What we’re about
In this group, we'll explore the Stories that Matter in our lives: From the classics of literature, film, even the stories we tell ourselves about our own lives.
We will approach them several different ways.
Deep Reads: We will regularly select a longer text, and spend months working through it, savoring it.
Shorter Works/Films: Other times, we will select a short text or film to consume in one setting.
Stories of Our Lives: Otherwise, we will find ways to connect around the things that make life worth living.
The organizer, Sean Doyle, is the author of Mud and Dreams; Essays on falling deeper in life (https://amzn.to/2xDQSYQ) and taught positive psychology at NCSU for a decade. Whether I intend it or not, every meeting we will draw from the science of happiness, well-being and flourishing. For more info, see www.JohnSeanDoyle.com
Upcoming events
4
Deep Reads: The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy
Lynnwood Brewing Concern, 1053 E Whitaker Mill Rd, Raleigh, NC, USThis month we will read Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich, a short but searing masterpiece that asks the question: What does it mean to live a good life?
You can find a copy here: If you buy any of the versions after clicking on my link, I will get a few pennies to help support the cost of the meetup.
** Note, because of the Thangiving holiday, we will meet one week earlier than usual!
Tolstoy's novella tells the story of Ivan Ilyich, a successful judge in 19th-century Russia who has carefully built a life of comfort, social status, and respectability. When he falls gravely ill, Ivan is forced to confront not only the reality of death but also the emptiness of the values he has lived by. In his final days, he comes to see the truth that comfort, ambition, and appearances cannot substitute for love, authenticity, and compassion.
Though written in 1886, The Death of Ivan Ilyich feels startlingly modern. It speaks directly to our own age of career pressure, materialism, and distraction, where it is easy to mistake busyness for meaning. The book challenges us to consider how we spend our time, how we treat others, and how we prepare—consciously or unconsciously—for the end of life.
At just over 100 pages, Tolstoy’s novella is concise but profound, offering not only a moving portrait of mortality but also an invitation to live more fully.
On a personal note, as a "death doula" and having taught positive psychology and the pathways to a meaningful life for over a decade at NC State, I m particularly interested in what Ivan Ilyich has to teach us about living, dying, and finding what really matters?
(Thanks ChatGPT for help with this summary! haha)******
Note! Meetup recently doubled the cost of the meetup to about $352/year ($176 twice a year) Want to help support the group? A few of you generously offered. If you would like to contribute $5, $10, $20 or any amount, the easiest way is venmo: @JohnSeanDoyle or just reach out to me directly. Thanks for considering it!23 attendeesDeep Reads: The Melancholy of Resistance, László Krasznahorkai (meeting 1 of 2)
Lynnwood Brewing Concern, 1053 E Whitaker Mill Rd, Raleigh, NC, USOver a two-month period we will read The Melancholy of Resistance by 2025 Nobel Prize winner, László Krasznahorkai of Hungary. You can find a copy of the book here. (If you buy any of the versions after clicking on my link, I will get a few pennies to help support the cost of the meetup.)
This month we will read to the paragraph break at about page 140. (there will not be many breaks!)
In announcing the award, the Swedish Academy noted Krasznahorkai’s "compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art". Heavily influenced by Kafka, Krasznahorkai is known for sprawling, philosophical novels that often feature long, flowing sentences (i.e., 15 page-long sentences) and explore themes of social decay and existential dread. HOLD ON TIGHT!
**Bonus: Krasznahorkai worked with the acclaimed filmmaker Bela Tarr to turn the book into the 2000 film Werckmeister Harmonies. (available on YouTube, Criterion Channel and other platforms) In January we will decide whether to include the film in our February discussion, or whether to plan a separate time to discuss the film.******
Note! Meetup recently doubled the cost of the meetup to about $352/year ($176 twice a year) Want to help support the group? A few of you generously offered. If you would like to contribute $5, $10, $20 or any amount, the easiest way is venmo: @JohnSeanDoyle or just reach out to me directly. Thanks for considering it!6 attendees
Deep Reads: The Melancholy of Resistance, László Krasznahorkai (meeting 2 of 2)
Lynnwood Brewing Concern, 1053 E Whitaker Mill Rd, Raleigh, NC, USOver a two-month period we will read The Melancholy of Resistance by 2025 Nobel Prize winner, László Krasznahorkai of Hungary. You can find a copy of the book here. (If you buy any of the versions after clicking on my link, I will get a few pennies to help support the cost of the meetup.)
This month we will finish the book.
In announcing the award, the Swedish Academy noted Krasznahorkai’s "compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art". Heavily influenced by Kafka, Krasznahorkai is known for sprawling, philosophical novels that often feature long, flowing sentences (i.e., 15 page-long sentences) and explore themes of social decay and existential dread. HOLD ON TIGHT!
**Bonus: Krasznahorkai worked with the acclaimed filmmaker Bela Tarr to turn the book into the 2000 film Werckmeister Harmonies. (available on YouTube, Criterion Channel and other platforms) In January we will decide whether to include the film in our February discussion, or whether to plan a separate time to discuss the film.
******
Note! Meetup recently doubled the cost of the meetup to about $352/year ($176 twice a year) Want to help support the group? A few of you generously offered. If you would like to contribute $5, $10, $20 or any amount, the easiest way is venmo: @JohnSeanDoyle or just reach out to me directly. Thanks for considering it!5 attendees
Past events
125
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