I’m very much an enthusiast for localism. Lately I’ve been interested in local book clubs, and thanks in large part to meetup.com I’m now juggling no less than three. In theory, at least. All in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, near my home.
The only one I’ve attended so far is the North Brooklyn Classics Book Club. Having once started a book club myself, I admire the scope of their initial ambition. They started early this year with no less than three months devoted to War & Peace (yes JMay, I believe they used the Volohonsky & Pevear translation). I guess that was a bit too ambitious, because by the time I showed up they’d moved on to lighter fare, and I was able to finish The Maltese Falcon in two or three days, in time to attend the June meeting. I’m not so interested in For Whom the Bell Tolls (this month’s pick), but in August I think we’re moving on to Mrs. Dalloway, and I can get on board with that.
Meetup.com is a great resource—we’ve used it to grow the IDP. The Southside Williamsburg Book Club I started was a driven by decidedly low-tech promotion (flyers taped to streetlights) despite the fact that it was well into the internet age (2002. I don’t know what I was thinking). Nonetheless, there was still a lot of interest, and despite additional handicaps that we met weekly (!) and for some reason read an inordinate amount of depressing Southern Gothic lit (A Feast of Snakes, The Violent Bear It Away), there were still a good 10-15 people in regular attendance.
People like to connect with their neighbors, it seems. The discussion doesn’t always gel but it’s always worth a shot. If you’re nearby and interested, come join us.