Vanessa Bell: Paintings and Life

Links to FREE online copies of all texts will be provided in the comments section of this event page, shortly before our start time.

Tonight will be the first of several nights devoted to Vanessa Bell's life and her paintings.

WELCOME: to our in-session reading and discussion of literature by and near Virginia Woolf, every Tuesday evening. Vanessa is Woolf-adjacent: she was Virginia Woolf's sister.

In addition to reading and discussing a text itself, we will deepen our understanding by reading excerpts from Woolf's relevant letters and diaries, and by tracing her friends' and family's lives which are woven through her books, as well as other biographic information.

Prior familiarity with the material is not necessary to enjoy these evenings. Taking turns, we read aloud during the session, discovering and discussing as we go.

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 becomes 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. The text will be provided free of charge during the zoom via pdf or screen share.

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 reading aloud.

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 a veritable 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.