After the group’s discussion of  our May book (Sara Gruen’s “Water for Elephants“, led by Susan), May’s meeting saw the WSR choose “Book of Negroes” by Lawrence Hill for our summer reading.

We’ll be discussing it at our first meeting of the 2009-2010 season on September 17.

“Through Black Spruce” by Joseph Boyden is set for our October pick, and “Good Earth” by Pearl S. Buck is a vintage title that will be the November book.

At the end of a another season we’d like to thank the management and staff of Collected Works for their support of the group in the past year, and ask our readers to remember Collected Works as they make their purchases for the fall list.

In an astonishing display of organizational zeal, our last meeting included a breathtaking whirlwind of a selection process that saw the WSR vote all its picks a full-half  year in advance; the old-timers tell us that nothing like this sort of forward planning has been known to happen in the 10 years plus the group has been in existence.

And to think they that say todays’ readers are just a load of slackers, jaded and bored from the world being handed to them on a platter. Not likely!

Before we got down to the wrangling over the booklist, Patricia led us in a challenging discussion of November’s book, Anne Enright’s The Gathering, the Booker Prize winner from 2007. It’s a fascinating work that expertly takes the reader through a careful unpacking of secret family history.

Now, our picks for next year:

• January: “Gods Behaving Badly”, by Murray Philips

• February: “The Cloning of Joanna May” by Fay Weldon

• March “Late Nights on Air” by Elizabeth Hay

• April “Ishmael” by Daniel Quinn

• May ” Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen

A reminder that meetings are on the third Thursday of the month at 7.00 PM in the meeting room of Collected Works books, Wellington at Holland.

September’s pick Catcher in the Rye was our season-starter and a very full meeting room revisited Holden Caulfield and all the phonies with the help of a thoughtful introduction from Richard. Of course, most of us had read the novel at one time of another, most often in high school English where it has a been a set book for four or five decades. In fact, one member of the group really was having an old-home month re-reading it; Ted mentioned that he had taught the book half a dozen times as a high-school teacher.

Speaking of Ted, he will be leading us in a discussion of Lloyd Jones’ Mr. Pip, October’s book. A reminder that we are meeting on the fourth Thursday for this month (the 23rd) rather than the third; Collected Works continues to grow in popularity as a launch venue and our “dibs” on the third Thursday are of course subject to the business schedule of the shop itself.

We have Anne Enright’s Booker Prize-winning novel The Gathering as our November pick, with Angela slated to present.

Don’t forget that the Ottawa International Writer’s Festival starts on the 18th of the month, and longtime member Hanna would like to remind people that her son’s play “…and stockings for the ladies“ opens at the War Museum on October 21, running until Nov.2. Tickets are available at the museum for $15.00 with evening shows starting at 7.00 p.m.

September will see most of us revisit a classic, and our discussion of J.D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye” will be led by Richard.

“Mr. Pip” by Lloyd Jones is October’s pick and it will be presented by Ted.

Angela will lead our response to “The Gathering”, by Irish author Anne Enright, for the November meeting.

A reminder that meetings are held on the third Thursday of the month at 7.00 P.M. in the meeting space of Collected Works Books, Holland and Wellington.

With a sharp intake of air followed by a collective sigh of relief nine months in the making, the Wellington Street Readers have staggered across the finish line of yet another annual book reading marathon – their tenth as a book reading group.

“It’s not easy being Ottawa West’s longest running book group” explained longtime member Stacy Robertson “there is a grueling amount of pure bullwork involved – you actually have to read – sometimes up to an entire book every four weeks.”

Other members were heard congratulating one another on another year’s toil finally put to rest, and expressing trepidation at the arrival of the email announcing the reading list for next fall’s meetings.

While at the festival he interviewed several other writers about a certain undercurrent he detected in the festival’s programme; what they told him makes for a fascinating update to Malachi’s podcast series “Letter from Ireland”.

Before we get to the busy month of April we want to thank Fotis for a wonderful job leading the discussion of March’s book “Year of Magical Thinking” by Joan Didion. A sombre read on a very personal topic but the consensus was that it was handled with a great deal of skill and honesty by Didion.

Date Change

A reminder that for this month only our meeting has been moved to the fourth Thursday rather than the third, meaning that Michel will be leading us in a discussion of Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake on Thursday, April 24.

As mentioned in last month’s post, the change was made to accomodate a book reading by Saskatchewan author Sharon Butala at Collected Works on the 17th.

Two more events:

On Saturday, April 19, at 2.00 PM, Belfast journalist and broadcaster Malachi O’Doherty will be speaking from The Telling Year: Belfast 1972 at the Ottawa International Writer’s Festival at the National Archives building on Wellington.

I warmly invite you all to join me at this reading; I heard him at the Blue Met in Montreal a few years back and was so impressed that I contacted the OIWF and arranged to co-sponsor his appearance in Ottawa.

Here is the entry from the Festival Programme:

THE TELLING YEAR – BELFAST 1972
with Malachi O’Doherty
Hosted by the CBC’s Adrian Harewood
Sponsored by PODCO New Media

“The most subtle and astute account of the IRA campaign yet written.” — Fintan O’Toole

A young man’s first experience in journalism begins in the horrific year of Bloody Sunday. He returns home at night to streets ruled by Provo gunmen where the army and IRA hold fire to let his mother walk to work between them. One of Northern Ireland’s best-known and most respected journalists shares his experiences of Belfast on the verge of civil war.

Tickets: $12 General / $10 Students & Seniors / Free for Festival Members

Day Pass: $30

And WSR friend Ottawa writer Frances Itani has sent this invitation for an April 30 event along via Hannah:

DATE: Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
TIME: 7 p.m.
FEE: $10 (proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity)
EVENT: Book club discussion with Frances Itani about her latest novel, “Remembering the Bones,” (and possibly her other works).
LOCATION: Knox United Church, 25 Gibbard Avenue in west end (Knoxdale & Greenbank area — close to Hunt Club & Greenbank).

<http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=25+Gibbard+Avenue++ottawa&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=28.805654,82.265625&ie=UTF8&ll=45.326444,-75.774336&spn=0.012461,0.040169&z=15&iwloc=addr>

CONTACT: Lynn Colfer at lynn.colfer@rogers.com or Phone Lynn at: (613) 728-2636 to let her know you are coming. She will arrange to set aside a ticket at the door.

********************

A reminder that May’s title- our final bookfor our anniversary season – is Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O’Neill. The email address of the person who I thought was leading the discussion has bounced back so I’m having trouble confirming who will lead – so if they are managing to read this despite missing the email, please contact me to confirm that you are indeed still leading the discussion.

That’s it for this month’s update – see you all on the 24th, if not at Sharon Butala or Malachi O’Doherty first.

A reminder that March’s pick is The Year of Magical Thinking by essayist Joan Didion, to be led by Fotis. The third Thursday is the 20th.

Big news in April as we are being bumped for the first time ever! At least, as far back as this blogger’s memory runs to, and I go back to 1999.

Yes, our meeting to discuss Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri – introduction by Michel– is being rescheduled for the 24th to make way for a reading by Sharon Butala, a marvelous writer whose work evokes the mysterious canyons and badlands around the magical area of southwestern Saskatchewan bisected by the Frenchman River valley. I definitely plan on hearing Sharon speak, and I encourage everyone to join me.

We hope to record the event as well, so who knows, your intelligent questions may make it on to the podcast and live on for posterity!

Our thanks to Robin for resourcing a fascinating discussion on Chinua Achebe’s landmark novel; one of the very first works of fiction recognized as “post-colonial” literature.

The book is set in many university courses and was familiar to several readers; as is so often the case what is fascinating about re-reading a book 15 or 20 years later is that we as readers are different people this time around, with belief systems that have moved on – and this necessarily re-shapes our reactions to a novel rich in moral implications.

Or not! Some of us appeared to be as set in our beliefs now as we were then, and argued well for the immutable nature of the book’s strengths and weaknesses.

And still others expressed an appreciation for some of the subtle subversions at play in the novel, with the figure of the story’s female “shaman” coming in for particularly close scrutiny.

A very intriguing talk.

Thanks to Richard for sending in the name of our book for March.

I love email.