I'll "third" on the community bit! I've been thinking about this a lot lately too. The book club idea seems doubly beneficial - reading already challenges us intellectually and expands our perspectives, but doing that in community creates this wonderful multiplier effect. We get to process ideas together, hear different viewpoints, and build meaningful connections at the same time. Count me in if you start that Bowling Alone book club, Miriam! It does seem fitting to read a book about community decline... in community.
The topic of 'we want community, but are we prepared to put in the work'! Ugh-I have so many thoughts, feelings and deep desire to talk about this. And it makes me want to prioritize reading Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam.
Something I've been thinking about how to have a community where there is a place for diversity of thought too.
I recently went to a book club put on by a local bookstore and the book we were discussing was Anne Frank They Diary of a Young Girl. There were about 30 ppl there, mostly women, 6 men. And one gentleman accounted for about 30% of the discussion. He shared about the tension he felt between reading about Anne's inner thoughts about the boy she liked versus the killings happening in the street below and how trivial he felt her views were. Then he asked if this could really be considered a "Holocaust Book" and mentioned a few other memoirs by survivors who wrote about their time at the camps. I loved hearing folks respond to his comments (educators talking about how important this book is to be able to discuss a horrific topic with younger kids). And while his questions and thoughts stirred something inside me - I left feeling grateful to having been exposed to his kind of thought process. And here it is almost 3 weeks later and I'm still thinking about it.
My favorite lines in Elle Hunt's article in the Guardian were:
"The word “community” has warm, fuzzy connotations. But a siloed, individualistic culture also makes it harder to establish and maintain community" - And isn't that the point of a "black and white" / "zero sum" stance, to make it hard to come together?
"Boundaries are important, Vogl says, not necessarily for keeping people out, but “to make the inside safe”." - What feels hard about this is having a boundary without being called "woke".
"For Vogl, a community is defined not by common interests or physical space, but as “a group of people who share mutual concern for one another”" - I love this definition of community. If feels right.
Wow this is all so interesting Bonnie. First off-- I too have never read Bowling Alone but all signs point to: we need to read. Would you be interested in a bookclub? Maybe I could go something going as the first virtual event for the Substack crew?
Also-- I LOVE what you said about your bookclub. My brain immmmmediately light ups at the provocative question of "could this even be considered a Holocaust Book." I want to be in that bookclub wowwwwwww!!!!
great variety of topics. love love love the conversation around creating community, been thinking a lot about it lately - loneliness and our difficulty to commit, time and money etc.
I'll "third" on the community bit! I've been thinking about this a lot lately too. The book club idea seems doubly beneficial - reading already challenges us intellectually and expands our perspectives, but doing that in community creates this wonderful multiplier effect. We get to process ideas together, hear different viewpoints, and build meaningful connections at the same time. Count me in if you start that Bowling Alone book club, Miriam! It does seem fitting to read a book about community decline... in community.
The topic of 'we want community, but are we prepared to put in the work'! Ugh-I have so many thoughts, feelings and deep desire to talk about this. And it makes me want to prioritize reading Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam.
Something I've been thinking about how to have a community where there is a place for diversity of thought too.
I recently went to a book club put on by a local bookstore and the book we were discussing was Anne Frank They Diary of a Young Girl. There were about 30 ppl there, mostly women, 6 men. And one gentleman accounted for about 30% of the discussion. He shared about the tension he felt between reading about Anne's inner thoughts about the boy she liked versus the killings happening in the street below and how trivial he felt her views were. Then he asked if this could really be considered a "Holocaust Book" and mentioned a few other memoirs by survivors who wrote about their time at the camps. I loved hearing folks respond to his comments (educators talking about how important this book is to be able to discuss a horrific topic with younger kids). And while his questions and thoughts stirred something inside me - I left feeling grateful to having been exposed to his kind of thought process. And here it is almost 3 weeks later and I'm still thinking about it.
My favorite lines in Elle Hunt's article in the Guardian were:
"The word “community” has warm, fuzzy connotations. But a siloed, individualistic culture also makes it harder to establish and maintain community" - And isn't that the point of a "black and white" / "zero sum" stance, to make it hard to come together?
"Boundaries are important, Vogl says, not necessarily for keeping people out, but “to make the inside safe”." - What feels hard about this is having a boundary without being called "woke".
"For Vogl, a community is defined not by common interests or physical space, but as “a group of people who share mutual concern for one another”" - I love this definition of community. If feels right.
Wow this is all so interesting Bonnie. First off-- I too have never read Bowling Alone but all signs point to: we need to read. Would you be interested in a bookclub? Maybe I could go something going as the first virtual event for the Substack crew?
Also-- I LOVE what you said about your bookclub. My brain immmmmediately light ups at the provocative question of "could this even be considered a Holocaust Book." I want to be in that bookclub wowwwwwww!!!!
Yus! Bowling Alone feels like a book that is meant to be read in a book club. It’s destined to be read together. Count me in.
great variety of topics. love love love the conversation around creating community, been thinking a lot about it lately - loneliness and our difficulty to commit, time and money etc.