ReadingGroupGuides.com brought together four book club facilitators from around the country to talk about their backgrounds, the books that have generated some of the best discussions, and the issues that their groups have encountered over the years and how they've been able to resolve them. The participants include Nancy Griftner of Sarasota, Florida; Rebecca Havenstein-Coughlin of Canton, Michigan; Bette Lehman of Cape Cod, Massachusetts; and Judith Palarz of Los Angeles, California.

1. RGG: What made you want to become a book club facilitator? What's your background?

Nancy Griftner: A community in Sarasota, The Meadows, had a book discussion group started at our Meadows Community Center that did not have a leader. A man on the "University" Board asked me if I would lead it since I had gone to a meeting. (No one was in charge and after a shilly-shally time I had left.) I belonged to two book discussion groups at that time and helped select books for the next year in both cases. I agreed to "facilitate" the one at The Meadows to help out. That was eight years ago! (I was a preschool, elementary school teacher, and 15 years later a Special Ed teacher and diagnostician.)

Rebecca Havenstein-Coughlin: As a librarian who has always had a passion for reading, facilitating a book discussion at my library is pure pleasure.

Bette Lehman: Many years ago (in the 1960s) when we were young stay-at-home mothers, some friends got a hold of a college syllabus and asked me if I could help them interpret it. Since I had been an English major, I leapt to the task. We formed a book group and read Madame Bovary as our first selection. Some of the same women are attending book groups I lead today. I have both a Bachelor's and Master's in English Literature. I taught at Cambridge Centre for Adult Education in Harvard Square for 10 years and I have lectured on "The Fine Art of Reading Fiction" in several different settings.

Judith Palarz: I have been an avid reader all my life. I was a teacher and advisor with the Los Angeles Unified School District for many years and always considered my work with reading/literature my greatest strength.


2. RGG: How long have you been facilitating groups?

Nancy Griftner: About 10-12 years.

Rebecca Havenstein-Coughlin: Since the fall of 1998.

Bette Lehman: Over 30 years.

Judith Palarz: While I facilitated group discussions with students and other teachers since 1959 (yikes), I began private group facilitation in 1993 --- 10 years ago. I am retired from my work with the school district.


3. RGG: How many groups do you have at this time?  Is this more or less than you have had in the past?

Judith Palarz: Currently, I work with 16 groups --- some groups meet monthly, some bi-monthly, some quarterly, one group has an annual retreat weekend, and some groups just want "startup" advice. In 1994, I took a group of eight women on a Literary Getaway to England and Wales. We read Jane Austen/Virginia Woolf/Lewis Carroll and visited Hay-on-Wye. I actually have to turn down requests for my services. I refer them to other facilitators. This is the most groups I have worked with in any calendar year.

Rebecca Havenstein-Coughlin: The library has two book groups that each meet once a month. The group I help facilitate meets at lunchtime on the second Thursday of the month. Four librarians take turns leading the monthly discussions.

Bette Lehman: 3 groups. In the past I have had up to 9, and I often work with groups on a one time consultant-type basis.

Nancy Griftner: I do not "facilitate" more than the one in The Meadows, though I help choose the books and assist the leader for that month. I attend about 3 or 4 if I can.


4. RGG: What books have sparked some of the best discussions?

Nancy Griftner: As I look at the list for The Meadows I find it difficult to choose: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, The Color of Water by James McBride, Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood, Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels, Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, Vanity Fair by W. M. Thackeray, Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz, The Tortilla Curtain by T. C. Boyle, Hard Times by Charles Dickens, The Awakening by Kate Chopin, Midwives by Chris Bohjalian, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez, The House Gun by Nadine Gordimer, Montana 1948 by Larry Watson.

Rebecca Havenstein-Coughlin:
The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve
Shop Girl by Steve Martin
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
A Man in Full by Tom Wolfe
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
My Russian by Deirdre McNamer
Bee Season by Myla Goldberg

Bette Lehman: The Art of the Tale: An International Anthology of Short Stories, Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee, The Great Gatsby, American Pastoral by Philip Roth, The Love of a Good Woman by Alice Munro.

Judith Palarz: I discuss books in four different genres: Something Old, Something New, Something Ethnic, and Something True. The favorites have included:

Something Old --- Jane Austen's work, My Antonia by Willa Cather and Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary
Something New --- Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, Red Water by Judith Freeman, Three Junes by Julia Glass
Something Ethnic --- Fateless by Imre Kertesz, Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee, A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina Garcia
Something True --- Turbulent Souls by Stephen J. Dubner, Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

There are so many more ... The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, Philip Roth's work, and Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner. I plan to survey my readers in the near future to get their input on this question.


5. RGG: Do you always organize facilitated book groups around a single title, or do you use themes? Explain/discuss.

Judith Palarz: Each group decides what they want to read from a master list of titles that I offer to them. I have had groups do a series of Pulitzer Prize winners, Booker Prize winners, female authors, male authors, family themes, etc. It's stimulating for me to have different combinations among my groups. However, it makes my work more intense because I'm not doing the same book for each group each month.

Bette Lehman: I always choose a single work of fiction. I do considerable research before making a choice. My aim is to choose a work of literary fiction that will stimulate thought and provoke a rich discussion. We try to go beyond the literal story to see how it is made and what makes this novel or short story unique and worthy of attention. The form and development of the story is always as important as the content. While we often draw comparisons between readings and enjoy making "connections," I do not like the idea of confining our selections to a theme.

Nancy Griftner: We always do a minimum of one classic, and we keep in mind the country, times and culture to prevent overloading in one direction or another. We never do just hardcovers, and we never do a book that has just been published --- we give the book time to prove its worth. We usually check with the public library that they have more than 2 or 3 copies. I try to read most of the books or have a respected member recommend it from personal reading before putting it to a vote in the spring. I try to have a copy of each book available when we make our decisions about the following year. (We meet 8 months --- not June through September.)

Rebecca Havenstein-Coughlin: We have always done just a single title.  We have recently discussed branching out and doing poetry, short stories or discussing multiple works of an author.

6. RGG: Are there any books that were duds that you have eliminated from your repertoire?

Judith Palarz: I screen my selections very carefully and have learned which books make for good discussions. That doesn't mean that everyone likes every book! For example, I had a great diversity of opinion about the reading experience of Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sobel. Some groups loved it and some groups found it boringggg.

Rebecca Havenstein-Coughlin: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers was as close to a flop as we have ever had. Most participants did not even finish the title.

Nancy Griftner: No, not really any duds. A few didn't bring much discussion. Sometimes the leader does not really like the book she is to lead and it causes a less than interesting discussion.

Bette Lehman: I can't think of any.


7. RGG: In your opinion are there any particular types of books that just don't work for discussion?

Bette Lehman: I do only fiction. We read classic and serious, contemporary writers. Nonfiction would be a leap into another genre and might not work for my groups.

Judith Palarz: I truly feel that any book can be discussed. Discussing why one dislikes a book can be very interesting. Some books appeal to the head and some books appeal to the heart. Book group readers like to learn something and feel something and share their observations with others.

Nancy Griftner: I believe that there could be. When someone says "Oh, I read the best book," I ask questions about whether or not it's discussible, different opinions from it, and specifics about time, place, theme, etc. If all they can say is that it was so good to read, then maybe it is worth reading but it may not be the type of book that would generate much discussion. So I suggest to the group that so-and-so recommends a specific book. Sometimes a book is fun, a "good read" or just interesting, but not appropriate for discussion. I try to get the book to see what I think --- or have someone else tell me what they think.

Rebecca Havenstein-Coughlin: Probably particular types of nonfiction --- math books? :)

8. RGG: Have groups changed over the years?

Nancy Griftner: Probably not, though the people change due to various reasons that are normal --- death, illness, moving, taking a class, etc. This particular group is all women --- most are retired, originally from all over the U.S. and many were in the first group when I became a member. They have changed to the extent that they have become more discerning in their choice of books and perceptive in the discussions.

Rebecca Havenstein-Coughlin: Ours has grown but most of the original participants have stayed with us.

Bette Lehman: Well, we were in our early 30s when we began our original group; we are now in our 60s. Our current group includes women in their 40s and several in their 80s and 90s, so we enjoy more diversity in age. Also, many of us have gone to work outside the home and still manage to continue our careers, home life and reading schedule. One might say we've grown up and gained much from reading through two generations. Many in our group have become better readers by developing a greater understanding of the finer points and pleasures of reading. As a sidebar, many of us are now buying books for our grandchildren and hope to pass along our great love of reading and talking about books.

Judith Palarz: In Los Angeles, book groups abound. More and more people want to gather for both social and intellectual stimulation. Many author readings are held in L.A. and the UCLA/L.A. Times Festival of Books held the last weekend in April attracts over 50,000 people. This event has certainly stimulated interest in reading and has increased the popularity of book groups.


9. RGG: What are some of the "issues" that you have encountered with groups, and how have you overcome them?

Nancy Griftner: Our main issue is determining who will lead (planned months ahead if possible) as we have a few extremely erudite leaders who make the rest feel insecure to lead the following month. We all encourage the others and I tell each one that we all want to talk, so they can start with a question or more and everyone is waiting to get in their 2 cents worth. I usually sit beside them and help with questions to keep it continuing if necessary. If people feel differently about a book (such as The Red Tent) there is no right or wrong perception and each has her own opinion. We've never had any trouble with issues. The only other "issue" that sometimes comes up is that one or even two may want to talk most of the time but it is easy to courteously call on the quiet ones as "their turn."

Rebecca Havenstein-Coughlin: Once we had a member who attended with her own personal agenda --- to bash her ex-husband. Every book discussion came back to cheating husbands with her. As facilitators we had to cut her off and bring the discussion back to the book at hand and give others a chance to speak. After 2 or 3 visits she just stopped attending.

Bette Lehman: Since I have run these groups professionally for the past 10 years, I have not encountered many troublesome "issues." We generally sit around a large table with books before us and engage in a serious, college-level discussion of the work. Our discussions last for 1 1/2 to 2 hours and everyone seems to focus with great interest on the subject at hand. The seminar format seems to appeal to everyone. All are encouraged to contribute, but the discussion proceeds at a forward pace toward a meaningful conclusion. My role as group leader is to develop a discussion of the piece and keep it on track by bringing to light as many salient features as possible. By the end of the session everyone feels as if they've had a new and enlightening experience --- they often say they feel uplifted by our discussion. I NEVER ask, "Did you like the book?" The questions are rather "Did you understand it?" and "What is the writer saying to the reader?" and "What is the meaning of all that?"

Judith Palarz: Blending the various personalities that are in a group is a constant challenge. That's where my many years of facilitating serve me well. Making everyone feel that his/her opinion is heard and valued is one of the reasons readers like to be in my groups. Because I suggest a choice of books (including checking out books that book group members recommend), we avoid arguing about what to read.


10. RGG: Tell us about your personal reading habits.

Rebecca Havenstein-Coughlin: I both read and listen to books on tape and CD. I read 2-3 books a week and enjoy both fiction and nonfiction. I read the gamut and enjoy everything, except perhaps science fiction.  Participating in our "Lunch and a Book" group has broadened my exposure to reading choices. I love picking up something that I may otherwise have missed. Even when I'm not certain that I really like a book, after our discussions I always have new insights and a true appreciation for the work.

Bette Lehman: I read at least two newspapers a day and lots of newly published fiction. I also read everything I can about authors I am interested in doing with the groups. Authors I admire and especially enjoy are Alice Munro, Margaret Atwood, Philip Roth, Saul Bellow, Richard Ford, William Trevor and the usual suspects --- William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Virgina Woolf, Edith Wharton, Gustave Flaubert, and Vladimir Nabokov.

Judith Palarz: I read the L.A. Times, the New York Times, the New Yorker and many websites relating to books. It's my pleasure to read and research books for my groups as a full-time occupation.

Nancy Griftner: My daily reading consists of The Bible and SCIENCE AND HEALTH WITH KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES by Mary Baker Eddy. After that I read the books in the other groups I attend; possible choices for the next year; books recommended by newspapers, book reviews and friends; and I try to keep in touch with bookstore salespeople who are big readers.

Books that I read in the summer, or whenever I can, that I doubt will be of interest to the groups (though some might be) are: Passionate Nomad and The Life of Freya Stark by Jane Fletcher Geniesse; Land of a Thousand Hills: My Life in Rwanda by Rosamond Halsey Carr; Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell by Janet Wallach; King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild; The Trilogy, The Deluge and With Fire and Sword by Henryk Sienkiewicz; A Rage to Live: A Biography of Richard and Isabel Burton by Mary Lovell; Veiled Courage: Inside the Afghan Women's Resistance by Cheryl Benard; Sacred Rage and The Last Great Revolution by Robin Wright; Longtitudes and Attitudes by Thomas L. Friedman; Kate Remembered by A. Scott Berg; Xala and God's Bits of Wood by Sembene Ousmane; Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi; and the list goes on and on.


11. RGG: How can a book club in your area contact you about becoming a facilitator for their group?

Nancy Griftner: I would be happy to help, but I doubt that I would have the time to "facilitate."

Rebecca Havenstein-Coughlin: This is not a service we currently offer through the library. We are, however, working on a new twist for book groups in our community. We are hoping to offer in 2004 a kit for book groups called "Book Club in a Bag."

We would allow groups to check out a dozen or so paperback copies of a particular title as well as author info and perhaps links to websites and bookmarks. All of this would circulate in a canvas Lands End bag.

Bette Lehman: Most of my groups are formed by word of mouth. I live on Cape Cod, but my work with groups is in the greater Boston area.

Judith Palarz: I can be reached at judibook@aol.com or 310-470-8984. In addition to book groups, I present theme-based "Literary Trunk Shows" and book reviews for large groups.