|
Hennepin County Library Director Scott Duimstra opens the April 23 book club event with Junauda Petrus.
I want to thank everyone who joined us for the 2025 season of the Mary Ann Key Book Club. Author Junauda Petrus and her debut novel “The Stars and the Blackness Between Them” did such a fantastic job in connecting with the goal of the Mary Ann Key Book Club of being a catalyst for meaningful conversations. Throughout the novel, Junauda shows the power that books play in our lives and how they can lead to life-changing events. She brought the voices and experiences of a younger audience to the Mary Ann Key Book Club with her story of the love between teenagers Audre and Mabel. Their love was more powerful than the hate and difficulties they encountered, and it resonated with audience members as Junauda discussed her novel’s themes with Myron Medcalf at the April 23 event.
The success and impact of the Mary Ann Key Book Club is a result of partnership between its founder Myron Medcalf and our staff. Myron is one of the most gifted moderators, and that’s evident at each Mary Ann Key event. I feel so fortunate that he works with us each year so that our libraries continue to be a place where meaningful conversations take place.
I’d also like to thank Friends of the Hennepin County Library and the Star Tribune for their partnership and support. The generosity of Friends of the Hennepin County Library allows us to provide these engaging programs and make them more accessible to residents across Hennepin County by providing both an in-person and virtual option. Thanks to our partner the Star Tribune for helping to promote our events and making Myron’s columns related to the book club open to all readers.
Thanks again to everyone who read with us, joined in the discussions at libraries, and attended the conversations with Junauda. I am truly thankful that I was able to attend this year’s event and look forward to the 2026 season of the Mary Ann Key Book Club.
Scott Duimstra
Hennepin County Library Director
 Myron Medcalf shares his final reflections on the 2025 season of the Mary Ann Key Book Club. (YouTube: 08:41 duration.)
 Originally recorded April 23, 2025: The Mary Ann Key Book Club hosts a conversation between Myron Medcalf and Junauda Petrus. (YouTube: 1hr 13min.)
Visit Queermunity, a vibrant gathering space and café in Minneapolis dedicated to offering high-quality experiences and building a regenerative economy for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities and their allies.
Browse the LGBTQIA2S+ Romance HCL recommended booklist, which highlights love stories featuring LGBTQIA2S+ characters or themes, available through the library.
MNspin is an online collection of music available to all Hennepin County library cardholders, which features a curated selection of works by Minnesota artists of all genres. Check out the following featured playlists:
Celebrate Pride Month by watching featured LGBTQIA+ films through Kanopy, a free streaming service available to all Hennepin County library cardholders. To use the Kanopy streaming service, log in with your library card and enjoy a diverse catalog of films with new titles added every month.
Stories for Juneteenth with Black Storytellers Alliance
Saturday, June 21, 2-3pm
St Louis Park Library
Learn about characters from African and African American folktales and the tradition of storytelling in the African American community in this lively performance. This event is part of the City of St. Louis Park's Juneteenth Series cohosted alongside St. Louis Park Community Education and St. Louis Park Parks and Recreation. Learn more.
Queer Voices: Curators, Past and Present
Tuesday, June 24, 6:30-8pm
Quatrefoil Library
Join us at Quatrefoil Library during Pride month to celebrate the 32-year history of Queer Voices, a Twin Cities based LGBTQIA+ literary arts group that began with founding curators Andrea Jenkins and John Medeiros. Current curators LM Brimmer and Sherrie Fernandez-Williams will join Jenkins and Medeiros in a discussion of their writing lives and share stories about how the queer literary community in Minnesota creates space for all voices across our big, beautiful and bold rainbow. Learn more.
Queer and Queer Romance Book Clubs
Multiple locations and times
Join discussions of new and interesting books written by queer authors or on queer topics with these LGBTQIA+ centered book clubs. Bring along your book recommendations for future meetings. Learn more, including current book selections.
About the Mary Ann Key Book Club
The book club was inspired by a Star Tribune column written by Myron Medcalf – the great-great-great-grandson of Mary Ann Key.
“I’m honored to partner with Hennepin County Library to launch the Mary Ann Key Book Club, named after the matriarch of my family, who was enslaved in Georgia in the 1850s. Purchased for $1,000 at the age of 14, Mary Ann Key persevered. Her body was in bondage, but slavery never stole the freedom of her heart, mind and soul. This book club is about focusing on the truths of the past, our challenges in the present and the possibilities of the future…”
– Myron Medcalf
This program is supported by Friends of the Hennepin County Library. Their generous financial support is helping to provide greater access to print and eBook copies of the featured books. Media partner: Star Tribune.
|
