Book Clubs   

All the Beauty in the World, by Patick Bringley is the basis for a three-session book discussion about loss, grief and renewal based on the overarching theme of the power of art to restore individuals and bring beauty to our lives. Bringley was a guard at The Metropolitan Museum of Art for ten years – a place of silence and solace for him after his brother died. Our exploration of the book leads us to questions and reflections about grief and the importance of art. The discussion will be focused on the instructor’s powerpoint of artworks from The Met as mentioned in the book. Participants will engage in readings from the book along with probing questions about art and the passage of time.

Dr. Barbara Baditoi is a retired educator from Northern, VA with over 35 years of experience as a special education teacher, Assistant Principal, District Director of Special Education and Student Services, and adjunct professor at Marymount University. She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from VA Tech; she received her MEd from Penn State and BA from Wheaton College. During her career she was a consultant on Special Education issues: she wrote a book about student behavior, and co-authored a book on special education and school counselors. Since retiring she has focused on exploring the world of art through travel, gardening and museum exploration. She is on The Fralin Museum of Art Volunteer Board and indulges her passion for art by painting pet portraits and taking art classes.

Meditations from an Indigenous Elder by Steven Charleston. Charleston is a Choctaw Elder and former professor of theology for several educational institutions. This book connects native thought with other religious traditions while being mostly non-religious. We will read sections of the book and discuss a native perspective on how to deal with contemporary issues.

Led by Bob Covert and Pam McFaden

Dr. Pam McFaden received her EdD from UVA in 2011. Pam taught Language Arts and History at the secondary level before continuing her education. She co-taught the multicultural education course at Curry School for six years before returning to public education to work on diversity issues as the Supervisor for Equity Assurance for Amherst County Public Schools. Pam has spoken on American Indian rights and led professional development on equity issues. Dr. Bob Covert received his PhD from Temple University in Research and Statistics in 1972. He conducted local and national evaluations through the Evaluation Research Center at UVA. Bob taught education courses in Curry School of Education, and developed a variety of courses in computer data analysis, qualitative research methods, questionnaire construction, and multicultural education. He is the past president of the American Evaluation Association and past-president and co-founder of the Virginia chapter of the National Association of Multicultural Education. He has received several diversity awards at UVA, including the John T. Casteen Award for Diversity. He worked at UVA for 42 years.