Stay Engaged in Life-Long Learning
Read stories to open your mind to new worlds and develop empathy for experiences that differ from your own. Discuss those stories to clarify your ideas and gain new understandings. So often, our “lightbulb moment” comes when we listen, and another person’s idea sparks a realization within us.
Upcoming Virtual Sessions
“Jason Who Will Be Famous” by Dorothy Allison
Join us virtually on Monday, July 27th at 7pm EST to discuss the short story “Jason Who Will Be Famous”, which follows Jason’s inner narration of a fantasy in which he (like the title suggests) finally becomes famous. We’ll compare Dorothy Allison’s 2008 story with James Thurber’s “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” (1939), a story about a man who continually fades in and out of reality as he imagines himself as a famous military officer, then a surgeon, then a gun slinger… If you’re in the mood to laugh, and if you’ve ever dreamed of something miraculous happening and changing your life for good, then this story is for you! We’ll consider: when do our fantasies inspire us, and when do they prevent us from taking action? How do these authors portray these (very similar) characters differently?
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Discussion takes place virtually via Google Meet. Capped at 10 people. A discussion guide will be sent 2 days in advance to session participants!
Enroll today! Ticket price: $10
“The Rock That Changed Things” by Ursela Le Guin
Join us virtually on Monday, August 24th at 7pm EST to discuss the short story “The Rock That Changed Things” by Ursela le Guin. The science-fiction story takes place at Obling College, where the honored obls spend their lives dedicated to the study and creation of rock patterns — until one day, a lowly nurobl named Bu discovers a new type of pattern…
The story is perfect for those interested in discussing the ways class and power can blind us to new meanings, and how language can be used as a tool of revolution.
You can access this story for free through the Internet Archive: Hive of dreams : contemporary science fiction from the Pacific Northwest : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive OR by purchasing Le Guin’s short story collection: A Fisherman of the Inland Sea.
Discussion takes place virtually via Google Meet. Capped at 10 people. A discussion guide will be sent 2 days in advance to session participants!
Enroll today! Ticket price: $10
Upcoming In-person Sessions
“Jason Who Will Be Famous” by Dorothy Allison (2008) AND “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” by James Thurber (1939)
Join us at Sharky’s Bar and Grill in Patterson Park, Baltimore MD on Wednesday, July 29th at 7pm EST to discuss the short story “Jason Who Will Be Famous”, which follows Jason’s inner narration of a fantasy in which he (like the title suggests) finally becomes famous. We’ll compare Dorothy Allison’s 2008 story with James Thurber’s “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” (1939), a story about a man who continually fades in and out of reality as he imagines himself as a famous military officer, then a surgeon, then a gun slinger… If you’re in the mood to laugh, and if you’ve ever dreamed of something miraculous happening and changing your life for good, then this story is for you! We’ll consider: when do our fantasies inspire us, and when do they prevent us from taking action? How do these authors portray these (very similar) characters differently?
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Discussion takes place at . Capped at 10 people. A discussion guide will be sent 2 days in advance to session participants!
Enroll today! Ticket price: $15
“The Rock That Changed Things” by Ursela Le Guin
Join us at Sharky’s Bar and Grill in Patterson Park, Baltimore MD on Wednesday, August 26th at 7pm EST to discuss the short story “The Rock That Changed Things” by Ursela le Guin. The science-fiction story takes place at Obling College, where the honored obls spend their lives dedicated to the study and creation of rock patterns — until one day, a lowly nurobl named Bu discovers a new type of pattern…
The story is perfect for those interested in discussing the ways class and power can blind us to new meanings, and how language can be used as a tool of revolution.
You can access this story for free through the Internet Archive: Hive of dreams : contemporary science fiction from the Pacific Northwest : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive OR by purchasing Le Guin’s short story collection: A Fisherman of the Inland Sea.
Discussion takes place at . Capped at 10 people. A discussion guide will be sent 2 days in advance to session participants!
Enroll today! Ticket price: $15