Rhythms of a Nation: Exploring Ragtime with David Lynn and John Adams

By Marissa Lasoff-Santos

The Library of the Chathams is pleased to welcome back a distinguished literary voice for the second installment of our Reading Through History series, on Thursday, November 12, at 5:00 p.m.

Following a well-attended and thought-provoking inaugural event, Kenyon College Professor Emeritus of English and Editor Emeritus of The Kenyon Review David Lynn returns, once again in conversation with Chatham Library Foundation Board Trustee John Adams, an avid bibliophile and longtime champion of the library, to lead a discussion of E.L. Doctorow's celebrated historical novel, Ragtime.

Attendees will have the opportunity to dive into the story's vivid cast of real and fictional characters and explore the craft, historical context, and literary significance of one of the most influential American novels of the 20th century.

Those who join us will explore Doctorow's remarkable portrait of ambition, identity, and a nation in transformation, as we hear the respected literary scholar and editor discuss what makes this novel so compelling.

The Power of Discussing Ragtime Together with David Lynn

Ragtime won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction in 1975 and the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters Award in 1976. It was also named one of the Modern Library's 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century.

Doctorow transformed the turbulent years of early 20th-century America — immigration, industrialization, and shifting identity — into an immersive, kaleidoscopic narrative that blends real historical figures like Harry Houdini, J.P. Morgan, and Booker T. Washington with entirely fictional lives.

But a great book is only half the experience. The other half is talking about it with others. There's something special that happens when people who share a love of reading, history, and community come together around a single story: perspectives shift, overlooked details come to light, and a novel you thought you understood suddenly reveals new layers. These conversations remind us that reading, while often a solitary act, can also be a deeply communal one, a way of connecting us with the past and one another.

David Lynn brings an extraordinary depth of experience to guiding exactly that kind of conversation. During his tenure as editor of The Kenyon Review, one of the country's most respected literary magazines, Lynn helped shape literary conversations and engaged with some of the most important writers and works of contemporary literature.

Lynn’s connection to Doctorow runs deep: they both are Kenyon Alumni. The acclaimed author returned to campus often, including to receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Kenyon in 1976. Furthermore, Doctorow was the first recipient of The Kenyon Review Award for Literary Achievement. Lynn, as editor of the publication, presented him with the award at an annual gala in New York City in 2002.

The former editor’s ability to draw meaning, context, and nuance from the text — paired with this personal history — will make for an engaging discussion.

The community is invited, and we look forward to welcoming you to the Reading Through History series.

Registration is required and limited to 20 participants. Copies will be available for checkout at the Information Desk.