Flush, A Biography

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

WELCOME: to our in-session reading and discussion of literature by and near Virginia Woolf, every Tuesday evening.
Tonight we start a new Woolf novel, which will take us into December. (Next book: Woolf's To the Lighthouse.)

Woolf began writing Flush, A Biography after completing her high modernist masterpiece, The Waves. The Waves was the most beautiful of all her books, and the most experimental.

She turned to reading the love letters of Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning as light relief from that demanding work. Soon, she found herself captivated by their little dog, Flush. To a friend she wrote that "the figure of their dog made me laugh so I couldn't resist making him a Life.” She wrote in her diary that she was using Flush to “cool” her mind after the effort of writing The Waves.

Flush is a fictionalized memoir of the Brownings, as seen through the eyes, and especially the nose, of their dog. Virginia Woolf inhabits the human consciousness as no one else can. Here, she slips right into the canine mind as well. She gleaned the story straight from the Barrett Browning letters, among other sources.

The book is fairly light, and not particularly modernist. While it can be considered “easy” reading - as Woolf books go - there is plenty of social commentary for us to chew on. (Oops, dog joke.) We will look at the poets’ lives and read their poetry and the love letters. Aspects of Virginia’s life will also be important, therefore, excerpts from Woolf's relevant letters and diaries are included.

This is a slow reading group. As always, we take turns reading the material aloud, discovering and discussing as we go. Prior familiarity with Virginia Woolf and poetry is not necessary to enjoy these evenings.

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. If you are not yet a member of the group, join by answering the zoom-bomber-screening-questions. Once admitted, you can sign up for specific meetings.
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. Speaking 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, if a first-timer needs to log in after our scheduled start time, please direct message Sherry or Mark a few hours ahead of the start time. Otherwise, if you come late, you will not be admitted. This is solely for the inconvenience of the zoom bombers.
• Links to free online copies of all texts will be provided in the comments section of the event page every Tuesday, shortly before our start time.
• Please open the material and find the starting point as you are logging in, so you will be ready to go.