Peoria Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle
Friday, March 7, 2025 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Peoria Women's Club, 301 NE Madison Ave., Peoria

In collaboration with Bradley University's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), the PWC invites you to join the Peoria Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle, recognized as the oldest continuous book club in the United States. Lynette Steger, a professional educator and Peoria Women's Club board member, is the moderator.

Registration is available through the OLLI website under Spring Semester: https://www.bradley.edu/academic/continue/olli/. A small fee includes membership in the national Chautauqua Institution, contributing toward CLSC graduation, and access to the discussion, snacks, and coffee.

What we are reading and discussing:

Apple: Skin to the Core 

Apple (Skin to the Core) by Eric Gansworth is a powerful memoir that explores the complexities of Native identity through the lens of the author's Onondaga-Tuscarora heritage. Gansworth reflects on his experiences growing up in a Native community, grappling with the legacy of government boarding schools, and witnessing the cycles of departure and return within his family. Through a mix of prose, poetry, and imagery, he dismantles the derogatory term "Apple"—used to describe someone "red on the outside, white on the inside"—reclaiming it as a symbol of resilience and self-definition. The book offers an intimate, heartbreaking exploration of the challenges and beauty of navigating multiple worlds. (Part 2 of 2 books relating to a broader discussion on Native American boarding schools).

Questions? Contact Lynette Steger at VicePres1@PeoriaWomensClub.comor (309) 642-2688