The Athenæum will be closed Tues 7/21 - Fri 7/24 due to building repairs.

BROWSE

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PROGRAMS / READING GROUPS / Clearly, More Than Ever

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
— Mary Oliver

In this reading group we will examine what it means to quietly defy a conventional life. We will do this not only through the characters and narratives, but also through the various forms of writing including, lyric biography, autofiction, archival reimagining, and prose poetry. We will explore how mundane and quotidian acts can define rather than detract from a wild and wayward life. We will read these books not as separate objects but as a conversation across forms and across the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

OVERVIEW

The women protagonists, writers, and artists in this collection resist the common path of respectability, productivity, and legibility. Often they draw on their interior world of perception, experiences, and intuition as they disregard societal expectations. They clearly see the difference between the substantive and the superficial and they choose meaningfulness and fulfillment, despite the cost. Although dissenting and rebellious in their own way, these narratives often take an oblique or subtle approach on how to live outside normalcy.

We will pose questions like: What counts as an act of transgression? How does our sense of freedom shift as we age? How is the “self” captured through prose? What are the consequences of refusing to conform?

MEETING AND READING SCHEDULE

The group meets in the Bound on the first Wednesday of the month from 5:30-7pm.

Weds, September 2
The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy (260 pages)

Weds, October 7
Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino (303 pages)

Weds, November 4
Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments by Saidiya Hartman (462 pages)

Weds, December 2
Near to the Wild Heart by Clarice Lispector *translation by Alison Entrekin preferred (192 pages)

Weds, January 6
Being Here Is Everything by Marie Darrieussecq (155 pages)

Weds, February 3
All Fours by Miranda July (336 pages)

Weds, March 3
Sprawl by Danielle Dutton (129 pages)

Weds, April 7
Letters from Tove by Tove Jansson (496 pages)

Weds, May 5
The Second Body by Daisy Hildyard (128 pages)

GROUP FACILITATOR

Erin Perfect is an archivist, librarian, artist, writer, and facilitator. She believes it is paramount to seek understanding in all its forms.

Registration will open to members in two windows: Wednesday, July 15 at 8am and Saturday, July 18 at noon. Half the available spots will be released during the first window and the remaining half during the second. Participation is reserved for Athenæum members, so please consider becoming a member if you’d like to join a group! Members may participate in one group each year. If you have any questions, email readinggroups@provath.org.

REGISTER

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.