Literature

\ ストーリーハウスの言語交換会を再開します。 日本語または英語の上達を目指して、ぜひチャレンジしてみてください！ポジティブな気持ちで参加して、お互いに励まし合いながら、集中して成​​長しましょう。言語交換会は、日本語と英語の半分ずつに分けて行います。他の言語を開催できる場合は、時間を追加します。 使いたい教材があればご持参ください。また、必要に応じてメモが取れるように、ノートも必ずご持参ください。気軽におしゃべりしたり、会話に参加したりしてください。 参加費は無料ですが、カフェでご注文をお願いいたします。 We are reintroducing our Storyhouse Language Exchange. Push yourself to improve Japanese or English! Come with a positive attitude, and encourage each other to focus and grow. We will split the language exchange into half, between Japanese and English. If additional languages are available, we will add time. Bring any study materials you want to use. And be sure to bring writing utensils so you can take notes as you need. Feel free to talk and participate in conversations. There is no participation fee, but please make your order at the cafe.

イングリッシュHang outやってます！ イングリッシュハングアウトとは、簡単にいうと「英語でおしゃべりする会」です！ Hangoutとは、日本語で”(友達と)遊ぶ”という意味で、おしゃべりとかゲームをしながら室内でリラックスしながら過ごす感じです。 それをカフェで英語でハングアウトしましょう！という時間です。 どなたでも、予約なしで参加していただけます。途中参加退席自由です。カフェでのオーダーをお願いします。 英語の練習をしたいけど、英会話教室に行くほどではないけど気軽にしゃべる機会を探している人や、英語で話せる友達を探している人にぴったりです。 We are hosting a casual English hangout time for locals to connect with international travelers & our international staff. Anyone can join. Even if your English level is very low, you can still listen and learn. The conversations are open, and you may join or leave at any time. Please make one order from the cafe.

Let’s meet and share our thoughts about Carson McCullers’ novella, The Ballad of The Sad Café.

Join the CONNECTED Westerville Mastermind Group for a dynamic afternoon of B2B networking! This event is perfect for professionals looking to expand their business connections, share insights, and foster collaboration within the community. Whether you are a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, this event offers a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas, build relationships, and grow your network in a supportive environment. Connect with like-minded individuals, explore potential partnerships, and discover new opportunities for professional growth. Don't miss out on this chance to enhance your business network and take your career to the next level with CONNECTED Westerville Mastermind Group! We meet the 4th Monday of every month from 11am-1pm. Welcome and general networking from 11am - 11:30am with core meeting 11;30 - 12:30 and a final round of networking from 12:30 - 1pm.

This month's prompt concerns the idea of the “warrior philosopher” (seemed appropriate in these times)--that is someone whose understanding of violence, power, and justice is forged through direct experience of war. We are looking at Major General Smedley D. Butler, a highly decorated U.S. Marine raised in a Quaker (pacifist) tradition who later became a prominent critic of American militarism (there is a wonderful biography of Gen. Butler called "Gangsters of Capitalism") Butler's argument in *War Is a Racket* (1935): that many U.S. interventions were driven less by national defense than by corporate and financial interests, with Butler portraying himself as an enforcer for business and Wall Street. We can consider the moral ambiguity of his insider critique—whether complicity strengthens or undermines credibility and also consider some of the concrete reforms he proposed (e.g., “conscript” capital before soldiers, restrict the military to coastal defense, and have only those who fight decide on war). Butler’s life arc clearly changed from pacifist upbringing to warrior to antiwar crusader—and asks whether true understanding of peace requires firsthand knowledge of war, and what that implies about the cost of suffering. So do we need to suffer to understand suffering? Do we have to experience war to appreciate peace? As one more question: in the movie "A Few Good Men" Jack Nicholson's character says that "you have the luxury of not knowing what I know" so do most of us go through life oblivious to real violence and suffering? See you at Drunken Philosophy!

Welcome, readers! Our April read is **_Martyr!_ by Kaveh Akbar.** The story follows a young Iranian American poet grappling with grief, addiction, and the aching question of what makes a life meaningful. Drawn into an unexpected friendship with a terminally ill artist, he begins to confront faith, love, and the seduction of self-destruction. Lyrical, darkly funny, and emotionally piercing, the novel wrestles with beauty and despair in equal measure. It’s a story about longing—to be seen, to be forgiven, and to matter. 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! 📖

Join WQC on April 25th from 11am-1pm at Inniswood Metro Park for a Nature Photo Walk. All types of cameras welcome! Let's enjoy spring to the fullest... 🌻🌼🌷🐤

**Our April novel is: *The Hong Kong Widow* by Kristen Loesch** **This month’s novel blends gothic atmosphere with historical fiction and chilling horror, set against the haunting backdrop of China. The book is 368 pages in print and 10 hours and 42 minutes on audiobook.** In 1950s Hong Kong, Mei is a young refugee of the Chinese Communist revolution struggling to put her past in Shanghai behind her. When she receives a shocking invitation—to take part in a competition in one of the city's most notorious haunted houses, pitting six spirit mediums against one another in a series of six séances over six nights, until a single winner emerges—she has every reason to refuse. Except that the hostess, a former Shanghainese silent film star, is none other than the wife of the man who once destroyed Mei’s entire life. It is promised the winner will receive a fortune, but there is only one prize Mei wants: revenge. Decades later, the final night of that competition has become an infamous urban legend: The police were called to the scene of a brutal massacre but found no evidence, dismissing it as a collective hallucination. Mei knows what she saw, but now someone else is convinced they know what she did. She must uncover the truth about the last night she ever spent in that house—even if the ghosts of her past are waiting for her there. . . .