Our Book Club: Book Selection & Organizational Issues

[michaelflanagansf]

Good luck, Janjo .   I hope you'll be out and about in the countryside soon.

I have some free reading time coming up, so I'll be joining you.    I found the Columbine part of Dave's site really interesting, and looking forward to reading more.   Thanks for organising it, Michael. 

You're welcome, and I'm really glad to hear you'll be along for the discussion!

[Dave Cullen]

Good luck with the surgery, Janjo.

[Dave Cullen]

Went into my local book store  "Waterstones " asked for "Columbine" . Answer ; " Sold out" Good for Dave,  bad for me !!

I've been in a 'Waterstones' before!  Hope you find the book and join us!

I think I was, too, a couple weeks ago, in London. I think I signed all their stock.

[killersmom]

I've never participated in this thread but I would do so for this book because I'm reading it now. Ten years ago I thought, "how on earth could those kids' parents not have the slightest inkling what they were up to?" Now that my kids are teenagers, I know how crafty they can be about hiding things. So I'm looking forward to discussing Dave's book with you all.

Even though mine are in their mid and late 20's now, Kim, this book made me so thankful mine got through that time as well as they did. As a parent this was a real eye opener. I am looking forward to discussing this book with you!!!

And I know what you mean. My sons both told me that there were a lot of things I never knew about. And I always thought I was very involved.

[michaelflanagansf]

I've never participated in this thread but I would do so for this book because I'm reading it now. Ten years ago I thought, "how on earth could those kids' parents not have the slightest inkling what they were up to?" Now that my kids are teenagers, I know how crafty they can be about hiding things. So I'm looking forward to discussing Dave's book with you all.

Even though mine are in their mid and late 20's now, Kim, this book made me so thankful mine got through that time as well as they did. As a parent this was a real eye opener. I am looking forward to discussing this book with you!!!

And I know what you mean. My sons both told me that there were a lot of things I never knew about. And I always thought I was very involved.

One of the things I'm looking forward to is discussing this book with the parents here.  Not having children it's a mystery to me what you can and cannot do to affect a child's development [and, in cases like Eric Harris', whether anything that they could have done would have been of any help.]  I'm truly glad you're both on board for this discussion.  Thank you.

[Jenny]

I'll be here, too. I look forward to discussing it all with you. Unfortunately, as a mental health clinician who worked with kids in shelters, juvenile detention centers and residential treatment centers, I have had quite a bit of experience with boys like this. But I'm still stunned and horrified when these things happen. Dave's book is fascinating, and it will be great to have him with us.  

[fritzkep]

Earlier this evening I finally ordered the book from B&N, since an on-line coupon came in the email. I've been trying to get to the local store (right next to the Home Depot where Sharyn works), but with other commitments, rain and other things I just never got around to it. But now it's on its way! Looking forward to reading it!

[michaelflanagansf]

Glad to have you both on board, Jenny and Fritz!

[tfferg]

The Power of Love: Brokeback Mountain and the Discourse of Romance
by Barbara Koziak

Paper presented at the American Political Science Association meeting August 2006

Bay City John posted an extract from this paper about the activities of our forum and a link over on the Topic of the Week thread today. Hereis a direct link to the (draft) paper:

http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/1/5/0/7/1/p150714_index.html

Book club members who enjoyed discussing Eric Paterson’s book would find this very readable paper interesting. Koziak focuses mainly on the film and how it both fits into and challenges the Romance genre. She also discusses the film’s social and political context and its effects on the same-sex marriage issue.

[michaelflanagansf]

Forum member Cally has suggested that we do a book club on 'A Single Man' by Christopher Isherwood here:

http://www.davecullen.com/forum/index.php?topic=277.msg1807210#msg1807210

What do you think?  Would there be interest in this?

For my part I would need at least 5 people (other than myself) to be involved in this (and to commit to post on a weekly basis) in order to make this worthwhile.

The book is short - it's about 110 pages.  So this would only be a 3 week book club, and we'd cover around 33 pages per week.

I've gotten a suggestion that I cut back on the number of questions I post for each section - so I will only be posting 10-12 questions per section if we do this.

Again - is there an interest in doing this?

[Nikki]

Michael, as usual, I'm very interested.  However, I would like to read the book, and see the film first.  Any idea when you would begin the discussion?

[michaelflanagansf]

Michael, as usual, I'm very interested.  However, I would like to read the book, and see the film first.  Any idea when you would begin the discussion?

Well I'd want to give everyone a chance to do that Nikki - so I would imagine we're talking a month out in the future (longer, if people need it) before we would start.

[CellarDweller115]

Looks like I'll be book shopping this weekend. 

[michaelflanagansf]

Well that's 2 - we're nearly halfway there.  A followup question would be: 'should we wait till the movie comes out on DVD (which is supposed to be May according to videoeta.com)?  I would guess not, but I'm open to what people here think.

[andy]

Having never read any Isherwood, I too will be book shopping. How active I can be on the thread is another matter. I don't do classroom stuff very well...