Sunday, at the Natchez Co-Lin campus in the Nelson Multi-Purpose Room and next Saturday at NAPAC Museum, 301 Main St., Natchez, you can once again or for your first time participate in a stimulating, year-long series of readings by Richard Wright. You may openly and freely discuss and debate the works or actively listen to a variety of individuals from far and near who enthusiastically “gnaw it to the bone,” for lack of a better description.

Who’s Richard Wright? You asked that, didn’t you? Richard Wright is one of America’s most recognized and critically acclaimed writers, a native Mississippi son whose two paternal and two maternal grandparents were born into slavery. The sessions are in celebration of the 100th anniversary of his birth in 1908, close to Natchez. They’re free, open to the public and coincide, not accidentally, with the Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration and Black History celebration.

Dr. Jerry Ward, professor of English and African World Studies, Dillard University in New Orleans, is discussion leader. His leadership style is relaxed, friendly, lively and unintimidating, which greatly appeals to people like me, not you of course, who kind of skim through things looking for the beef, convinced we’ll get to the same destination as you, but faster.

Several copies of the books are on reserve for you at Armstrong Library. The February reading is Lawd Today. While you’re there, pick up Native Son and Rite of Passage, the readings for March and ask Marianne or Christine to give you a copy of the discussion questions. All the better to prepare you, my dear!

The Feb. 25 reading is from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. March readings go from 1 to 5 p.m. There’s a midway break during every session with complimentary refreshments. Think about attending! These next two sessions are in the middle of lent and football’s over.

Reading Richard Wright on the eve of his 100th birthday is sponsored by Copiah–Lincoln Community College, The Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration, The Natchez Richard Wright Centennial Celebration Committee and is partially funded by the Mississippi Humanities Council.

Jack Kelly is a Natchez resident.