{Walden by Apostolos Letov via flickr / CC BY-NC 2.0}
Greetings! We hope life is moving at a slower pace this week, and that you’re able to delight in various festive holiday activities as well as enjoy more cozy downtime at home.
In the spirit of “Winter is for reading,” we entreat you to join us in reading our next Parent Book Club selection, Walden. Today’s blog is once again brought to you by our own high school literature teacher, Paul McCullough, with an introduction to this contemplative classic.
Actually, today’s blog will give you the basics – what, when, where, and a little bit of why. In early January, we will post Part 2 with more of the “why” as Paul takes a deeper look at this book, relates it to our experience today, and shares what it has meant to him over the years. Get ready to be excited about Walden! Now, without further ado…
One of the most curious features of human life seems to me to be this: we are constantly losing touch with ourselves and the values we hold dear, only to rediscover them in conversation—with a friend, a stranger, occasionally a book. This is why I read, this is why I teach—to be reminded of what Parker J. Palmer sometimes calls “the secrets hidden in plain sight.”
For this reason, I am particularly indebted to all the participants in the Parent Book Clubs this past trimester, and especially to our gracious host families, the Erbs, the Dows, and the Lerners. Thank you, one and all, for gathering together and passing around such generous portions of wisdom, laughter, and berry cobbler as we discussed Wendell Berry’s novel Hannah Coulter.
For those who were not able to make it last term, we are beginning a new book in January, Henry David Thoreau’s Walden. You are more than welcome to join us for one or both discussions. Here’s what you can expect:
- We will read a great and challenging book (more on that in Part 2) in a welcoming, conversational, no-pressure, no-quizzes, no-experts, there-are-no-dumb-questions setting.
- We will listen to others’ thoughts on that book and contribute our own (in whatever proportion of speaking/listening each person feels comfortable with).
- We will approach the book as an occasion for reflecting on our own lives, thus coming to know ourselves and our neighbors better in the process.
- There is always a chance there will be cobbler—especially if you bring it yourself.
We will meet twice to discuss Walden, once in January and once in February. There are three separate book club locations. Feel free to drop by whichever is most convenient for you. Our first meeting will be on Friday, January 15th (SLO and Pismo Beach) and Saturday, January 16th (Templeton). The second meeting will be on Friday, February 19th (SLO and Pismo Beach) and Saturday, February 20th (Templeton).
Because of Walden’s length, we have decided to focus on chapters 1-6 (“Economy” through “Visitors”) for our first meeting. That’s about 120 pages. For the second meeting, we’ll discuss chapters 7-9 (“The Bean Field” through “The Ponds”) and chapters 16-18 (“The Pond in Winter” through “Conclusion”), about 80 pages. Readers are of course encouraged to read the whole book, as time and energy permit, but the above chapters will provide more than enough material for our two discussions, and will help center our conversation on some of Thoreau’s main ideas.
Here’s all that information again in bullet point form:
- First Meeting (1/15, SLO and Pismo; 1/16, Templeton): Chapters 1-6 (“Economy” – “Visitors”)
- Second Meeting (2/19 SLO and Pismo; 2/20 Templeton): Chapters 7-9 (“The Bean Field” – “The Ponds”) and 16-18 (“The Pond in Winter” – “Conclusion”)
We know that the best way to raise a reader is to be a reader. Parents of high school students are especially encouraged to attend, as your child will be reading Walden in English this spring, and will enjoy discussing it with you. So come dip your toes into Thoreau’s Walden this term.
Thank you, Paul! How fitting to slow down and reflect at this time of year, and what a perfect book to lead us into that practice. Stay tuned for more on the blog from Mr. McCullough about Walden, when school resumes in January!
