Photo by Adam Swanson, 2025.
Book Club
I read everywhere and constantly, and more often than I wish, I encounter people with a repetition of lament: “I wish I read more; I just don’t know how.” In response I created the informally titled To Read More Book Club, a place to nurture people’s worthwhile desire to read more. Let’s explore what reading is, exactly, too. How does one do it? How does one enjoy it? How might one live from and with it? Let’s read more!
This book club is a bi-monthly, salon-style gathering for adults dedicated to the exploration of political history, power, and change. It’s a book club for people who refuse to feel complacent, who seek clarity through knowledge, and who believe that a thorough recognition of the myriad histories that surround us is key to shaping a healthier and more vibrant future.
We will explore stories and books that speak to ecology, race, sex, gender, capitalism, activism, and projects that have worked to strengthen collective liberty. As we contend with living in a democracy in decline, corporate domination, surveillance capitalism, and targeted oppression, I am curating a space for us to read together and engage with ideas about how we might navigate, act, and live in response to the pressures of our present.
The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story. Created by Nikole Hannah-Jones and The New York Times Magazine. Edited by Caitlin Roper, Ilena Silverman, and Jake Silverstein.
Other details
Over four sessions and four books, we will read and discuss thought-provoking texts that challenge dominant narratives and illuminate the forces that shape our world. Our goal is to read more and empower ourselves to act and live with a more informed sense of the United State’s political histories and resistances.
This is more than a simple book club—this is a space for learning, questions, and solidarity. Let’s read, reflect, and build a stronger collective capacity to grow.
Book club members will receive and read four books. You will have roughly two months to read each selection before our book club gatherings. We will begin with The 1619 Project, a commanding text created and edited by journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones. The book features essays, research, poems, photographs, and contributions from more than 30 writers, artists, and historians.
The remaining three books will be a surprise, revealed as we progress. I understand that the desire to know what’s coming may be strong, but I’m asking you to trust the deeply committed reader in me to only share excellence with you. Each book, authored by writers living today, will be mailed to you by hand by me. Book club members will also receive a surprise thank you gift separate from our book club selections.
Between meetings, I will send a newsletter of sorts with links to related videos, artwork, interviews, essays, and any other striking material that I discover while preparing for our discussions.
For every book we read, I’ll also ask members to come prepared to share the single sentence in the text that they found the most illuminating while reading. This is our exploration of the act of reading. We’ll aim to reflect along these lines: What captured you? Was it the writing—the use of language? The story or situation? A new fact you learned? Maybe something else? Rhythm, perhaps? What was your reading experience like, too? Were you distracted? Enthralled? Did you make notes? Dog-ear? Doze off? Let’s take time to discuss the actual experience of reading.
Each virtual session will focus on one book, and your consistent presence will be essential to building a strong, engaged group.
What’s included:
The fee to join To Read More is $400. Payment plans are easy and available. The book club fee covers:
The purchase, care, and shipping of books from local independent booksellers in Portland, Oregon. Each book will arrive to you wrapped like a gift with a personalized note from me.
Access to all book club discussion gatherings (meeting dates TBD).
Curated notes from me with reading prompts and resources.
Registration
Please complete the registration form below to join the To Read More Book Club.
If you can’t afford the book club fee, I have full and partial scholarship funds available—please email me via my contact page to inquire about these supports. (And if you’re able to donate to the scholarship fund, please do!)
I look forward to reading with you!
BOOK CLUB REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.