Book Club Promotes Literature
I’ve had a couple of phone calls lately concerning the book-club profiles that began running on Nov. 15.
The latest query came from a woman who said that she “didn’t really understand the point” of the feature since we don’t typically include a contact phone number for the clubs. This was disappointing, she said, because she’s looking for a club to join.
Well, let me explain. The point of the feature is not to be a meeting-place for potential book-club members. Instead, its purpose is to spread the word about what regional book-lovers are reading. It’s another way of allowing regular people to be part of the newspaper while also promoting literature.
Furthermore, many of these clubs are long-standing groups of friends. They meet on a regular basis to exchange personal news AND discuss the books they’ve agreed to read. Most are not looking for new members.
This, of course, doesn’t serve the needs of those who are in search of lively literary talk. So let me propose some alternatives:
1. Start your own club. All it takes is a few people interested in reading, a convenient place to meet and someone dependable enough to maintain a regular schedule. If you don’t have any literate-minded friends, advertise for some on a reader board at a nearby bookstore, library branch or even neighborhood grocery.
2. Attend any of the numerous publicly held book-club discussion groups. A couple of weeks ago, we profiled the First Wednesday Reading Group that is sponsored by Go West Bookstore in Chewelah, Wash. Other area stores that hold regular book discussions include Auntie’s (838-0206) and Barnes & Noble (922-1684). If you’re not sure whether a store sponsors a club, call and ask.
3. If you’d rather keep your relations more impersonal, buy a computer and explore any of the various book-oriented Web sites. Both Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com hold regular cyber chats with authors. America Online has chat rooms reserved especially for book-lovers (although sometimes I suspect the average age of an AOL chat-room participant is about 14).
4. Take a class. Spokane City Parks and Recreation (625-6200) regularly holds book-themed classes. So does the Institute for Extended Learning (533-3770). Or call one of the various colleges or universities.
5. If anyone has any other suggestions, let me know and I’ll pass them on. Also, any clubs that are looking for new members should contact me and I’ll print the appropriate information in a future column. Send your notes and cards to Dan Webster, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; or e-mail me at danw@spokesman.com.
Until then, keep on reading.
Another page turned
Dark City Books, the mystery-themed bookshop located at 111. S. Cedar, is closing Jan. 30. Owner Steve Oliver, author of the “Moody” detective series, cites several reasons for the closure, some business, some personal. Whatever, the store will be missed.
If the hat fits…
Cheney author Laurie Carlson, author most recently of the children’s picture book “Boss of the Plains: The Hat That Won the West” (Dk Ink, 32 pages, $16.95), will teach a weekend course on Feb. 19-21 through Eastern Washington University.
There are no prerequisites for the two-credit course, which is titled “Historical Writing for Young Readers” (History/Education 496).
“I’ll draw on my experience publishing 13 nonfiction books to help the class work on techniques for writing history for children,” Carlson says.
Fees are $168.40. For further information, including how to register, call 623-4359 or 623-4200.
What’s your signing?
June Cotner, author of “Heal Your Soul, Heal the World,” will sign copies of her book at 3 p.m. Saturday at the North Division Hastings store, 7704 N. Division. For information, call 483-2154. THE READER BOARD Perry Higman, author of “They Dream, They Cry, They Sing,” will read from his book at 7 p.m. Thursday at Barnes & Noble, located just east of the Spokane Valley Mall. For further information, call 922-4104. Dale Turner, author of “Grateful Living,” will read from his book at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Auntie’s Bookstore, Main and Washington. Turner is a former minister from Seattle who writes a religion column for the Seattle Times. Seattle writers Ann Rule and Donna Anders will read from their respective books, Rule’s true-crime study “The End of a Dream” and Anders’ mystery novel “Another Life,” at 7 p.m. Friday at Auntie’s Bookstore.