Katelyn Klark
Reporter
The Women’s College at Mississippi University for Women has established a thriving feminist book club thanks to one student.
In collaboration with The W’s Women’s College and Friendly City Books, non-traditional student Elessa Harvey worked to create an inclusive space for both W students and the Columbus community to explore feminism.
Dr. Jill Drouillard, director of the Women’s College, emphasized the importance of student leadership in establishing Harvey’s book club.
“We really wanted to make sure that it was a student-led initiative,” Drouillard said. “We wanted other students to know that they could come to the Women’s College with ideas.”
While Harvey leads the club’s discussions, students have a say in what the club reads.
During the summer of 2025, Harvey participated in the Nancy Yates Community Engagement Program, assisting Friendly City Books. Harvey’s experience with the independent bookstore inspired her to create 1884 Fellow Lessa Harvey’s Feminist Book Club.
“I joined the Women’s College because I view women, gender, and sexuality studies as activism as a degree,” said Harvey. “I remember thinking that Friendly City Books has these wonderful book clubs that they host for the community, and it would be so awesome if we could have a feminist one.”
Harvey hopes that the club will provide a less formal setting for discussions about feminist literature and personal experiences.
“I wanted a medium where we got to have a bit more fun and less formal discussion where you can talk about your own experiences and how it relates to this novel,” Harvey said.
Harvey’s book club will host a discussion at Friendly City Books about Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” on Sept. 30 at 4 p.m. The club will meet again on Oct. 28 at 4 p.m. to discuss Audre Lorde’s “Sister Outsider.”
“I Who Have Never Known Men” by Jacqualine Harpman has been tentatively selected for the Nov. 18 meeting, but may be subject to change.
The covers of the three books selected for the Fall 2026 book club meetings.
Covers courtesy of Amazon, Crossing Press, and Transit Press.