Each month we discuss a book agreed upon at the previous meeting. The selection for July is Anatomy of a Purple State, by Christopher A. Cooper.

Dr. Cooper, Professor of Political Science and Public Affairs at WCU, frequently comments on North Carolina politics in local, state, and national media. In Anatomy of a Purple State, Dr. Cooper breaks down why the Tar Heel State is a key bellwether and a primary battleground in American democracy, reasons that include hyper-partisanship, gerrymandering, and the urban-rural divide.

Dr. Cooper will also be a speaker at the August 10 Engage Black Mountain get-together.