Beech Tree News Network

With a passion for reading, a Morgantown man is hoping to ignite that same passion in others by starting the Butler Bookworms, a local book discussion group. 

Kirk Schmidt, a retired high school teacher with a Ph. D, moved to Morgantown with his family three years ago from New York and has since been actively involved in various community volunteer activities.  He lost his wife to cancer shortly after their move to Morgantown.  

The first meeting of the Butler Bookworms was actually held in November but was sparsely attended - in part because it was scheduled during the day.  To remedy that problem, the January meeting is set for Tuesday the 15th at 7 p.m. at Kirk's house at 179 Old Buckhorn Lane - south of Butler County High School.  You can e-mail at [email protected] for directions.   The book will be George Orwell's 1984.    

Below is a book description of 1984 found on Amazon.com:  Written in 1948, 1984 was George Orwell’s chilling prophecy about the future. And while 1984 has come and gone, Orwell’s narrative is timelier than ever. 1984 presents a startling and haunting vision of the world, so powerful that it is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the power of this novel, its hold on the imaginations of multiple generations of readers, or the resiliency of its admonitions—a legacy that seems only to grow with the passage of time.

"There are lots of people in Butler County who love to read and who want to get together to socialize and to discuss books," said Schmidt.  "There are also people who don't enjoy talking but would instead like to sit and just listen.  That's good, too.  They can meet others like themselves and have a good couple of hours doing something different."

Schmidt said he is hoping for a good turnout this time around.  

"I'm especially looking for senior citizens to come; they always have a great time and liven things up.  And 1984 - the book we'll be discussing - is easy to read quickly and always interesting to talk about," added Schmidt.  

For Schmidt, also an avid traveler and aspiring Italian cook, reading is definitely one of his driving passions.

"I've enjoyed thrillers and mysteries more than the classics the past few years - and am looking forward to meeting new people at the Butler Bookworms book discussion group," said Schmidt.  

For more information about the January Butler Bookworms meeting, send e-mail to Schmidt at [email protected]