Q. Does your group have a name and/or a theme? How long has your group been in existence?
A.Our group is called the Blue Stockings, after the old women's intellectual and social clubs. We've been together for just about 15 years now.
Q. How many members do you have? How many men, how many women? What age are most of your members?
A. We have about 20 official members, of which about 12 -15 come to each meeting. We're all women, all between 55 and 75. We started out that way incidentally, but somewhere along our history it became mandatory for membership. We appreciate the wisdom and experience that each of us bring, but consider ourselves young at heart.
Q. How often and where do you meet? Is food a part of your gatherings? How so?
A. We meet once a month in our homes, taking turns hosting. We have a rotating schedule in which the hostess and another member (though not either the previous or next hostess) provide the food. Since we meet in the afternoons, usually it is just finger foods and appetizers.
Q. Who leads the discussion? Do you use reading group guides?
A. The hostess is informally in charge of leading the discussion. Depending on the book and her time schedule, sometime this is as simple as saying "What did you think of it?" and letting the discussion take its course, while for others we use the questions from the reading guides. Sometimes the leader might do research into the author or topic of the book, or its location or historical accuracy.
Q. What kind of books do you read? How do you choose your books?
A. We read a variety of books. Generally we pick books every quarter, by having members bring titles they would like to read. They make a case for their books, and then we vote. Each quarter we read at least one non-fiction, be it history or biography or whatever. Most of the rest of the time it is novels, but sometimes we try short stories and have even done poetry. Of the novels, we aim for a blend of contemporary and classics throughout the year. We joke that our only requirement be that the book is available in large print editionsÑbut luckily none of us is at that stage yet!
Q. What were some of the best discussions or favorite books the group read?
A. Oh, there have been so many! In the last year we've enjoyed SUMMER FOR THE GODS by Edward Larson, about the Scopes Monkey trial, AHAB'S WIFE by Sena Naslund, PERSONAL HISTORY by Katharine Graham, FOUR LETTERS OF LOVE by Niall Williams, THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS by Arundhati Roy and THE SPIRIT CATCHES YOU AND YOU FALL DOWN by Anne Fadiman.
Q. How do you keep things fun?
A. Just sharing good conversation about good books with good friends is fun in itself! We've all lead such interesting lives. Most of us have traveled extensively, several of us having lived abroad for several years. We've lived in India, Mexico, England, France and the Bahamas, and we all have stories to tell of the people we've met there. But even those of us who have never gone that far, or worked outside our homes, have lead interesting lives. We've all read extensively throughout our lives, and we're the kind of people who have lived with our eyes and brains wide open. We're all thoughtful, insightful women, who enjoy bringing our experiences to the books we read and our discussions of them. We're never afraid to tell what we think of a character, a book, or an author. No matter what our opinion is, we're all happy to share it with each other.
Q. What advice would you give to other reading groups?
A. Don't limit the types of books you read. Read from every genre, if only to familiarize yourselves with it. Look for books that take you outside yourselves: that are set in different countries or cultures, that are about people who are a different age, or race, or gender or religion than you are. Try to see the places where people come togetherÐhow much of our experiences are universal.
Q. Do you have any horror stories, amusing anecdotes, or other special tales to tell?
A. Oh, I'm sure we have some, but I can't think of them right now.
Q. Is there anything else unique or noteworthy about your group that you would like to share?
A. Just that I love the fact that, even at our age, the women in my group haven't stopped learning and growing and living. If they can't experience things for themselves, they're happy and eager to experience them through reading. And sharing what we've read makes it come that much more alive for us!
