The library will close at 2pm on Sat, 9/23 for a private event.

BROWSE

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PROGRAMS / READING GROUPS / Break the Rules

In this reading group we will examine expectations, rules, genres, boundaries, and definitions, and what happens when writers subvert what we take as standard.

OVERVIEW

Whether we realize it or not, we have expectations about nearly everything and the act of reading is no exception. We have a sense of how plots should unfold, how characters should behave, and what qualifies as a novel, essay, or poem. We separate fiction from nonfiction, memoir, etc. Categorizing is important, it helps us understand the world, but the books in this reading group will challenge our implicit expectations and defy the constraints of genres.

Together we will tackle questions like: What is gained by breaking with expectations, what is lost? Can creating confusion, doubt, or chaos serve a meaningful purpose in a reading experience? Is the only way to tell the truth through facts? In what ways do categories provide value or undermine value in society? What responsibilities does the author have to an audience?

MEETING AND READING SCHEDULE

This reading group meets on the third Wednesday of the month in the Athenæum’s Bound, from 5:30-7pm.

Wed, September 20
Storm , George Stewart, 1941 (279p)

Wed, October 18
The Expendable Man , Dorothy B. Hughes, 1963 (245p)

Wed, November 15
The Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection, Robert Farrar Capon, 1969 (320p)

Wed, December 20
The Rings of Saturn , W.G. Sebald, 1998 (296p)

Wed, January 17
Plainwater, Anne Carson, 2000 (272p)

Wed, February 21
An Elemental Thing , Eliot Weinberger, 2007 (194p) and Selected
Anonymous Marginalia , Liam Agrani, 2018 (p) ~Excerpt provided

Wed, March 20
Things That Are, Amy Leach, 2014 (208p)

Wed, April 17
When We Cease to Understand the World , Benjamín Labatut, 2020 (198p)

Wed, May 15
A Swim in the Pond in the Rain , George Saunders, 2021 (410p)

GROUP FACILITATOR

Erin Perfect is a librarian, artist, writer, and educator. She was born in Pennsylvania, studied art in NYC, and currently teaches workshops on research and creative practices in Providence. Erin believes it is paramount to seek understanding in all its forms.

This group has reached capacity. To be added to a waitlist, please email readinggroups@provath.org with BREAK THE RULES as the subject line.

The Athenæum is deeply grateful to our wonderful volunteer leaders. Please note library reading groups are not classes or courses, but rather a way for individuals to discuss readings together, guided by both expert and amateur enthusiasts. Participants should expect discussion-based, not lecture-style meetings.