though i have yet to begin reading 'son de mar', it's central premise brings to mind julio medem's gorgeous film from 1998, 'los amantes del circulo polar'. does it to anyone else?
 
now, apart from being unanimously branded high-priest-of-hopeless-geekdom on our last meeting of the minds, and while i actually enjoyed a terrific early spring afternoon, rain and all, i do have a bit of a beef with the fact that on two occasions now i have invested more time simply reaching our meeting venue than i actually have in either practicing my spanish, or just getting to know the group at all, which i must say strikes me as a rather lost opportunity in a number of potentially illuminating ways.
 
i belong, for example, to this neighborhood book club composed of about 35 jewish women, the youngest of whom is all of 56 years old. if this sounds peculiar then it most certainly is (albeit not in the manner most naturally assumed) given the fact that what i enjoy most about its several-hour-long sessions (our longest went a bruising 4 hours and 57 minutes on a single work) is its uncommon familiarity among members; the event within the event at times wholly irrational, candid or spirited yet perpetually uplifting (two weeks ago we feverously deconstructed sue miller's not-so-compelling novel 'the senator's wife', and culminated our discussion on a 1 hour showdown/shouting match weighing the pros and cons of public nursing. guess which argument i sided with?).
 
and yet i look forward to and enjoy their company every sixth tuesday; their collected wisdom and variegated views on life which, in a loosely-conversant environment, inform the comfort level of their linguistic license as quite a few of them are principally hebrew/yiddish speakers, and thus labor with their spoken english to some extent. i have even picked up a little hebrew in the process.
 
all this uncalled-for rambling to suggest a revision of our meet-up exercises in hopes of truly improving its interpersonal strengths, opening its breathing space, so to speak; perhaps afford for ourselves a change of venue to a space less, dare i say, aseptic?
 
central park meadows in late april, anyone?
 
a bottle of wine to really get the inner dogs running wild and freely (the coffee i had last time was a goddamn infamy!).
 
xo xo!
 
kwb-
 
 

EMAILING FOR THE GREATER GOOD Join me

 

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From: [address removed]
To: [address removed]
Subject: [bookclub-1329] New Meetup: Abril - Manuel Vicent - "Son de Mar"
Date: Sun, 5 Apr[masked]:20:01 -0400

Announcing a new Meetup for El Rinc?n Literario - Spanish language book club!

What: Abril - Manuel Vicent - "Son de Mar"

When: April 26,[masked]:00 PM

Where: Click the link below to find out!

Meetup Description: Para el mes de abril y en honor a los amorios que empiezan a brotar en la primavera, asi como las nuevas flores de la estaci?n, hemos escogido la obra premiada Alfaguara de Novela 1999 que, seg?n El Cultural, "es una novela de amor intenso, de amor t?rrido y rom?ntico..."

Selecci?n para marzo:
"Son de Mar" por Manuel Vicent, 1999 (Espa?a)
(Nota: la bibiloteca de NYC tiene 1 ejemplar, pero est? disponible en amazon.com y en otras bibliotecas de la ciudad, como las de Queens y Brooklyn)
Reuni?n el domingo, 26 de abril, a las 4pm, en el Citigroup Center, lower level Atrium, 153 East 53rd Street

La obra se centra en la cuesti?n del amor, su significado, y su intensidad. Se trata de la historia de amor de Ulises, un joven profesor de literatura, y su esposa, Martina, la hija so?adora del due?o de una cantina. El amorio duradero que viven ellos es, seg?n el autor, una met?fora de como el amor viene, se va, y regresa: "siempre habr? alg?n amante que te llame desde cualquier orilla y t? tendr?s la necesidad de volver a ella."

El autor, Manuel Vicent, es valenciano, escritor y periodista. Entre sus obras destacan "Pascua y naranjas" (Alfaguara, 1966), "Balada de Ca?n" (Premio Nadal), y "No pongas tus sucias manos sobre Mozart" (Premio Gonz?lez Ruano).

Learn more here:
http://www.meetup.com/elrincon/calendar/10122349/




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