Book Club!

Book Club! Wine* Club!

Hi everyone,

This summer I’m hosting (mostly) weekly “sips and stories” gatherings.

This blog will be my opportunity to share what was discussed with anyone who wants to read the stories with a Student Affairs lens, but missed the chance to drink wine and discuss them with me. This first post is content cut and pasted from the email I sent out to my colleagues.

I’ve collected an assortment of short stories related somehow to collegiate life.

Each week will also have a simple wine theme (like “Merlot” or “from Maryland”). There will also be cheese (and fresh juice for those who don’t drink).

The first story will be “The Man From Mars” by Margaret Atwood.

If you’d like to bring a bottle of wine, the wine theme for June 5^th will be ‘any white wine.’

Despite the sci-fi title, “The Man From Mars,” is a much anthologized short story about a domestic student’s interactions with an international student. Other themes include meaning-making, the role parent’s expectations have on a college student’s identity formation, safety, and tennis.

I’ll also have fine cheeses, fruits, veggies, and non-alcoholic beverages.

If you can’t make it, no worries, I’ll be hosting it weekly (mostly) starting June 5^th.

June 5 – The Man From Mars by Margaret Atwood, any white wine

June 12th – The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (excerpt) by Junot Diaz, and any

Sauvignon Blanc

June 19th – No Sips and Stories

June 26th – The Christian Roommates by John Updike, any Pinot Grigio

July 3rd - No Sips and Stories

July 10th - No Sips and Stories

July 17th – Loser and Zombie by Chuck Palahniuk, any Riesling or Moscato

July 24th – Signifying Nothing by David Foster Wallace (after SC Retreat), surplus wine

July 31st – Porcupines at the University, The School by Donald Barthelme, any Virginia wine

Aug 7th – Landfill by Joyce Carol Oates, any Maryland wine

Aug 14th – Off by Amiee Bender, whatever wine has not been sipped yet

FAQs

Do you have to read the short story to come?

No, you can just come to drink wine and discuss your experiences related to the theme. So for “Man from Mars” you can share your international and domestic student interaction experiences and share some best practices/tips/funny anecdotes. Or for “The Christian Roommates” you can discuss roommate conflict/first year experiences. And so forth.

Do you need to know the major student development theories to participate in discussion?

No, of course not, but I hope that we can use student development theories to understand what’s happening to the students in the stories to enrich and guide our discussions. However, I also hope we can expand our familiarity with a variety of authors and be able to discuss craft, plot, and personal feelings provoked by the tales.

I read this awesome short story that would be perfect for this!

Share it with me and I can scan it and we can discuss it next. I have enough short stories or novel excerpts for the whole summer, but don’t have any set plan on which stories we’ll definitely use and am very open to suggestion. Also, there’s always next summer!

Can I bring my friend/colleague/lover?

            Yes, of course! I’ve invited South Campus Staff and the RD group, but would love for

anyone interested to join.

Hope to see you there!

*Also, fresh juice :)