The Utah Humanities Council has many resources for groups wanting to explore cultural differences and improve their ability to speak across cultural divides. We list many speakers and sets of books available to groups meeting in public places, many of which deal with cultural diversity, Mormon culture and understanding differences. Our resources are listed on line at www.utahhumanities.org or may be obtained by calling 801-359-9670. A few speakers and titles of books to note are:
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“Facing our Stereotypes, Prejudices and Discrimination” with Stephanie Wahab
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“Beyond Argument: Facilitating Group Discussions on Controversial or Divisive Topics” with Nini Rich
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Books such as Mormon Country by Wallace Stegner, a highly regarded nonfiction book that looks at Mormon history and culture from a Gentile’s point of view and A Mormon Mother: An Autobiography, by Annie Clark Tanner, about a polygamist wife in the 19th century.
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We also have many books exploring cultural and personal identity, including Something to Declare, by Julia Alvarez, The Woman Warrior, by Maxine Hong Kingston, and Reservation Blues, by Sherman Alexie, among scores of others.
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We have a roster of discussion leaders for the books we loan. These may be arranged through a request form, also on line.
All of our resources are free if made used by groups meeting in public places and announcing their meetings to the public. The “group” does not have to be a formal one; ad hoc groups are fine. Information on how to schedule speakers and request sets of books are on our website: www.utahhumanites.org.