Book Club
I read everywhere and constantly, and more often than I wish, I encounter people who repeat a lament: “I wish I read more, but I don’t know how.” In response, I created the informally titled To Read More Book Club, a place to nurture that worthwhile desire to read more. I want to explore what reading is. How does one read? How does one enjoy it? How might one live from and with it?
This book club is a bi-monthly, salon-style gathering dedicated to exploring political history, power, and change. It’s a gathering for people who refuse to feel complacent, who seek clarity through knowledge, and who believe that a more thorough recognition of the myriad histories that surround us is key to shaping a healthier, more communal, and more vibrant future.
We will explore stories and books that speak to race, sex, gender, capitalism, ecology, activism, and projects that have aimed to advance and strengthen collective liberty. As we contend with living in a “democracy in decline”, corporate domination, surveillance capitalism, and continuing targeted oppression by design, I want to curate a space for us to read together and engage with ideas that might help us navigate, act, and live in response to the pressures of our present with courage and conviction.
The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story. Created by Nikole Hannah-Jones and The New York Times Magazine.
The 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 States’ 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 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.
For every book we read, I’ll also ask members to come prepared to share a single sentence from the text that you found most illuminating while reading. This is our exploration of the act of reading. We’ll 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? The 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 experience of reading.
Each virtual session will focus on one book, and your consistent presence will be essential to building a strong, engaged group. 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.
What’s included:
The purchase, care, and shipping of books from local independent booksellers in Portland, Oregon. Each book will arrive 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.
Virtual meeting technology supports.
Registration
Please complete the registration form below to join the book club.
BOOK CLUB REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED.