Calendar of Events
Click on event title for information.
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Long Novel Weekend
August 22-23, 2009
Great Books in Wine Country
October 3, 2009
Poetry Weekend
November 7-8, 2009
San Francisco Mini-Retreat
February 2010
Asilomar Weekend
April 16-18, 2010
Leader Training
May 2010
Annual Picnic
June 2010
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July 2009
Dear Great Books Supporter,
The Spring-Summer 2009 issue of Reading Matters, in full color, is now available on our website or click here for direct access.
Included in this E-Newsletter:
- A great story about W. P. Thackeray's mother in Long Novel Weekend article.
- Update on new San Francisco GB discussion group.
- Update on GBSF team at Kiva.
- Ann Kirkland at Classical Pursuits has a few places open for Philadelphia, Corfu, and Ontario. See Useful GB Links.
If you know someone who might be interested in receiving this E-Newsletter, just click on the "Forward email" link at the bottom of this page. Enter your friend's name and email address and we will send him or her a copy.
Now you can refer your friends to our website and they can sign up there also. Your friends need only enter their email address in the yellow box on the website and click "GO".
There are a number of links (click here or on blue letters with underline) available for more information. You may have to double click depending on your email program. You can reach our website by clicking on "More about us" in the Quick Links box or by clicking on the GBSF logo at the top of this page.
We
are continuing the Great Books discussions founded by Robert Hutchins
and Mortimer Adler of the University of Chicago in 1947. Great Books Counci of San Francisco (serving
Northern California) is a volunteer organization of motivated readers.
We coordinate over 40 existing groups, provide leader training and
sponsor literary events in scenic locations.
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Long Novel Weekend Vanity Fair: A Novel without a Hero by William Makepeace Thackeray
August 22-23, 2009
Here is a story worthy of a Jane Austen novel or, at least, a half dozen episodes on Masterpiece Theatre: Anne Becher, mother of William Makepeace Thackeray, was born in India in 1792. After a few years she was sent to England to be raised by her Paternal Grandmother Ann Becher. In 1808, when she was fifteen she met twenty-eight year old Lieutenant Henry Carmichael-Smyth at the Assembly Ball at Bath. They fell in love, but Anne's grandmother did not approve so Anne met Henry secretly until locked in her room and even then managed to write to Henry with the aid of a servant. Anne was sent back to India, her grandmother informing her that Henry had died of fever and telling Henry that Anne had fallen in love with someone else. Anne, a great beauty and very popular, married Richmond Thackeray, of the East India Company, in 1810 and, the future author, William Makepeace Thackeray was born in 1811 after a long and difficult labor. In 1812 Richmond met a most delightful officer and invited him to his home for dinner, the officer being none other than Henry Carmichael-Smythe! What a dinner that must have been! Richmond died of fever in 1815 and young William was sent to England in 1816 to be raised by his grandmother. He missed his mother terribly and she him. Above is a miniature portrait of Anne Becher Thackeray and William at about age 2 in Madras by George Chinnery. Anne waited a discreet 18 months before marrying Henry in 1817. They returned to England in 1820 and they had 44 years of happy marriage together. ----- from Ancestry.com
We will read and discuss the Norton Critical Edition of Vanity Fair (ISBN 0-393-96595-3). Please purchase only that edition from your bookseller.
The Location: Walker Creek Ranch. Located in rural Marin County near Petaluma, is an ideal spot to spend a weekend discussing a great novel and enjoying the companionship of old and new friends.
The Weekend: Plan to arrive at around 9:00 AM Saturday. There will be three discussions of Vanity Fair, four fine meals, entertainment and a party on Saturday evening and free time for exploring or relaxing. You will leave Walker Creek Ranch after lunch on Sunday. The Cost: $160.00. Check our website or for a flier and registration form click here. For more information, contact: Louise DiMattio, Coordinator, ladimat@aol.com or 415-587-0398.
Walker Creek Ranch
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New GB Discussion Group in San Francisco
First Meeting: Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Clifford Louie, who has been involved with Great Books for the past three years, is forming a new Great Books discussion group at the Richmond Branch Library in San Francisco. We at the Great Books Council of San Francisco are fully supporting Cliff's efforts and we will have some experienced Great Books leaders helping out for the first few meetings. He has seven people already committed to attend and extends an open invitation to all in the bay area, especially San Francisco and Marin County. UPDATE: Now Cliff has a list of thirteen people who have said they will attend the new discussion group. A few of them may not make the first meeting as they are busy elsewhere. The Library is near the Presidio and easy to get to. Current plans are to meet on the second Tuesday of each month. Please notify Cliff if you wish to attend at clifford.louie@sbcglobal.net or by phone at 415-750-1786. The Declaration of Independence will be the work discussed at the first meeting. Click here for a copy if you don't have one.Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2009.Time: 6 - 8 p.m.Place: Richmond Branch Library Location: 351 - 9th Ave. (between Geary Blvd. and Clement St.) |
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GBSF Lending Team at Kiva
The Grameen Bank Project started micro-lending services to the rural poor in Bangladesh in the 1970's. In 2006, Grameen Bank and its founder Muhammad Yunus shared the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to create economic and social development through micro-credit, which serves to advance democracy and human rights. Kiva.org is an organization, headquartered in San Francisco, that has expanded on the original idea of micro-lending by offering credit to small entrepreneurs worldwide, especially in developing countries. The executive committee of the Great Books Council of San Francisco voted to form a lending team along with the more than 7,000 other lending teams at Kiva. Our team is now set up on the Kiva website. The GBSF team now has three members and has made nine loans so far. When you lend through Kiva, usually $25, your funds are combined with other lenders to fund a loan to a specific borrower whose history and reason for the loan and a picture are available at all times. When the borrower makes a payment or repays the loan the money is credited to your account to be redeemed by you or to lend to someone else. Here is an example of how Kiva works.
Elsa Dávila De Gomez
Señora Elsa is 51 years old and has 5 children. She lives in Huallaga-San Martin, Peru. She owns her own bakery; see picture above. Her recent goal was to grow her business, and to buy an electric mixer so that she could hire more people. Elsa borrowed $1,000 through Kiva from a group of lenders; I loaned $25. Elsa made all her loan payments. To see her story, including all her lenders, click here. We lenders have our money back, Elsa has her mixer and has expanded her business, and the world is a richer place. This is fundamental free enterprise at work.
I will have further information in future issues of this E-Newsletter. You do not have to make a loan to join our team. Click here to go to our team page or search under "community' on the Kiva website for great books. On our page, click on the JOIN NOW button at the upper right. Just enter your name, email, and a password and click on the Sign Up button at the bottom of the page. You can then click on the LEND button at the top of the page to choose a borrower and make a loan if you wish. Be sure when you make a loan that it is listed as a loan from our team. It is worthwhile to browse through the Kiva website. I will have more info later. |
Adler and Van Doren on How to Read a Book
Thanks to the diligent sleuthing of a Sedona, Arizona, archivist, a
series of classic conversations about the art of reading, between the
late philosopher Mortimer J. Adler and his acolyte Charles Van Doren,
are once again available on video from Encyclopaedia Britannica and the
Center for the Study of The Great Ideas.
The discussions between the two public intellectuals, produced by
Britannica in the 1970s, were lost for many years until they were
rediscovered recently by Ken Dzugan, archivist for the Center. They're
now available on a single DVD and may be ordered online at http://www.thegreatideas.org/HowToReadABook.htm.
This address also contains a short video sample of the DVD.
The DVD is also available locally through Jim Hall. Just reply to this E-Newsletter and I will get the information to you about how to order. The DVD is also available at our events.
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Some Useful Great Books Links
GBSF is affiliated with the Great Books Foundation which was started in 1947 by Robert Hutchins and Mortimer Adler and produces most of the reading material used by Great Books discussion groups around the country. Their website provides a wealth of information and a list to find groups in your area or how to start a discussion group if one is not available near you. GBF also publishes Junior Great Books for use in schools or at home for K-12 students.
Symposium Great Books Institute discussion schedule for August classes: 1) Virginia Woolf: Mrs. Dalloway - Three Saturday mornings starting August
1st; 2) Thomas Paine: The Rights of Man - Four Monday evenings starting August 3rd; 3) Homer: The Odyssey - Six Tuesday evenings starting August 4th; 4) Boethius: The Consolation of Philosophy - Two Wednesday evenings starting
August 5th; 5) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Two Wednesday evenings starting August 19th; 6) Muriel Spark: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Two Saturday mornings starting August 22nd. Check their website for dates and times. Some of these discussions are full. 325 Hayes St., San Francisco, CA 94102 415-437-4000.
Center for the Study of the Great Ideas, founded by Mortimer Adler and Max Weismann, exists to help citizens understand why philosophy is everybody's business and to promulgate the insights and ideals embedded in Dr. Adler's lifelong intellectual work in the fields of Philosophy, Liberal Education, Ethics and Politics. This is a comprehensive website with something for everybody interested in Great Books and Great Ideas.
Classical Pursuits offers learning vacations around the world with location appropriate Great Books discussions. Although our Russian trip is full, some space is still available in three remaining trips for 2009 -A More Perfect Union (Philadelphia, October 4-8), The Alexandria Quartet (Corfu, October 10-17), and Reading Fairy Tales (Walters Falls, Ontario, October 18-21). We would love to have the pleasure of your company. Ann Kirkland also produces one of the best e-newsletters available.
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Thank you for your interest in Great Books. Is there something you would like to know that we can add? This is your e-newsletter, so let us know.
Be sure to forward this email to your friends who might be interested in Great Books. Just click on Forward email at the bottom left.
Sincerely,
Jim Hall
Great Books Council of San Francisco |
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