The Human Library is a library of people a nd their experiences with prejudice. Instead of paperbacks\, actual people are on loan for conversations. This is a drop-in event\, so feel free to stop by any time between 12:30 and 4 p.m. Once you arrive\, you will have the opportunity to sign up to speak with the books of your choice. \;T he concept is about acknowledging and challenging the prejudice that we al l carry toward one another. The Human Library creates a safe space for con versation where topics that may be taboo\, marginalized or stigmatized can be openly addressed without judgement. \;
\nLearn more about the Human L
ibrary Organization &rarr\;
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I&rsquo\;m a first-generation refugee from Vietnam. D
uring the war\, my parents fought on the South Vietnamese side as U.S. all
ies. My father was a helicopter pilot in the Air Force\, trained at Fort R
ucker\, Alabama\, and my mother worked with the American embassy. After th
e war\, they chose to stay in Vietnam\, hoping to help rebuild the country
. But growing tensions due to their past eventually led to our family home
being destroyed by the Communist government. That moment changed everythi
ng. It set my family on the path to seek asylum and begin a new life in No
rthwest Arkansas. My story is about how that single event shaped the cours
e of my life&mdash\;how I&rsquo\;ve learned to reconcile my traditional As
ian upbringing with life in the American South\, what it means to move bey
ond fitting in toward belonging\, and how I continue to find my identity a
long the way.
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"Off the Grid" ha
s been living in isolated\, rural Washington County for over 27 years\, of
f the grid\, with solar electric before it was readily available. He takes
drinking water from a well\, tends a small flock of chickens\, makes a sm
all garden\, and collects wild edibles. He has a working artist studio and
a small cabin. That description brings connotations and stereotypes about
back-to-the-landers\, hippies\, hillbillies\, survivalists and rednecks\,
but Off the Grid isn&rsquo\;t sure any of these apply to him.
\
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After betrayal\, loss\, and emotional
collapse\, I found myself forced to start over\, learning how to live alo
ne\, rediscover my worth\, and rebuild my life from the ground up after my
ex-wife had an affair with her best friend's husband and my mom received
a terminal cancer diagnosis in the same three-month period. This is a stor
y about surviving devastation and discovering that healing is terrifyingly
beautiful.
\;
I am currently h
omeless\, and every day I face judgment from people who don&rsquo\;t know
my story\, along with constant safety concerns that make it hard to rest o
r feel secure. I became homeless after a series of setbacks that I couldn&
rsquo\;t recover from\, and that&rsquo\;s why I&rsquo\;m in this situation
now. Despite everything\, I still hold hope for a future where I can rebu
ild my life\, find stability\, and feel safe again.
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Emerging from a fractured family sys
tem and being raised by a resilient single mother\, One Thousand Invisible
Deaths held onto hope for her future. She imagined that becoming a wife a
nd mother would absorb the ache of her past. However\, adulthood unfolded
differently&mdash\;marked by infertility\, early menopause\, a career chan
ge\, and a spouse&rsquo\;s battle with severe mental illness and addiction
that led to incarceration. One Thousand Invisible Deaths is the story of
learning to live through what cannot be seen&mdash\;grieving the invisible
\, rebuilding after the unimaginable\, and ultimately discovering that a m
eaningful life can still grow from loss. \;
\;
Rea
d about the story of a biracial young lady who grew up in Fayetteville\, A
rkansas. She was raised by her white mother\, but walked with a different
set of rules that society had bestowed on her than her mother. This story
examines the life of an individual who has grown up in a mixed-up state\,
not being able to identify as black or white\, but somewhere in between. H
er journey has left her with a perspective that is able to break down raci
al barriers and represent what life can look like when you truly live all
mixed up!
\;
"Breaking Borders
" aims to share an account of her childhood in the Philippines and life as
an immigrant in the United States. \; She will share experiences of c
hildhood domestic violence and the grip of toxic matriarchy\, all of which
have shaped her messy but enriched life as a mom\, preacher's wife\, and
woman of color. This book aspires to break down mental health stigmas\, pr
ejudices\, and generalizations of hate that can divide our community.
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This is the story of when I decided to cancel the revocation of my parent
al rights for my newborn daughter\, who was in the process of being adopte
d. Five days after she was born\, I exercised my right to change my mind a
nd get her back. What was a devastating time and an incredibly hard decisi
on to make\, turned into a beautiful story of family being formed of peopl
e that you choose! We ended up moving to Fayetteville to live with her wou
ld-have-been adoptive parents when she was 3 months old\, and have been he
re ever since.
\;
A is for Adam\, Z is for Zealot deconstructed from Christian Nationalis
m. She grew up in a fundamentalist household with a cult-like church and s
chool. Her life got turned upside down when she was kicked out and had to
go to public school. She broke free from undiagnosed selective mutism and
learned about different viewpoints. Swinging to both extremes\, from Nonde
nominational Communist to Traditional Catholic Theocratic Monarchist\, she
fully deconstructed four years ago.
\;
The Sound of Becoming \;is a lyrical\, reflective memoir that traces how a life ca n be shaped\, note by note\, through migration\, motherhood\, artmaking\, and community. It explores how identity forms in motion\, how growth happe ns in tension\, and how belonging is forged through sound\, not only throu gh music\, but through attention\, listening\, and the courage to respond.
\nIt is the story of a woman becoming many things at once: artist\,
mother\, immigrant\, advocate\, administrator\, daughter\, teacher. It is
also a meditation on the unseen architectures that hold a life together:
care\, creativity\, lineage\, and the powerful fusion of memory and imagin
ation. Each chapter is a window and a mirror\, opening outward into the wo
rld while reflecting the inner landscape that shapes every choice\, every
note\, every act of leadership and love.
\;
Throughout my life\, I&
rsquo\;ve been given many labels &mdash\; immigrant\, survivor\, teen mom\
, single mom\, and special needs parent. But none of these titles truly de
fine who I am. Behind each one is a story of love\, hope\, and resilience.
I&rsquo\;ve faced challenges that could have broken me\, but instead they
shaped me. From surviving domestic violence and rebuilding from nothing\,
to learning how to advocate for my children with disabilities\, every cha
pter of my life has taught me that strength comes from perseverance and se
lf-discovery. My story is proof that we are more than the labels we&rsquo\
;re given &mdash\; we are the stories we write beyond them.
\;\n
This memoir reveals a journey from pain
to purpose. I am a survivor at heart. I have survived child abuse. I have
survived infertility issues. I have survived cancer. But life is about mor
e than just surviving the trials\; it is about overcoming pain to find the
hope that life offers. My journey to overcoming was tied to my faith\, wh
ich allowed me to face my trauma\, learn to trust\, believe in miracles\,
find peace\, and get to forgiveness. My purpose is to help break the cycle
s of silence\, shame and hurt for other survivors working to overcome.
\;
A story of some
one with ADHD who just did what they found interesting. While the world en
couraged him to "pick something"\, he continued to be curious and listen t
o himself. What unfolded is something he could not have even scripted hims
elf.
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All abilities are welcome. For disability accommodations\, call 479.856.7250 or email \;< a href="mailto:questions@faylib.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title= "Email questions@faylib.org">questions@faylib.org \;2-3 weekdays b efore a program. Plan your visit by viewing our building map \;and details on accessibility services.
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