WELCOME: to our in-session reading and discussion of literature by and near Virginia Woolf, every Tuesday evening. Currently we are focusing on Woolf’s use of poetry throughout her books. As a writer, Woolf was precise. In her hands a few lines of poetry could convey a mood, capture the essence of a situation, or portray character. Other times, she used poetry to structure an entire novel, as she did with Shakespeare’s play ‘Cymbeline’ in Mrs. Dalloway. NOTE: No expertise necessary, either with poetry, or with Woolf. ALSO NOTE, we read the texts provided DURING the session, so each one is enjoyable as a series or as a standalone.
TONIGHT: Having reached the poets of the Romantic Age, we are reading about the life and work of Samuel Taylor Coleridge; Percy Bysshe Shelley; his wife, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley, author of Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus; and especially Mary Shelley’s mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, writer, political philosopher, and pioneering advocate of women's rights. We will read their work, and some of Virginia Woolf’s observations.
As always, the text will be provided via pdf in the Comments section of the event page shortly before the session begins. We read the texts provided DURING the session, so each one is enjoyable as a series or as a standalone. Prior familiarity with the material is NOT necessary to enjoy these evenings. We discover and discuss as we go: https://www.meetup.com/hmmmbooks/events/299997926/
TO COME: Classic poets such as Sappho, Keats, Tennyson, Shakespeare; and the Modernist poet T.S. Eliot. Not that Woolf quoted Eliot - his work was created contemporaneously with hers. Rather, she published him! Also, Eliot became a good friend of the Woolfs. This relationship was interesting, and of course Eliot was as essential to Modernist poetry as Virginia was to Modernist prose.
FUTURE: We return to our long, close readings of Virginia Woolf's novels. Between the Acts, The Waves, etc.
Links to FREE online copies of all texts will be provided below, in the comments section on this event page, shortly before our start time.
Aim: To have fun! A deep dive, to gain some degree of understanding and appreciation of the text.
Who: We are mostly non-professional readers, learners and enthusiasts. Non-native speakers of English especially welcome. All ages, gender orientations, ethnicities. Friendly people, mindful of each others’ experience in the session.
Where: Zoom. The link will be visible when you rsvp.
How to prepare: No prep necessary. We do our reading IN the sessions, out loud, taking turns.
What to bring: An open mind and a sense of humor.
Format: We take turns, with each person reading a few paragraphs at time out loud, pausing for discussion as we go. Reading aloud and discussing not required. It is fine to simply listen; most people do discover that they love it.
PLEASE NOTE:
- We begin on time. If you need to arrive later, log in to the zoom waiting room and you will be integrated into the group once we come to a natural stopping point. Special note to first timers: you are most welcome. However, due to the nature of the reading experience, and a recent plague of zoom bombers, if a first timer needs to log in after our scheduled start time, please first direct message Sherry or Mark an hour or more ahead of the start time. Otherwise, if you come late, you will not be admitted .
- Links to free online copies of all texts will be provided in the comments on the event page. will be announced every Tuesday, in the comments section.
- Please open the material and find the starting point as you are logging in, so you will be ready to go.