Curl up in the early winter dark and enjoy classic American literature as part of the new travelling Islandwide reading group called Fictions of Race in 20th Century America.

The reading group will meet five times over the course of the winter and spring at Island libraries. The first meeting is at the Aquinnah Public Library at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 31. The book the group will be discussing is William Faulkner’s Go Down Moses. Phil Weinstein, professor of English at Swarthmore College, author of books on Faulkner, and resident of Aquinnah, will lead the discussions at each of the meetings.

The next meeting is at West Tisbury Public Library to discuss Richard Wright’s Native Son in early March.

Vineyard Haven Public Library will host the discussion of The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron in April.

Chilmark Public Library will host the discussion of Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon in May.

Finally, Oak Bluffs Public Library will host the last meeting, in June, of the discussion of Edward Jones’ The Known World.

Although Mr. Weinstein will lead the discussion, people are strongly encouraged, of course, to read the book.