No, I didn’t have to trick others into whitewashing a wall. But in this column, I will explain why and how the RVA Classic book was formed, and how its start was influenced by the Classic Mark Twain book, Tom Sawyer, and how it has flourished on Zoom during the COVID 19 Epidemic. I will also discuss how we settled on the idea of what a classic book is and mention several of the books we discussed in 2019 and 2020. Finally, I will list the books we have already offered and will discuss in 2021 and early 2022.
Those who are interested in joining our Zoom discussions, (including those out of the Richmond, Virginia area) may write me offline at ellisonms2@vcu.edu
How We Got Started
In about 2017 I helped to start, what our members now call the RVA Book Club. Before that, I had been asked to lead annual sessions for book clubs that primarily read and discussed contemporary novels. Many of those groups typically work to also offer an annual classic selection. To avoid having to find a member within their group to lead such a work, I was frequently asked to choose a book and facilitate that discussion. Sometimes the book was chosen for me. At one club, I was asked to lead Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Since I had spoken at that group last year, I was familiar with their members. I had just taught several sessions on Twain’s books and written about these on Litchatte.com.
Therefore, I suggested that to more fully understand where the author was coming from in Finn, it might be more sensible to discuss Tom Sawyer first. So, I did that. I think I did a smashing job. Well, that depends on how one might define smashing. One thing I noticed in several of these groups, is that several of the members came for social reasons, and/or for the wine and cheese after the book “discussion.” Thus, the book choice was secondary for those folks. Though I offered to teach Huck Finn at the following month’s session, or at the subsequent annual, I got a chilly reception at the group’s follow-up wine and cheese gathering. And I was never asked to return. But one more positive common feature I took away from this humbling experience, was that in each group there was almost always one or two members who were familiar with, interested in, and versant in classic novels.
So, I began to think about forming a group focused on studying the classics. The first thing I did was meet with Anne Sutton, who had been attending my literature classes at the Chesterfield County lifelong learning center. She enjoys classic and contemporary literature and helped to ground me in reality. We agreed on the need and decided to organize and promote a book club, primarily featuring classic books. At that time (before the COVID19 epidemic), we were still able to meet once a month in person. We called the group The First Friday Book Club. Anne, who is a retired librarian from Chesterfield County Virginia, used her connections and computer booking skills to arrange monthly meeting room spaces for us in the Chesterfield’s county libraries.
How We Got Our Participants
We first drew participants from my literature classes. We also advertised by putting posters in the libraries and local shops. Within a short time, we had about 15 attendees. When I switched from teaching at the local learning center to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Richmond, we started attracting members from Osher. Later, we added a member the Shepherd’s Lifelong Learning Center. This made our group the only one in the Richmond area that includes members from the 3 major centers serving members who “are 50 or better.”
How We Decided What A Classic Book Is
A Classic Book keeps speaking to us long after it is written.
One issue that our members discussed for several years before coming to our present position is, “What is a Classic Book?” After a poll, we agreed that “A Classic Book keeps speaking to us long after it is written.” The period of time is thus, irrelevant. A book written more than a century may still be highly relevant and even prescient! Another book, written in the last decade may say something about our time, which is unusually perceptive. Or it may break new barriers in delivering creative style, character development, or dialogue in interesting settings.
How We are Organized
By early 2018, we had a clear mission statement and about 25 participants on the distribution list. At our annual December membership meeting, we asked each member to select a book to lead. Taking a month off for the summer, and having an annual organizational meeting gave us 10 books a year to consider. With former members who are retired English teachers at the middle, high school, and college levels, librarians, journalists, authors, or simply enjoy the benefits of reading and discussing classics with other enthusiasts. We averaged about 8 or 9 participants at each session. The leader is asked to seriously consider the book he/she chooses, send out a list of discussion questions, and attempt to moderate the discussion. Only having to lead a session a year provides members with the opportunity of offering their passion and being able to learn from other classic book lovers. This idea also helped me to get other members to paint the walls of the book club – as Tom Sawyer did! However, I also help lead at least once per year. And also, along with Anne Sutton., help to organize and promote the book club. We start on a Friday morning at 10 am EST, and at about 11:50 am we wrap-up and introduce next month’s leader.
COVID19 Closes Our Live Meetings
By the spring of 2020, the libraries and social distancing requirements meant that we could no longer meet live. Our last live meeting was in March 2020, where Evamon Fleming lead Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Our first idea was to meet via phone conference. As this idea made discussions very strained, several of us had known about Zoom meetings. Unfortunately, we lost the participation of Evamon during this period because she doesn’t participate in internet-based activities. We are hoping she can rejoin us when we can meet live again.
How We Are Flourishing with Zoom Meetings
Perhaps surprisingly, the Zoom meetings have not shrunk our participation. Perhaps because of our forced isolation, our membership has almost doubled, and we now have close to twenty participants at each session, and several of our leaders have written up their discussions on Litchatte.com
Since we have gone to Zoom meetings, Ann Barash has led The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri; her husband Eric Holzwarth has led To the Lighthouse by Virginia Wolf; Mary Ramsey Evans led the James Baldwin’s If Beale Street Could Talk; Ann Day led The Scapegoat by Daphne Du Maurier; Anne Sutton led The Short Stories of Alice Monro James; Evans led Winesburg, Ohio; Janet Evans led Siddhartha by Herman Hesse; Wade Curry led Saint Joan by George Bernard Shaw, and Don Wilms led both Far from the Madding Crowd and, most lately, Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy.
Future Books We will be Discussing
On April 2, 2021, I will lead The Yellow Birds, a novel by Kevin Powers, a local writer who grew up in Richmond, graduated from the English program at VCU and went on to serve in combat during the Iraqi War. This book is noted for contrasting lyric writing and poetry was the shocking violence of the cruel and senseless war. It won the 2013 Hemingway Foundation/Pen Award and was made into a movie.
Other books which are scheduled to be discussed in 2021 and early 2022 are The Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys; Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison; The Human Stain by Phillip Roth, Hamlet by Shakespeare, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith; A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles; Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders; Short Stories of Kate Chopin; The Prime of Miss Brodie by Muriel Spark, and David Copperfield in May of 2022.
See the Next Litchatte.com Write-up by Don Wilms on Tess of the D’urbervilles – coming soon in March 2021
The March 2021 discussion of Tess was also written up by Don Wilms and will be the next column, very soon to be offered on Litchatte.com.
Information on the RVA Book Club or Litchatte.com
For information about participating via Zoom in the RVA Classic Book Club, write me offline at ellisonms2@vcu.edu Leave any comments about our book club or any Litchatte blog on the dialogue box below each entry and I will see that you receive a proper answer. Featured image on Tom Sawyer from www. Medium.com
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