Love the idea of durational! I facilitate a poetry book club. Unlike other book clubs where you discuss a new book each meeting, we discuss one poetry collection poem by poem—every poem for as long as it takes. Sometimes it takes us a year and a half or more to discuss one poetry collection (we take summers off and otherwise meet once a month for 2 hours). And it’s wonderful to pay such close attention to depth and breadth of the work.
I'm realizing from follow-up notes, that book clubs are a great example of durational forms of literary community engagement that go wayyy back. Nowadays, these meetings could be online via Zoom or a related platform but, of course, even better IRL for the stronger social benefits.
I am all in for this. I have been doing weekly workshops steadily since 1989--before I knew what I was doing. One person has been with me from the beginning, and others from almost the beginning. I like work that evolves naturally, over time.
I’ve been in a book club like this since the pandemic. Our leader and we like nothing better than to read at a Talmudic pace. The Waves, The Rings of Saturn, The Books of Jacob, The Ambassadors. The longer and denser the better. Each weekly meeting is an oasis of escape and literary communion with one another.
Love the idea of durational! I facilitate a poetry book club. Unlike other book clubs where you discuss a new book each meeting, we discuss one poetry collection poem by poem—every poem for as long as it takes. Sometimes it takes us a year and a half or more to discuss one poetry collection (we take summers off and otherwise meet once a month for 2 hours). And it’s wonderful to pay such close attention to depth and breadth of the work.
I'm realizing from follow-up notes, that book clubs are a great example of durational forms of literary community engagement that go wayyy back. Nowadays, these meetings could be online via Zoom or a related platform but, of course, even better IRL for the stronger social benefits.
I am all in for this. I have been doing weekly workshops steadily since 1989--before I knew what I was doing. One person has been with me from the beginning, and others from almost the beginning. I like work that evolves naturally, over time.
I’ve been in a book club like this since the pandemic. Our leader and we like nothing better than to read at a Talmudic pace. The Waves, The Rings of Saturn, The Books of Jacob, The Ambassadors. The longer and denser the better. Each weekly meeting is an oasis of escape and literary communion with one another.
Good comparison to a Talmudic pace. I hadn't made that connection... maybe subconsciously.
I appreciate the description of the space as "an oasis" and "literary communion".
Sounds lovely.
I like this idea like crazy! Depends on the subject but the method sounds spot on for the times (or my time.) 😍
Makes me happy to hear :)