Book Club

*From the [publisher's website](https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Cuba-(Winner-of-the-Pulitzer-Prize)/Ada-Ferrer/9781501154560):* **WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE IN HISTORY** **WINNER OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE IN HISTORY** **“Full of…lively insights and lucid prose” (*The Wall Street Journal*) an epic, sweeping history of Cuba and its complex ties to the United States—from before the arrival of Columbus to the present day—written by one of the world’s leading historians of Cuba.** In 1961, at the height of the Cold War, the United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba, where a momentous revolution had taken power three years earlier. For more than half a century, the stand-off continued—through the tenure of ten American presidents and the fifty-year rule of Fidel Castro. His death in 2016, and the retirement of his brother and successor Raúl Castro in 2021, have spurred questions about the country’s future. Meanwhile, politics in Washington—Barack Obama’s opening to the island, Donald Trump’s reversal of that policy, and the election of Joe Biden—have made the relationship between the two nations a subject of debate once more. Now, award-winning historian Ada Ferrer delivers an “important” (*The Guardian*) and moving chronicle that demands a new reckoning with both the island’s past and its relationship with the United States. Spanning more than five centuries, *Cuba: An American History* provides us with a front-row seat as we witness the evolution of the modern nation, with its dramatic record of conquest and colonization, of slavery and freedom, of independence and revolutions made and unmade. Along the way, Ferrer explores the sometimes surprising, often troubled intimacy between the two countries, documenting not only the influence of the United States on Cuba but also the many ways the island has been a recurring presence in US affairs. This is a story that will give Americans unexpected insights into the history of their own nation and, in so doing, help them imagine a new relationship with Cuba; “readers will close [this] fascinating book with a sense of hope” (*The Economist*). Filled with rousing stories and characters, and drawing on more than thirty years of research in Cuba, Spain, and the United States—as well as the author’s own extensive travel to the island over the same period—this is a stunning and monumental account like no other. ***How to find us:*** We meet in the upstairs seating area at Zorba's in Dupont Circle. Look for a sign on a table with a picture of the book's cover on it. Links: **[Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/91030/9781501154560):** **By purchasing your book through this link, you help support local bookstores and defray the cost of DCIA's Meetup subscription.** [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Cuba-American-Dr-Ada-Ferrer/dp/1501154559) [Simon & Schuster](https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Cuba-(Winner-of-the-Pulitzer-Prize)/Ada-Ferrer/9781501154560) [Wikipedia page about Ada Ferrer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Ferrer)

📚 Do you love reading, but wish you had a structure and a community to share your insights with? Join our small circle of curious minds (just 4 members per gathering) as we come together for an hour of focused reading—in the calm setting of a library or the cozy atmosphere of a café. Here’s how it works: First part: Quiet reading on your own—bring a book you’re exploring, whether it’s philosophy, history, psychology, literature, or anything meaningful to you. Second part: We regroup and each person shares key takeaways, insights, or questions sparked by their reading. This sparks a structured yet free-flowing conversation around ideas, perspectives, and personal reflections. Why join? Add structure to your reading habit. Discover new books, authors, and ideas through others’ choices. Build real connections by sharing and listening deeply. Socialize around something meaningful instead of small talk.

Join our [Google Calendar](https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=MTBmYTdhMTNhZDFlZDFhNmE5NjJkMWEzOGU2OTQ1MjZjNTQwZjM2ZDUzMzY3YTdkNTc4MTFjODJkOTM0NThjMkBncm91cC5jYWxlbmRhci5nb29nbGUuY29t) for all info/events! Come share what you've been reading! Have you read or listened to anything interesting lately? Fiction? Non-fiction? Join this group of readers and tell us all about it (no spoilers, please, we might want to read it if you think it was great.) We'll have a round-robin discussion of what each of us has read or is reading.

[Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Horror as Queer,”** a look at the influence and depiction of queerness in horror films, with May Santiago, adjunct professor of film studies at George Mason University and producer of the podcast *Horrorspiria.* [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-horror-queer](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-horror-queer) .] Horror was queer long before both Brad and Janet succumbed to the charms of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in *The Rocky Horror Picture Show.* In fact, one could make the argument that, for both better and worse, the history of horror films is the history of queers on film. Film scholar May Santiago will do just that, with plenty of vivid examples, in reprising a talk that has earned rave reviews. You’ll learn how queer auteurs such as F.W. Murnau and James Whale were there at the very beginning. Murnau played a central role in the German expressionist movement that gave rise to films such as *Nosferatu*, while Whale left a body of work full of queer codes, including the films *Frankenstein*, *The Old Dark House*, and *The Invisible Man.* From there, Santiago will discuss how the representational codes established by such queer filmmakers were appropriated throughout the celluloid century by non-queer authors who constructed cinematic horror language that used queerness as shorthand for the monstrous. The result was harmful stereotypes of queer people in films and society, with examples being the stoic psycho lesbian trope embodied by Mrs. Danvers in *Rebecca*, the transgender sex-obsessed serial murderer Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock’s *Psycho*, and the villains of *Dressed to Kill* and *Silence of the Lambs.* Yet, even with these negative portrayals of explicit or implicit queerness, horror cinema’s relationship with queerness and queer audiences has grown stronger with each passing decade, with queer authors and queer audiences reclaiming the monstrosity that created the basis of the horror genre. Santiago will look at how the evolution of horror films coincided with that of queer stereotypes and how queer authors embedded queerness in films that aren’t explicitly queer. Among the questions she’ll tackle: How did we come around to thinking that the Babadook was gay? ? (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: A frame from the 1920 silent German horror film *The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari* (tint added).

Curl up with a good book and a hot cup of your poison of choice. Maybe start a book club to talk about your favs and read together.

No sign\-ups required \| All levels welcome \| 21\+ If you're looking for a casual game of chess in a fun atmosphere, this event is for you! Members range from beginner to master level, and games are played both with and without time controls. There are dozens of players each week, with only a fraction of the participants registering on meetup. This event is held at a bar, the Board Room, in Washington, DC, and is intended for 21+ players. We meet upstairs, on the mezzanine. Upon arrival, fill out a name tag and indicate your relative skill, to facilitate match-ups. Chess sets and boards are provided. We don't have club clocks, but most people use the Chess Clock app from Chess.com to play timed games.

This meeting will be dedicated to talking about the entirety of "The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea" and New Direction's "Death in Midsummer" short story collection, both by Yukio Mishima https://www.ndbooks.com/book/death-in-midsummer/ The current list of short stories we will be focusing on is "Patriotism" and "Death in Midsummer," list pending to change. Due to recent high popularity of our meetings, we will be having a temporary moratorium new members until a level of member cultivation has occurred. We estimate this will be around July 1st. We will be meeting in the National Portrait Gallery Atrium. To stay up to date with events and discuss meetings or books, you can join our Discord group. Please message me to get added.

With Christopher Nolan's film adaptation on the horizon, it's time for us to finally read one of the most iconic classics of Greek literature: Homer's *Odyssey*! We'll be reading the epic poem over the course of three meetings, starting with books 1-8, which introduce us to the situation on Odysseus's home of Ithaca and the first half of his long journey home from the Trojan War. I will be reading from the highly regarded [Lattimore](https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-odyssey-of-homer-richmond-lattimore/ca6dbb99680e7cd9) translation, but feel free to use whichever version you prefer. As usual, we will meet in the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in the **205-B Accessibility Room**, located on the second floor. Ask at the Center for Accessibility front desk if you are looking for us. See you there!

Join us for a discussion of ***The Hollow Half: A Memoir of Bodies and Borders* by Sarah Aziza** Here's the summary: With the lucidity of a poet and the precision of a journalist, Sarah Aziza embarks on a quest to understand her family legacy, tracing three generations of diasporic Palestinians—from Gaza to the Midwest to New York City, and beyond In October 2019, Sarah Aziza, daughter and granddaughter of Gazan refugees, is hospitalized for an eating disorder. This brush with death becomes a rupture which brings both her personal and ancestral past into vivid presence. The hauntings begin in the hospital cafeteria, when a cup of apricot yogurt stirs the taste of Sarah's childhood, summoning the familiar voice of her deceased Palestinian grandmother. In the months following, as she responds to a series of ghostly dreams, Sarah unearths family secrets that force her to confront the ways her own trauma and anorexia echo generations of Palestinian displacement and erasure—and how her fight to recover builds on a century of defiant survival, and love. As silences break, heartbreak opens onto possibility. Sarah begins to grasp the ways her legacies echo and inform one another—through tragedy, and through love. She begins to resist the forces of assimilation, denial, and patriarchy, learning to assert herself in new ways that honor both her ancestors and herself. Weaving timelines, languages, and genres, The Hollow Half probes the contradictions and contingencies that create “history.” This stunning debut memoir ends in a cri de coeur for a world in which every body has a right to contain multitudes. **Let’s meet at Caboose Commons in Fairfax to enjoy some good discussion and meet new friends.**

You are warmly invited to an evening of chamber music on **June 6 at 7:00 PM** at the **Kosciuszko Foundation Washington, DC Center**. # Myths and Sacred Tales This special concert features a distinguished string quintet: * **Devree Lewis**, cello * **Susanna Mendlow**, cello * **Agata Miklavc**, violin * **Holly Nelson**, violin * **Ting-An Wei**, viola They are joined by **Jason Solounias, piano**. **Program** *Mythes, Op. 30* by Karol Szymanowski I. La fontaine d’Arethuse (The Fountain of Arethusa) II. Narcisse (Narcissus) III. Dryades et Pan (Dryads and Pan) **With accompanying poetry:** * *Arethusa* by Percy Shelley * *Narcissus* by John Keats * *Hymn to Pan* by Aleister Crowley Performed by: **Susanna Mendlow**, reader **Agata Miklavc**, violin **Jason Solounias**, piano **Intermission** *String Quintet in C major, D.956* I. Allegro ma non troppo II. Adagio III. Scherzo. Presto – Trio. Andante sostenuto IV. Allegretto **Tickets:** $35 General Admission / $25 KF Members **Purchase tickets** **[HERE](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/myths-and-secret-tales-an-evening-of-chamber-music-and-poetry-tickets-1988631854409?aff=oddtdtcreator)** Hors d’oeuvres and wine will be served. We look forward to sharing this inspiring evening of music and poetry with you. More info **[HERE](https://thekf.org/event/myths-and-secret-tales-an-evening-of-chamber-music-and-poetry-at-the-kf-washington-dc/)** #### **The event is co-sponsored by the Sylvan and Eugenia Bobinski Fund.**

**❤️‍🔥 Jacksonville Zoom Online Speed Dating** Speed dating from your living room. Short Zoom rounds with Jacksonville singles matched to you by age and personality. **Register below for your age group:** - **Ages 18-32** → [REGISTER HERE](https://tempodating.com/product?productId=531.0&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=Jacksonville&groupurlname=meet-for-serious-bonds-over-brunch&ar=18-32&face_v=1.0) - **Ages 30-46** → [REGISTER HERE](https://tempodating.com/product?productId=531.0&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=Jacksonville&groupurlname=meet-for-serious-bonds-over-brunch&ar=30-46&face_v=1.0) - **Ages 40-58** → [REGISTER HERE](https://tempodating.com/product?productId=531.0&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=Jacksonville&groupurlname=meet-for-serious-bonds-over-brunch&ar=40-58&face_v=1.0) - **Ages 55+** → [REGISTER HERE](https://tempodating.com/product?productId=531.0&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=Jacksonville&groupurlname=meet-for-serious-bonds-over-brunch&ar=55+&face_v=1.0) **⚠️ Your RSVP doesn't confirm a place.** Click your age group below, register, and take the personality quiz. Spots are limited. --- **How It Works** 1. **Register** – Pick your age group above and sign up. 2. **Take the quiz** – Short personality quiz so we can match you well. 3. **Join on Zoom** – Your host will guide you through every round. 4. **Get matches** – Mutual matches sent after the event. --- ✨ Sign up, take the quiz, and meet Jacksonville singles tonight. 💝 ✨

Let’s meet and share discussion of the James Baldwin short story collection, Going to Meet The Man.

Welcome, readers! Our July read is ***A Short Walk Through a Wide World*** *by Douglas Westerbeke*. We'll follow a young woman bound by a mysterious condition that forces her to keep moving across the globe. As she journeys through vibrant cities, quiet landscapes, and centuries of time, each stop reveals new connections, fleeting relationships, and deeper questions about belonging. The novel blends adventure with introspection, exploring what it means to search for home when you can never stay in one place. It’s both a love letter to the vastness of the world and a poignant meditation on identity, memory, and human connection. Looking forward to discussing with everyone We will meet at Zaftig Brewing Co in their event room in the back. We are welcome to bring in our own food, but **drinks must be purchased at the bar** Happy reading!

Welcome, readers! Our June read is ***Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible*** ***Voyage*** **by Alfred Lansing.** A work of nonfiction, and one of the most astonishing survival stories in history, we follow Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew after their ship is crushed by Antarctic ice. Stranded in one of the harshest environments on Earth, the men endure months of isolation, freezing temperatures, and near starvation—yet refuse to give up hope. Lansing brings their ordeal to life through vivid detail and firsthand accounts, capturing both the brutality of nature and the resilience of the human spirit. At its core, the story is a powerful testament to leadership, perseverance, and the unbreakable will to survive against impossible odds. Looking forward to discussing with everyone! We will meet at Zaftig Brewing Co in their event room in the back. We are welcome to bring in our own food, but **all** **drinks must be purchased at the bar.** Happy reading! 📖

June meetup at the Library. We’ll play games and have casual conversation in Japanese and in English. All levels of Japanese ability, from non-speaker to native, are welcome. After the meetup we will go out to eat at a local restaurant.

Welcome, readers! Our May read is **_Kindred_ by Octavia E. Butler.** The story follows Dana, a Black woman living in 1976 California, who is suddenly pulled back to a Maryland plantation before the Civil War. She learns her survival is tied to a white slaveholder’s son. Forced to move between centuries, she must endure the brutal realities of slavery while fighting to hold on to her identity. Tense, intimate, and unforgettable, Kindred explores how the past refuses to stay buried. Looking forward to discussing with everyone! We will meet at Zaftig Brewing Co in their event room in the back. We are welcome to bring in our own food, but **drinks must be purchased at the bar.** Happy reading! 📖