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Book Group Newsletter - January 2010
National Book Award Winning Books
Invitation to drop-in on Engaged Citizens Book Group |
Greetings!
 Here are a few of the
2009 National Book Award Winners
and Finalists
Colum McCann
Fiction Award-Winning author
Let the Great World Spin,
"The first great 9/11 novel" -- Esquire Magazine
"New York is such a vibrant place to write about. Eight million stories colliding all at once. And what a landscape to operate in. World. Trade. Center. A complicated trinity. But what began to overwhelm me was the fact that life goes on, that even grief finds its own level. Two human towers have fallen early on in the novel, and we spend the rest of the time trying to build them back up again. To me it was all about healing. We learn and then we move on." Colum McCann
Finalists:
American Salvage, by Bonnie Jo Campbell
(short story collection, quirky and big-hearted.)
In Other Rooms, Other Wonders, by Daniyal Mueenuddin (short stories about Pakistan)
Nonfiction Winner:
The First Tycoon, by T.J. Stiles
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Tobias Wolff will be in Bellingham on
Monday, Feb 8th at 7:30 pm
at Syre Center on Whatcom Community College Campus
Free to Everyone !
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The Big Read for Whatcom County is Tobias Wolff's Old School, at 15% discount to everyone in the county! Get your copy at Village Books this month and join in the discussions.
VB Reads General Lit group will be discussing this book Feb. 1st. Everyone is welcome. Meet the author on Feb. 8th to hear his own perspective on the book. |
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VB Reads Open Book Groups
Jan 31, 2010 - 2:00
Feminist Book Group
Feb. 1, 2010 - 7:00
General Literature
Feb 3, 2010 - noon
Business Book Group
Feb. 7, 2010 - 2:00
Lesbian Book Group
Feb. 10, 2010 - 1:00
Afternoon Book Chat
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Sincerely,
Cindi Williamson
Village Books
1200 11th Street
Bellingham, Washington 98225
360-671-2626/800-392-2665
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Interview with Mary Dumas
Mary is the facilitator of the Engaged Citizens Open Book Group at Village Books.
"This book group is for people who want to explore ways to make a better community and who want to live an actively engaged and active community life." Mary started the group 2 years ago, after a discussion with Chuck Robinson during a Leadership Whatcom meeting. She asked, "How can we create productive public conversations for people in Bellingham?" When Chuck suggested a public book group, she jumped at the opportunity.
Bringing 25 years experience as a professional mediator and facilitator for local communities and organizations in transition (Dumas & Associates,) Mary thrives on networking and creative problem solving. "We need to practice civil dialogue. As children we are taught not to talk about money, politics and religion, but we have to talk openly about what's important to us and tackle the tough conversations. This book group and the discussions we have there gives me a lot of hope. There are deeply caring individuals from all walks of life in the group - I invite anyone to drop in and join us."
Mary grew up in Wisconsin and moved to Bellingham 30 years ago. She considers herself a "steward of the land," where she and her husband live on 9 acres east of Nooksack among the trees at the edge of rural farmland and orchards. She is an avid gardener and reader. The books she chooses for the Engaged Citizens book group are inspired by a list of criteria from the Active Citizenship Curriculum Inventory at Tufts University, which includes a broad range of subject areas to select from:
* knowledge of self
* knowledge of other
* knowledge about communities
* knowledge about Democratic principles
* problem analysis
* intervention skills
* opportunities for action
Every book the group reads inspires a dialogue, exploring conflict and creating action through collaboration, inviting change and personal expansion. Do you want a stimulating book group? Consider yourself personally invited to join The Engaged Citizens Book Group and Mary. The group meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at noon in the Readings Gallery. Click here for their list of books on the Village Books website.
Some of Mary's recent interesting reads are:
Somebodies & Nobodies: Overcoming the Abuse of Rank, by Robert Fuller.
"This book really stirred my thinking this year."
Flirting with Disaster: Why Accidents are Rarely Accidental, by Marc Gerstein.
"This book provided a great discussion in the book group."
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Lit Live Events
Friday, Jan. 15th at 7:00
Megan Chance
Prima Donna
(paperback original)
A tale of 19th century opera in New York , a soprano named Sabine and a grisly murder.
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Saturday, Feb. 6th at 7:00
Michele Longo Eder
Salt in Our Blood
Memoir
Eder writes of being a commercial fisherman's wife, a mother and successful attorney on the Oregon coast.
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Tuesday, Feb. 9th at 7:00
Erica Bauermeister
The School of Essential Ingredients
A first-time novel by a local author, sponsored by Hedgebrook North: Women Authoring Change.
A soulful cooking class teaches more than recipes;
it teaches us about life. |
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