“This is an interesting planet. It deserves all the attention you can give it.” — Marilynne Robinson, Gilead

This quote captures the heart of Gilead, Robinson’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel that invites us to behold the world with reverence and attention. In a time when speed and distraction dominate our days, Gilead offers a counter-testimony: that light, water, speech, and blessing are sacred gifts—natural things that point us toward the beautiful and the good.

Led by Dr. Richard Gunderman, Chancellor’s Professor at IU Indianapolis, this reflective session—part lecture, part reading group—will explore Gilead through a series of guided readings and visual illustrations. Participants will read and discuss selected passages from Gilead, including a father’s blessing of his prodigal namesake, a summer evening transformed by a lawn sprinkler, and a moment of astonishment at beauty found in a graveyard bathed in moonlight.

Whether you’re a longtime admirer of Robinson’s work, a student encountering Gilead for the first time, or simply someone drawn to stories that speak quietly but profoundly to life’s deeper questions, this event offers space to reflect, discuss, and reconnect with both the inner life and the natural world.

Questions? Contact 317-873-3149 or askalib@hmmpl.org.

Event Organizers: A partnership between scholar Dr. Richard Gunderman and Hussey Mayfield Memorial Library.

Registration: Click here to register.