Denver Writers Forum/Book Club

"Most really pretty girls have pretty ugly feet, and so does Mindy Metalman, Lenore notices, all of a sudden."

So begins David Foster Wallace’s brilliant, hilarious, and deeply weird 1987 debut novel, The Broom of the System. Written when he was just 24 years old (partially as an undergraduate thesis), this book is the perfect introduction to Wallace's genius—delivering all of his signature linguistic acrobatics and existential dread, but wrapped in a fast-paced, surreal satirical comedy.
If you’ve been intimidated by Infinite Jest but want to experience the sheer brilliance of Wallace’s voice, this is your perfect entry point.

The Premise

Set in a slightly altered, hyper-corporate 1990 Cleveland (which sits right on the edge of the human-made "Great Ohio Desert"), the story follows 24-year-old telephone switchboard operator Lenore Stonecipher Beadsman. Lenore is having a bit of a week. She is caught in the middle of three distinct, absurd crises:

• The Great Escape: Her brilliant, Wittgenstein-obsessed great-grandmother has escaped from her nursing home along with 25 other elderly residents and a collection of high-tech walkers.

• The Neurotic Beau: Her boss and boyfriend, Rick Vigorous, is a pathologically jealous literary editor who won't stop reading her subtext-heavy short stories.

• The Prophet Bird: Her pet cockatiel, Vlad the Impaler, has suddenly started spouting a mix of psychobabble, W.H. Auden poetry, and the King James Bible, transforming him into a literal Christian fundamentalist television star.

Underneath the rapid-fire gags and eccentric characters lies a classic Wallace question: Are we in control of our own lives, or are we just linguistic constructs trapped in someone else's narrative?

What We’ll Be Chatting About

• The Wittgenstein of It All: How does language define our reality? Is a life just the sum of what can be said about it?

• The "Broom" Metaphor: Bristles versus the handle—what actually determines the meaning and utility of a thing?

• The Seeds of Genius: Spotting the structural experiments, massive vocabulary, and thematic obsessions that would later define Infinite Jest.

• The Satire: How Wallace’s parody of consumerism, corporate naming rights (hello, Stonecipheco), and self-absorbed academia holds up today.

Reading Goal: Try to finish the whole book, but even if you're only halfway through, come join the conversation! We just ask that you don't mind open spoilers for the ending (which is a literal post-structuralist cliffhanger).

Note for Newcomers: Our book club welcomes readers of all backgrounds. You don't need a degree in analytic philosophy or literary theory to enjoy this discussion—you just need a love for sharp wit, strange stories, and great conversation.

RSVP today and let's find out if we're real or just characters in a book!

Note: The Walnut Room has free adjacent parking.
Our book club meets every fourth Thursday. New attendees will be eligible to select our next book.

Also, be sure to join the Denver Writers Workshop on Meetup and Facebook for more information on the following activities:

WORKSHOP
7/16 Vanessa
7/30 Alan
8/13 Jeff
8/27 Vaughn
9/10 Vanessa

FORUM
8/6 Jules Verne's Writing Process
9/3 Jorge Luis Borges’ 6 Bits Of Writing Advice

"I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library."

Jorge Luis Borges didn't just write stories; he constructed entire universes out of philosophy, myth, and ink. The master of magical realism, speculative fiction, and the metaphysical essay, Borges bypassed the traditional grand novel to perfect the art of the dense, mind-bending short story.

Whether you write speculative fiction, literary fiction, or just want to inject a sense of wonder and intellectual depth into your prose, Borges’s unique approach to the craft offers invaluable tools for the modern writer.

Join us for this interactive writers' forum as we break down six essential pieces of writing advice from the Argentine master and discuss how to apply them to our own works-in-progress.

The 6 Borgesian Lessons We’ll Explore

We will dissect six core principles that defined Borges's creative process:

1. Embrace the Art of the Fake Essay: Why invent a whole fantasy world from scratch when you can write a review of a book that doesn't exist? We’ll look at how Borges used pseudo-scholarship to anchor his wildest ideas.
2. Write with Brevity and Density: Borges famously avoided writing long novels, calling it a "laborious madness." Learn the power of treating a short story like an architectural blueprint for a massive concept.
3. The Universe as a Labyrinth: How to use recurring motifs—mirrors, mazes, tigers, and infinite libraries—to build a cohesive, deeply atmospheric writerly identity.
4. Read Widely, Borrow Shamelessly: Borges believed that all writers are simply rewriting the same eternal stories. We'll discuss how to synthesize your influences into something entirely your own.
5. The Dreamer and the Dreamed: Exploring how to blur the lines between reality, memory, and illusion to create profound psychological twists.
6. Write for the Joy of the Game: Treating literature not just as a heavy chore, but as a playful, intellectual puzzle shared between the writer and the reader.

What to Expect at the Forum

• Deep-Dive Discussion: A breakdown of each piece of advice with concrete examples from his famous works.
• Writing Prompt/Exercise: A brief, 10-minute workshop prompt where we will practice building a mini "Borgesian puzzle" or fictional artifact.
• Peer Brainstorming: An open floor to share your current writing projects and discuss how to implement these concepts of structure, myth-making, and subversion.

A Note on Preparation: You don't need to be a Borges scholar to attend! If you have a favorite Borges story, bring your thoughts. If you've never read him before, come ready to discover a completely new way to look at the blank page.
RSVP today to secure your spot!

Our forum meets every fourth Thursday. In addition to the main meeting topic, it’s an open discussion of writing, editing, and publishing issues that participants bring to the table.

Note: The Walnut Room has free adjacent parking.

Also, be sure to join the Denver Writers Workshop on Meetup and Facebook for more information on the following activities:
WORKSHOP
7/16 Vanessa
7/30 Alan
8/13 Jeff
8/27 Vaughn
9/10 Vanessa

FORUM
8/6 Jules Verne's Writing Process

BOOK CLUB
7/23 Normal People by Sally Rooney
8/20 The Broom of the System by David Foster Wallace