Celebration of Literary Discussion

Due to the continuing pandemic, we will once again hold our annual meeting and Celebration of Literary Discussion over Zoom. There will be three different sessions, run sequentially, and we hope you can attend them all! Each session will last 45 minutes with a 5 minute break in-between.

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Introduction and Members’ Meeting

10:00 - 10:10 am

Our brief official meeting of the Houston Great Books Council will begin with President Connie Lewis giving some opening remarks followed by a quick election of new and returning board members.

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Session One

Sharpening Your Shared Inquiry Skills:
Discussion of “The Poor Relation’s Story” by Charles Dickens

10:10 - 10:55 am

Shared Inquiry is a specific method of discussing texts based on the Great Books Foundation. From the Shared Inquiry Handbook: ”Shared Inquiry promotes an intellectually stimulating interpretative discussion of a work—a group exploration of meaning that leads to engaging and insightful conversation. It helps participants read actively, articulate probing questions about the ideas in a work, and listen and respond effectively to each other. And it is based on the conviction that participants can gain a deeper understanding of a text when they work together and are prompted by a leader’s skilled questioning."

Discussing a short story is a great way to practice the Shared Inquiry method! You can find “The Poor Relation’s Story” by Charles Dickens online but we will also send out a PDF to those who RSVP.

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Session Two

Great Books, Great Groups:
The Logistics, Pitfalls, and Stratagems of Being a Group Facilitator

11:00 - 11:45 am

Great book groups don’t just happen. Get a behind-the-scenes look into managing a successful book group. A panel of facilitators will discuss starting a group, keeping it running, and problems they’ve encountered in creating an environment that promotes the Shared Inquiry method.

While this is perfect for anyone thinking of starting a group, we bet you will enjoy hearing the juicy details of what it takes to keep your favorite groups going.

There’s no reading for this session. There will be an opportunity to submit questions via chat, and we will follow up on those by email if we run out of time.

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Session Three

Gulf Coast Reads Book of the Year:
Discussion of THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA by TJ Klune

11:50 am - 12:35 pm

“The House in the Cerulean Sea is an enchanting love story, masterfully told, about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place - and realizing that family is yours.”

This book will be discussed as part of the Gulf Coast Reads: On the Same Page. This is an annual regional reading initiative focused on promoting the simultaneous reading or listening to a selected title by those living along the upper Texas Gulf Coast.

We are just one small event out of many for the Gulf Coast Reads. Look for other events centered on this book during October at www.GulfCoastReads.org.

You will need to procure the book on your own and read it before the meeting if you’d like to be part of the discussion. Most people find the book quirky, fun, and a quick read! You can find plenty of copies of the book at participating libraries. If you are planning on purchasing the book through Amazon, please use this link to help give back to our organization: https://amzn.to/2VLwkO2.