June/July Book Club Schedule
Posted by David Duhr in 
Our reading for June is simple: one short story. Better yet, one short story from WBN friend Jose Skinner. The piece is titled “Que Sera,” was originally published in SOL Literary Magazine, and weighs in at just over 3,500 words. Heather Nelson is our moderator, and the discussion post should go up on the 19th or 20th.
(More: Read our spirited back-and-forth about Dagoberto Gilb’s “Uncle Rock,” our May Book Club selection)
And then in July we’ll be getting back into book-length … umm, books. The novel is Toni Morrison’s Jazz, the moderator is my dumb ass, and we’ll be splitting up the book like so:
For July 10th post: read through page 87
For July 17th post: read through 162
For July 24th post: finish the book
Okay, so not everyone will have the same copy as me (Plume/Penguin, 1993). For those of you looking to read ahead, the first section closes with a paragraph that begins, “Alice slammed the pressing iron down.”
The second section closes with the graf’ beginning, “The boy knelt down to clean her face.”
The third section closes with the graf’ beginning … wait, you expect me to ruin the ending for you? You must be out of your damn mind.
(More: Check out this post I wrote for BookPeople which, in part, explores the first paragraph of Morrison’s book.)
So get crackin’, gang: We’ve got some good literature to talk about.
And if you want to nominate a book or story for August, or volunteer to moderate a discussion, let me know below.
WriteByNight co-founder David Duhr is Fiction Editor for the Texas Observer and Managing Editor at Fringe Magazine. He contributes regularly to the Dallas Morning News, Publishing Perspectives, the Observer and others.
My vote is for a Stephen Graham Jones piece. I bet he would chime in , too.
Would it be totally tacky to nominate my own novel, Rebels of the 512, for August? I mean, it *is* basically the equivalent of a summer movie with its explosions and ninja vs. pirate action…
I’ve been wanting to read it anyway, so it would be good impetus!
[…] Toni Morrison’s stunning novel of life in 1920s Harlem. Check out the reading/discussion schedule here. And now, let’s talk about José Skinner’s “Qué Será.” As usual, discuss […]
I’ve just started rereading Jazz, and as one of those people who writes notes in books, it’s kind of fun reading Jazz and my original notes. The first thing that jumps out is how strong the narrator is, like she’s an important character. I don’t remember if the narrator reveals herself and so I’ve decided to read like I’m reading the book for the first time.
Hey Cathleen! The most recent discussion about Jazz is over here: https://www.writebynight.net/book-club/jazz-vol-1/. I’ll be chiming in soon!
[…] a week from today–remember to read (unmarked) Chapters 1-3. Refresh yourself on the schedule here. And join in! This online book club is open to anyone who wants to participate. Sounds like […]
Am I doing this right?