/default/?

Guys – this is a multi-modality, multi-sensory experience for book club this month. I hope it all turns out half as cool as it sounds.

Why have two book club events?
Short version – we have grown slightly bigger than our 10 person limit for the in-person group and rather than debating if you should or shouldn’t read the book if you are on the Wait List – you can always sign up for the online event. Also, sometimes the 1 pm time doesn’t work or you’d prefer an online option for whatever reason. All the same good discussion and chitchat – but you don’t have to get out of your jammies!

Can I RSVP for both versions?
Absolutely! In fact, those on the Waitlist are encouraged to RSVP for the online event, as at least you know you will get to talk about the book either way. You can even attend both versions if you just really loved the book.