Great Books KC

February 24, 2012 -- Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

2012-01-28T12:24:00.000-06:00

Location: Plaza Branch Library, Small Meeting Room
Address: 4801 Main Street, Kansas City, MO
Time: 7:00 PM

A Raisin in the Sun is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959. The title comes from the poem "Harlem" (also known as "A Dream Deferred") by Langston Hughes. The story is based upon a black family's experiences in the Washington Park Subdivision of Chicago's Woodlawn neighborhood.

Since it's a play it can be read in about an hour; so it's one of the shorter reads on our 2012 schedule.

January 27, 2012 -- Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

2011-12-03T06:47:00.003-06:00

Friday, January 27, 2012, 7:00 PM
Kansas City Public Library/Plaza Branch
4801 Main Street, Kansas City, MO
We meet in the small meeting room.
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller was published 50 years ago which makes it eligible for selection by our group. This is the most recently published book that our group has ever read and discussed.

Eleven people attend our meeting on January 27. It was a robust discussion from a group bubbling over with comments and opinions. If you missed this one, you missed a good one. Those in attendance included Marc, Bernie, Tim, Karen, James, John, Bo, Paul, Tim, Jan, and Clif.

Schedule for 2012

2011-12-02T22:53:00.000-06:00

January 27 -- Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
February 24 -- Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
March 30 -- Symposium by Plato
April 27 -- Tao te Ching by Lao-tsu
May 25 -- Idylls of the King by Alfred Lord Tennyson
June 29 -- The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (part 1)
July 27 -- The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (part 2)
August 31 -- The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (part 3)
September 28 -- Anthony & Cleopatra by William Shakespeare
October 26 -- Gilgamesh
December 7 -- Gospel of Mark from the Bible

December 2, 2011 -- The Federalist Papers, by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay

2011-10-29T13:19:00.004-05:00

Our next meeting:
Friday, December 2, 2011, 7:00 PM
Kansas City Public Library/Plaza Branch, Small Meeting Room
4801 Main Street Kansas City, MO

We plan to discuss the Federalist Papers which are a series of 85 essays written in 1787 and 1788 to promote the ratification of the United States Constitution.

The following is a discussion of the contents of the Federalist Papers. As you read them and note items of interest, you all are invited to add comments to this post. Perhaps these comments can then serve as a guide regarding which to give priority in case you don't have time to read them all. (I've already added the first two comments regarding Papers 10 and 84.)

Structure and Content of the Federalist Papers

In Federalist No. 1, Hamilton listed six topics to be covered in the subsequent articles:

"The utility of the UNION to your political prosperity" – covered in No. 2 through No. 14

"The insufficiency of the present Confederation to preserve that Union"—covered in No. 15 through No. 22

"The necessity of a government at least equally energetic with the one proposed to the attainment of this object"—covered in No. 23 through No. 36

"The conformity of the proposed constitution to the true principles of republican government"—covered in No. 37 through No. 84

"Its analogy to your own state constitution"—covered in No. 85

"The additional security which its adoption will afford to the preservation of that species of government, to liberty and to prosperity"—covered in No. 85.

As the series grew, this plan was somewhat changed. The fourth topic expanded into detailed coverage of the individual articles of the Constitution and the institutions it mandated, while the two last topics were merely touched on in the last essay.

LINK TO COMMENTS

LINK TO DISCUSSION OF POTENTIAL BOOKS FOR 2012 SCHEDULE

October 28, 2011 -- Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

2011-10-01T03:18:00.000-05:00

Our next meeting:
Friday, October 28, 2011, 7:00 PM
Kansas City Public Library/Plaza Branch, Small Meeting Room
4801 Main Street Kansas City, MO

We are meeting to discuss Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Notes from the Underground (Russian: "Notes from Underground" is a more literal translation) is an 1864 short novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. It is considered by many to be the first existentialist novel. It presents itself as an excerpt from the rambling memoirs of a bitter, isolated, unnamed narrator who is a retired civil servant living in St. Petersburg. The first part of the story is told in monologue form, or the underground man's diary, and attacks emerging Western philosophy. The second part of the book is called "Àpropos of the Wet Snow," and describes certain events that, it seems, are destroying and sometimes renewing the underground man, who acts as a first person, unreliable narrator.

September 30, 2011 -- Ecclesiastes

2011-08-26T21:58:00.003-05:00

Our next meeting:
Friday, September 30, 2011, 7:00 PM
Kansas City Public Library/Plaza Branch, Small Meeting Room
4801 Main Street Kansas City, MO

We are meeting to discuss the Book of Ecclesiastes as literature.

The Book of Ecclesiastes, literally "Book of the Teacher", commonly referred to simply asEcclesiastes, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament. The English name derives from the Greek translation of the Hebrew title.

The main speaker in the book, identified by the name or title Qoheleth (usually translated as "teacher" or "preacher"), introduces himself as "son of David, king in Jerusalem." The work consists of personal or autobiographic matter, at times expressed in aphorisms and maxims illuminated in terse paragraphs with reflections on the meaning of life and the best way of life. The work emphatically proclaims all the actions of man to be inherently "vain", "futile", "empty", "meaningless", "temporary", "transitory", "fleeting, or "mere breath", depending on translation, as the lives of both wise and foolish men end in death. While Qoheleth clearly endorses wisdom as a means for a well-lived earthly life, he is unable to ascribe eternal meaning to it. In light of this perceived senselessness, he suggests that one should enjoy the simple pleasures of daily life, such as eating, drinking, and taking enjoyment in one's work, which are gifts from the hand of God.

The book is particularly notable for its iconic phrases, "the sun also rises," "[there's] nothing new under the sun" and "he who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow."

Plutarch's Lives by Plutarch (meeting 3 of 3)

2011-07-30T11:25:00.002-05:00

Our next meeting:
Friday, August 26, 2011, 7:00 PM
Kansas City Public Library/Plaza Branch, Small Meeting Room
4801 Main Street Kansas City, MO

Our “big book” for the summer is Plutarch’s Lives by Plutarch. We have already met twice and will be meeting one more time to discuss the book. Please look at the following list to see which of the remaining "lives" we will discuss in August. If you can't read all of the assignment, we have designated which "lives" to give first priority.

The top priority “Lives” for August:
Demosthenes
Cicero
Demetrius
Mark Antony

Other “Lives” for August:
Alexander the Great
Julius Caesar
Phocion
Cato the Younger
Agis
Cleomenes
Tiberius Gracchus
Caius Gracchus
Dion
Marcus Brutus
Aratus
Artaxerxes
Galba
Otho

Plutarch (c. 46 – 120 AD) was a Greek historian, biographer and essayist. Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans, commonly called Parallel Lives or Plutarch's Lives, is a series of biographies of famous men, arranged in tandem to illuminate their common moral virtues or failings, written in the late 1st century.

The book contains twenty-three pairs of biographies, each pair consisting of one Greek and one Roman, as well as four unpaired single lives. It is a work of considerable importance, not only as a source of information about the individuals biographized, but also about the times in which they lived.

Plutarch's Lives by Plutarch (meeting 2 of 3)

2011-06-25T12:31:00.000-05:00

Our next meeting:
Friday, July 29, 2011, 7:00 PM
Kansas City Public Library/Plaza Branch, small meeting room
4801 Main Street Kansas City, MO

Our “big book” for the summer is Plutarch’s Lives by Plutarch. We have already met once and will be meeting two more times to discuss the book. Please look at the following list to see which of the remaining "lives" we will discuss in July and August. If you can't read all of the assignment, we have designated which "lives" to give first priority.

The top priority “Lives” for July:
1. Aristides and Cato the Elder
2. Nicias and Crassus

Other “Lives” for July:
1. Philopoemen and Flamininus
2. Pyrrhus and Gaius Marius
3. Lysander and Sulla
4. Cimon and Lucullus
5. Eumenes and Sertorius
6. Agesilaus and Pompey

The top priority “Lives” for August:
1. Demosthenes and Cicero
2. Demetrius and Mark Antony

Other “Lives” for August:
1. Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar
2. Phocion and Cato the Younger
3. Agis and Cleomenes
4. Dion and Brutus
5. Aratus
6. Artaxerxes
7. Galba
8. Otho

Plutarch (c. 46 – 120 AD) was a Greek historian, biographer and essayist. Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans, commonly called Parallel Lives or Plutarch's Lives, is a series of biographies of famous men, arranged in tandem to illuminate their common moral virtues or failings, written in the late 1st century.

The book contains twenty-three pairs of biographies, each pair consisting of one Greek and one Roman, as well as four unpaired single lives. It is a work of considerable importance, not only as a source of information about the individuals biographized, but also about the times in which they lived.

Plutarch's Lives by Plutarch (meeting 1 of 3)

2011-05-28T14:56:00.000-05:00

Friday, June 24, 2011, 7:00 PM
Kansas City Public Library/Plaza Branch
4801 Main Street Kansas City, MO
Our “big book” for the summer is Plutarch’s Lives by Plutarch. We will be meeting three times this summer to discuss this book. Therefore we have divided the book into three reading assignments, and we have designated which “Lives” to read first if you are unable to read the complete assignment.

The top priority “Lives” for June:
1. Pericles and Fabius Maximus
2. Alcibiades and Coriolanus

Other “Lives” for June:
1. Theseus and Romulus
2. Lycurgus and Numa Pompilius
3. Solon and Poplicola
4. Themistocles and Camillus
5. Timoleon and Aemilius Paulus
6. Pelopidas and Marcellus

The top priority “Lives” for July:
1. Aristides and Cato the Elder
2. Nicias and Crassus

Other “Lives” for July:
1. Philopoemen and Flamininus
2. Pyrrhus and Gaius Marius
3. Lysander and Sulla
4. Cimon and Lucullus
5. Eumenes and Sertorius
6. Agesilaus and Pompey

The top priority “Lives” for August:
1. Demosthenes and Cicero
2. Demetrius and Mark Antony

Other “Lives” for August:
1. Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar
2. Phocion and Cato the Younger
3. Agis and Cleomenes
4. Dion and Brutus
5. Aratus
6. Artaxerxes
7. Galba
8. Otho

Plutarch (c. 46 – 120 AD) was a Greek historian, biographer and essayist. Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans, commonly called Parallel Lives or Plutarch's Lives, is a series of biographies of famous men, arranged in tandem to illuminate their common moral virtues or failings, written in the late 1st century.

The book contains twenty-three pairs of biographies, each pair consisting of one Greek and one Roman, as well as four unpaired single lives. It is a work of considerable importance, not only as a source of information about the individuals biographized, but also about the times in which they lived.

May 27, 2011 -- Candide by Voltaire

2011-04-30T13:43:00.001-05:00

Our next meeting is Friday, May 27, 2011 at 7:00 PM.
Meeting place is Plaza Branch Library, 4801 Main Street Kansas City, MO.
We will be discussing Candide by Voltaire.

Candide is a French satirical novel written in 1759 by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment. Candide is characterized by its sarcastic tone, as well as by its erratic, fantastical and fast-moving plot. A picaresque novel it parodies many adventure and romance clichés, the struggles of which are caricatured in a tone that is mordantly matter-of-fact. Still, the events discussed are often based on historical happenings, such as the Seven Years' War and the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. As philosophers of Voltaire's day contended with the problem of evil, so too does Candide in this short novel, albeit more directly and humorously. Voltaire ridicules religion, theologians, governments, armies, philosophies, and philosophers through allegory; most conspicuously, he assaults Leibniz and his optimism.

It’s a short book that can be read in four hours.

We're meeting in the Small Meeting Room at the Plaza Branch Library. That room is located beyond (north of) the front desk and in the first door to the right.

April 29, 2011 - Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, tr. Edward FitzGerald

2011-03-26T12:28:00.002-05:00

April 29, 2011 - 7:00 p.m.
Kansas City Public Library/Plaza Branch, Small Meeting Room
4801 Main Street
Kansas City, MO

This is our "non-western literature" book of the year.

Omar Khayyam was a 12th Century Persian Poet (also mathematician, astronomer, also philosopher). The Rubaiyat is available at most libraries and free on-line. It's not very long.

The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám (Persian: رباعیات عمر خیام) is the title that Edward FitzGerald gave to his translation of a selection of poems, originally written in Persian and of which there are about a thousand, attributed to Omar Khayyám (1048–1131), a Persian poet, mathematician and astronomer. A Persian ruba'i is a two-line stanza with two parts (or hemistechs) per line, hence the word "Rubáiyát" (derived from the Arabic root word for "four"), meaning "quatrains".

Group member Bernard has left this review AT THIS LINK since he won't be able to attend our next meeting.

March 25, 2011 - Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare & movie “10 Things I Hate About You"

2011-02-26T16:22:00.001-06:00

Small Meeting Room
Kansas City Public Library/Plaza Branch
4801 Main Street Kansas City, MO
7:00 p.m. - March 25, 2011

This is our annual literature and movie night. We will discuss Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew" and then together watch the movie, "10 Things I hate About You," which is loosely based on Shakespeare's work.

The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1594. We will discuss Shakespeare's play for about 30 minutes, and then we together will watch the movie, "10 Things I Hate About You." The movie is a 1999 American teen romantic comedy film. It is a loose adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew set in a modern Seattle, Washington, American high school. The screeply was written by Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith.

February 25, 2011 The Odyssey by Homer

2011-01-29T13:31:00.008-06:00

(9 people attended, we all had a good time, no photo taken)
Our next meeting will be February 25, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. Our meeting place will be the small meeting room at the Plaza Branch Library, 4801 Main Street, Kansas City, MO.

We will be discussing The Odyssey by Homer.

This book is our ancient Greek (or Roman) classic for the year. It's also a book that our group previously discussed six years ago. It is included in this year's reading list because we believe classics deserve to be reread.

The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer, It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work traditionally ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon. Indeed it is the second--the Iliad being the first--extant work of Western literature. It iwas probably composed near the end of the 8th century BC.

The poem mainly centers on the Greek hero Odysseus (or Ulysses, as he was known in Roman myths) and his long journey home following the fall of Troy. It takes Odysseus ten years to reach Ithaca after the ten-year Trojan War.

Please see the following link for a discussion of Odyssey translations:
http://www.meetup.com/greatbookskc/pages/Odyssey_Translations/

Check the following link for a message from Christopher about spoken ancient Greek:
http://www.meetup.com/greatbookskc/messages/boards/thread/10426002/#39737402

January 28, 2011 - The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

2010-12-04T11:12:00.003-06:00

The above is a photo of the group that met on January 28, 2011 to discuss "The Age of Innocence."
The Age of Innocence (1920) is a novel by Edith Wharton, which won the 1921 Pulitzer Prize. The story is set in upper class New York City in the 1870s. We will meet Friday, January 28, 2011 at the Plaza Branch Library in the Small Meeting Room at 7:00 p.m. to discuss this American classic.
This novel meets our "recent" and "woman author" slots for book selections this year. This book has a wider popular appeal to the general reading public than some of our other selections. So if you're one who has complained that our book selections are too old and boring, this may be the one book for this year that you can enjoy. And if you attend our meeting, we hope that you find our group so interesting that you'll want to attend more of our book discussions.

SCHEDULE for 2011

2010-12-04T10:53:00.002-06:00

January 28, 2011

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

February 25, 2011

The Odyssey by Homer

March 25, 2011

The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare

and the movie, “10 Things I Hate About You”

April 29, 2011

Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, tr. Edward FitzGerald

May 27, 2011

Candide by Voltaire

June 24, 2011

Plutarch's Lives by Plutarch, Part 1

July 29, 2011

Plutarch's Lives by Plutarch, Part 2

August 26, 2011

Plutarch's Lives by Plutarch, Part 3

September 30, 2011

Ecclesiastes from the old Testament

October 28, 2011

Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

December 2, 2011

Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison

December 3, Beowulf

2010-10-29T21:31:00.015-05:00

Here's a photo of the group that met on December 3, 2010 to discuss Beowulf:

Date: December 3, 2010
Meeting time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Plaza Branch Library, Small Meeting Room
Address: 4801 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64112

CLICK HERE TO SEE COMMENTS

We will meet to discuss the book, Beowulf.
Beowulf is the conventional title of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature. It survives in a single manuscript known as the Nowell Codex. Its composition by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet is dated between the 8th and the early 11th century.

There are a variety of translations available, any of which are acceptable for our discussion. See THIS LINK for a comparison of more than a dozen translations of the poem. It can help you find the right translation for you.

We will also be deciding our reading schedule for next year. You may leave your suggestions at THIS LINK. If you don't want to open a Goodreads.com account, you can leave it as a comment here on our blog.

The following are links to comments by Bernard regarding our next meeting.
Some Suggestions for Possible Reads Next Year
Bernard's review of "Beowulf" for KC Public Library
Beowulf Translations
Please note that suggestions from people other than Bernard are at the link, "Some Suggestion for Possible Reads Next Year." As of the time of this edit, Tim has added some suggestions. I'm sure there will be more by others.

October 29, Selected Poems

2010-09-28T16:38:00.006-05:00

The following link has copies of the poems to be discussed at the October 29 meeting.
LINK TO POEMS
Meeting time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Plaza Branch Library, Small Meeting Room
Address: 4801 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64112

A collection of poems by the following authors has been selected for our reading and reflection this month. Group members are asked to read the 40 poems in the packet, select 2 to 5 poems from the list and be prepared to share them with the group.

•Sir Philip Sidney
•John Donne
•George Herbert
•Thomas Gray
•William Wordsworth
•Percy Shelly
•John Keats
•Alfred Lord Tennyson
•Robert Browning

The following is an explanation by Stephen about how the poem selections were made:

Poetry is best read in its own language, so I have included only English poems.
I've tried to keep the poems short -- less than 300 lines.
After having so much Whitman, I felt as though we might best be served by only British authors.
In the book club we don't normally go beyond 1950, but I, being even more reactionary than that, have included no poets born after 1880 in my small collection.
I've included brief bios with the poems, so as to give some context, though poetry is often read best "out of context" at first, so as not to give the reader pre-imposed first impressions. (Bios are not posted on-line with the poems. It is suggested that you search the web for bios.)
I've excluded Milton and Shakespeare from this list, though they are poets, because they are regulars among our monthly readings.
There are no female poets in my collection, not because there are no great female British poets (Elizabeth Barrett Browning immediately comes to mind as excellent), but because there weren't representative poems from those 1-2 women that fit the length I had established with the other poets.

Please read through the packet and be prepared to discuss 2-5 poems that particularly struck you. I will try to keep the discussion moving and hope to seriously discuss 5 poems in our time together.
There are just under 40 poems in your packet.

September 24, The Art of War by Sun Tzu

2010-08-28T11:41:00.003-05:00

Date: September 24, 2010
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Small Meeting Room, Plaza Branch Library
Address: 4801 Main Street
Kansas City, MO 64112

A classic (circa 400 B.C.) of Chinese literature, Art of War by Sun Tzu reveals the strategies, tactics, and insights that lead to success. Some today apply it to business success.

Mastery of warfare and the maintenance of power are the most important values in Sun's philosophy--without which there can be no peace or life. According to Sun, studying your enemy, detecting his weakness, allowing him to expose himself and then acting accordingly is the key to success. But, it is perhaps even more important to master the skill of winning without fighting. Sun's battle-proven strategies have been put into practice by countless leaders. (Since we just finished talking about Napoleon and General Kutuzov, maybe we discuss which one best followed Sun's advice.)

Filled with practical wisdom and strategy, Art of War is an indispensable guide for anyone who wants an edge over the competition.

August 27, War and Peace (Meeting 3 of 3)

2010-07-31T15:46:00.004-05:00

This will be our third and final meeting to discuss our big book of the year, War and Peace by Tolstoy. We hope you can join us in reading and discussing this classic piece of Russian literature.
Date: Friday, August 27, 2010,
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Plaza Branch Library (Small Meeting Room)
4801 Main Street
Kansas City, MO 64112

July 30, War and Peace (Meeting 2 of 3)

2010-06-26T23:16:00.005-05:00

This will be our second meeting to discuss our big book of the year, War and Peace by Tolstoy. Reading is more fun when you can share and discuss your impressions of the book with friends. So we hope you can join us in reading this classic piece of Russian literature during this summer.
Time: 7:00 PM
Date: July 30, 2010, Friday
Location: Plaza Branch Library (Small Meeting Room)
4801 Main Street
Kansas City, MO 64112

June 25, War and Peace

2010-05-29T12:04:00.005-05:00

The next Great Books KC meeting:
What: War and Peace by Tolstoy
When: June 25, 2010, 7:00 PM
Where: Plaza Branch Library
4801 Main Street, KC, MO 64112
On June 25, a Friday, we plan to have our first of three meetings to discuss Tolstoy's WAR AND PEACE. That's our big book book for the year. We're spreading our discussion over three meetings during the summer so you have all summer to finish it.

May 28, The Tempest (also Forbidden Planet)

2010-05-01T09:58:00.002-05:00

The next Great Books KC meeting:
What: The Tempest by Shakespeare
When: May 28, 2010, 6:00 PM
Where: Plaza Branch Library
4801 Main Street, KC, MO 64112
On May 28 we plan to meet and discuss Shakespeare's THE TEMPEST and then watch the movie FORBIDDEN PLANET which is based on it. Watching the movie will take more time than our usual meeting so we plan to meet at 6:00 p.m., discuss Shakespeare's play first, then watch the movie, and be finished by around 8:30 p.m.

April 30, Book of Revelation

2010-03-28T19:32:00.002-05:00

The next Great Books KC meeting:
What: Book of Revelation from the Bible
When: April 30, 2010, 7:00 PM
Where: Plaza Branch Library
4801 Main Street, KC, MO 65112
We're reading the Book of Revelation from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. We will meet to discuss it on Friday April 30 at the Plaza Branch Library, 7 p.m. We will be discussing it as a historic literary work, and not necessarily as divinely inspired material.

March 26 -- 1984 by George Orwell

2010-02-27T16:23:00.003-06:00

The next Great Books KC meeting:
What: 1984 by George Orwell
When: March 26, 2010, 7:00 PM
Where: Plaza Branch Library
4801 Main Street, KC, MO 65112

Following-up on last year's discussion of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, this year we explore the darker dystopia of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.

From the Amazon.com editorial review:

"Among the seminal texts of the 20th century, 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' is a rare work that grows more haunting as its futuristic purgatory becomes more real. Published in 1949, the book offers political satirist George Orwell's nightmare vision of a totalitarian, bureaucratic world and one poor stiff's attempt to find individuality. The brilliance of the novel is Orwell's prescience of modern life--the ubiquity of television, the distortion of the language--and his ability to construct such a thorough version of hell. Required reading for students since it was published, it ranks among the most terrifying novels ever written."

February 26, Revelations of Divine Love, by Julian of Norwich

2010-01-30T19:47:00.005-06:00

The next Great Books KC meeting:
What: Revelations of Divine Love, by Julian of Norwich
When: February 26, 2010, 7:00 PM
Where: Plaza Branch Library
4801 Main Street, KC, MO 65112
It is believed that this is the first book written by a woman in the English language. Julian of Norwich (c. November 8, 1342 – c. 1416) is thought of as one of the greatest English mystics. Little is known of her life aside from her writings. Even her name is uncertain, the name "Julian" coming from the Church of St Julian in Norwich, where she was an anchoress (a type of hermit living in a cell attached to the church, engaged in contemplative prayer). At the age of 30, suffering from a severe illness and believing she was on her deathbed, Julian had a series of intense visions of Jesus Christ. (They ended by the time she overcame her illness on May 13, 1373.) She recorded these visions soon after having them, and then again twenty years later in far more theological depth. They are the source of her major work, called Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love (circa 1393).
Link to FREE COPY OF TEXT

January 29 Meeting - History of the Peloponnesian War

2009-12-05T14:18:00.008-06:00

The next Great Books KC meeting:
What: The Peloponnesian War by Thucydides
When: January 29, 2010, 7:00 PM
Where: Plaza Branch Library
4801 Main Street, KC, MO 65112
Come join us in January, as we kick off the new year with a discussion of this classic work about an empire, over-extended in foreign engagements, locked in a war it is destined to lose against an implacable enemy.
Extra points if you can deliver the Funeral Oration by memory. ;)
Link to FREE COPIES OF TEXT
Link to FREE AUDIO FILE OF BOOK
Link to LIST OF BOOKS WE'VE DISCUSSED IN THE PAST
Link to WHAT MAKES A BOOK GREAT
Link to HOW WE MAKE OUR SELECTIONS
Link to ESSENTIAL PARTS TO READ OF PELOPONNESIAN WAR
Link to CLIF'S REVIEW OF PELOPONNESIAN WAR

SCHEDULE FOR 2010

2009-12-05T14:06:00.001-06:00

January 29: The History of the Peloponnesian War, by Thucydides
February 26: Revelations of Divine Love, by Julian of Norwich
March 26: 1984, by George Orwell
April 30: Revelation, from the Bible
May 28: Shakespeare and a Movie--The Tempest and "Forbidden Planet"
June 25, July 30, August 27: War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy
September 24: The Art of War, by Sun Tzu
October 29: Great Poetic Works (details to be announced)
December 3: Beowulf (Select books to read in 2011)

Please make note of any works you especially want to read, tell your friends, and join us for great conversation.
See you at the library!

December 4 Meeting, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

2009-11-01T16:25:00.010-06:00

What better way for a book group to get into the Christmas spirit than rereading this classic. Have you read the original Dickens' version, or just seen the movies or plays? Well, maybe it's time the read the original.
What: A Christmas Carol
When: December 4, 2009 7:00 PM
Where:
Kansas City Public Library/Plaza Branch
4801 Main Street
Kansas City, MO 64112
816-701-3481
LINK TO FREE COPIES OF TEXT
LINK TO FREE AUDIO FILES OF BOOK

October 30 Meeting, Changed Time of Meeting

2009-10-28T10:07:00.004-05:00

What: Shakespeare and a Movie: "King Lear" and "A Thousand Acres"
When: October 30, 2009 6:00 PM
Where:
Kansas City Public Library/Plaza Branch
4801 Main Street
Kansas City, MO 64112
816-701-3481

Our gathering this month is to discuss William Shakespeare's "King Lear" and watch the movie "A Thousand Acres," which is based upon the play.

We will be meeting at 6:00pm--one hour earlier than our usual time--to accommodate the movie. Discussion of the play will take place from 6:00pm-7:00pm, and the movie will run from 7:30pm until about 8:45pm.

Please join us for either the play or the movie. We look forward to an enjoyable evening of Shakespeare!

LINK TO "MEETUP.COM"

October 2009, King Lear by William Shakespeare

2009-09-28T15:04:00.004-05:00

Our next meeting will be October 30, 2009 at 07:00 P.M. We will meet at the Plaza Branch Library, 4801 Main St., Kansas City, MO.

We will be discussing King Lear, by William Shakespeare. This classic work of English literature is available on line from numerous websites. Below are two links with the play.
LINK TO KING LEAR TEXT

ALTERNATIVE LINK TO KING LEAR TEXT

LINK TO "MEETUP.COM" MESSAGE BOARD

September 2009, In A Grove by Ryunosuke Akutagawa

2009-08-29T10:57:00.009-05:00

Our next meeting will be September 25, 2009 at 07:00 P.M. We will meet at the Plaza Branch Library, 4801 Main St., Kansas City, MO.

We will be discussing In A Grove, by Ryunosuke Akutagawa. This is a classic Japanese short story available on line in English translation.
LINK TO COMPLETE TEXT

ALTERNATIVE LINK IF ABOVE LINK DOESN'T WORK

In A Grove is a short story by Japanese writer Ryūnosuke Akutagawa. It first appearing in the January 1922 edition of the Japanese literature monthly Shinchō. Akira Kurosawa used this story as the basis for his award-winning movie Rashōmon. "In a Grove" is an early modernist short story consisting of seven varying accounts of the murder of a samurai, Kanazawa no Takehiro, whose corpse has been found in a bamboo forest near Kyoto. Each section simultaneously clarifies and obfuscates what the reader knows about the murder, eventually creating a complex and contradictory vision of events that brings into question humanity's ability or willingness to perceive and transmit objective truth. The story is often praised as being among the greatest in Japanese literature.

Those of you who have complained in the past that the books selected by the Great Books group were too long have no excuse for not reading this book. It is about 9 pages long depending on the font size.

LINK TO MEETUP.COM PAGE FOR THIS MEETING

August 2009, Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

2009-08-04T10:10:00.003-05:00

Our next meeting will be August 28, 2009 at 07:00 P.M. We will meet at the Plaza Branch Library, 4801 Main St., Kansas City, MO

We will be discussing Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman. This will be the third of our planned three meetings on the book. Pick your favorite poem and share it with the group. It may appear that we are stuck in a rut of Whitman's free verse. Well, it's summer time and things move slowly in the summer and that includes our group.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW COMMENTS.
(Leave your own comments in panel provided on the comments page.)

July 2009 Selection, Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

2009-06-29T11:02:00.011-05:00

Our next meeting will be July 31, 2009 at 07:00 P.M. We will meet at the Plaza Branch Library, 4801 Main St., Kansas City, MO

We will be discussing Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman. This will be the second of our planned three meetings on the book. Pick your favorite poem and share it with the group.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW COMMENTS.
(Leave your own comments in panel provided on the comments page.)

June 2009 Selection: Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

2009-05-30T22:41:00.006-05:00

The book for our June meeting is Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman.

We will meet at the Plaza Branch Library, in the small meeting room, at 7:00 p.m. on June 26, 2009. The library is located at 4801 Main Street, Kansas City, MO.

All those who love books and learning more about them are welcome and encouraged to attend.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW COMMENTS.
(Leave your own comments in panel provided on the comments page.)

May 2009 Selection: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

2009-04-24T22:20:00.007-05:00

The book for our May meeting is Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.

We will meet at the Plaza Branch Library, in the small meeting room, at 7:00 p.m. on May 29, 2009. The library is located at 4801 Main Street, Kansas City, MO.

All those who love books and learning more about them are welcome and encouraged to attend.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW COMMENTS.
(Leave your own comments in panel provided on the comments page.)

April 2009 Selection: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

2009-03-29T21:03:00.007-05:00

The book for our April meeting is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.

We will meet at the Plaza Branch Library, in the small meeting room, at 7:00 p.m. on April 24, 2009. The library is located at 4801 Main Street, Kansas City, MO.

All those who love books and learning more about them are welcome and encouraged to attend.

SEE COMMENTS FOR DISCUSSION OF BOOK AND OUR MEETING.

March 2009 Selection: The Book of Job (from the Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures)

2009-02-28T09:26:00.003-06:00

Our book for our March meeting is Job (from the Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures).

We will meet at the Plaza Library, in the small meeting room, at 7:00 p.m. on March 27, 2009. The library is located at 4801 Main Street, Kansas City, MO.

All those who love books and learning more about them are welcome and encouraged to attend.

(SEE COMMENTS FOR DISCUSSION OF BOOK AND MEETING)

Planned Schedule For 2009

2009-02-18T21:56:00.004-06:00

Here is the list of dates and books planned for the Great books KC Group for the coming year:

Jan 30: Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte

Feb 27: The Iliad by Homer

March 27: Job from the Bible

April 24: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain

May 29: Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley

June 26, July 31 and August 28: Leaves of Grass, by Walt Whitman

September 25: In A Grove, by Ryunosuke Akutagawa

October 30: King Lear, by Shakespeare

December 4: A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

We hope this planned schedule will enable our members to plan ahead, and perhaps pick and choose which books to read.

February 2009 Selection: The Iliad, Homer

2009-02-12T09:22:00.009-06:00

Our book for our February meeting is The Iliad by Homer.

We will meet at the Plaza Library, in the small meeting room, at 7:00 p.m. on February 27th. All are welcome. The library is located at 4801 Main Street, Kansas City, MO.

All those who love books and learning more about them are welcome and encouraged to attend.

(SEE COMMENTS FOR REVIEWS OF BOOK AND MEETING)

January 2009 Selection: Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte

2008-12-28T23:50:00.007-06:00

Our first book of the new year will be Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights.

We will meet at the Plaza Library, in the small meeting room, at 7pm on January 30th. All are welcome.

The library is located at 4801 Main Street, Kansas City, MO.

All those who love books and learning more about them welcome and encouraged to attend.

(SEE COMMENTS FOR REVIEWS OF BOOK AND MEETING)

November/December 2008 Selection, Prometheus Bound

2008-11-12T16:48:00.003-06:00

Our final book of the year will be Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus.

We will meet at the Plaza Library, in the small meeting room, at 7pm on December 5th. All are welcome.

The library is located at 4801 Main Street, Kansas City, MO.

(SEE COMMENTS FOR REVIEWS OF BOOK AND MEETING)

October 2008 book

2008-10-12T19:09:00.003-05:00

will be Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

We will meet at the Plaza Library, in the small meeting room, at 7pm on October 31st.

All those who love books and learning more about them welcome and encouraged to attend.

(SEE COMMENTS FOR REVIEWS OF BOOK AND MEETING)

September 2008 book

2008-09-02T10:41:00.005-05:00

will be The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner.

We will meet at the Plaza Library, in the small meeting room, at 7pm on September 26th. All are welcome.

(SEE COMMENT FOR REVIEW OF BOOK AND MEETING)

August Discussion

2008-08-25T01:31:00.003-05:00

We will be finishing the last month of our three month study of the Qur'an.

Please join us at the Plaza Library Small Meeting Room at 6pm this Friday, the 29th of August. All are welcome.

Directions can be found here.

(SEE COMMENT FOR REVIEW OF BOOK AND MEETING)