Greene County Librarians Association (GCLA) will present an Open Book conversations program featuring R. J. Hernandez and Tracy Codel on Monday, Nov. 16, from 7 to 8 pm at the Marchant Memorial Library, 1110 Main St, Scranton,.
Open Book takes the approach “that books are our neighbors who share their personal experiences and defining moments. Readers are people who are interested in hearing stories that are real life changing. They engage with each other through small group conversation.”
Hernandez is a musician, chef and entrepreneur who has been entertaining audiences and educating young people about his culture for more than three decades. He plays a variety of instruments. He is the leader and founding member of the musical ensemble Las Guitarras de Mexico and was inducted into the 2023 Iowa Latino Hall of Fame. As a child, he watched his mother prepare Mexican dishes, which would later contribute to the success of Raul’s Mexican Food Chain in Des Moines.
Codel is a Des Moines native whose childhood home sat on a cul-de-sac in the Beaverdale neighborhood. Summer days were spent in endless games of kickball and hide-and-seek or exploring the deep woods, creeks and ravines of two nearby parks. After attending Drake University on a track scholarship, she ventured to San Antonio and St. Louis to teach math and computers and coach cross country. She met her husband on a St. Louis YMCA masters swim team. They returned to Des Moines, where Tracy became a stay-at-home mom in 1999. She became involved in leading several committees at church and her children’s schools, where a repeating focus with her efforts was on building community.
The conversation with each Open Book presenter will be 30 minutes in length.
Open Book is part of CultureALL and its focus on cultivating collaborative communities. “CultureALL believes that sharing the cultural richness of our community with others will elevate our society and the quality of life for all,” said a CultureALL spokesperson.
The program in Scranton is made possible by the Greene County Community Foundation and sponsored by the Greene County Librarians Association. An Open Book program was held in October at the Grand Junction Public Library. GLCA will present a third and final Open Book program at the Jefferson Public Library in December. Support for the Open Book programs in Greene County is also provided by Humanities Iowa.
