56th ANNUAL Northwest Great Books Weekend Event

All books for the 56th Annual Pacific Northwest Great Books Weekend Event are pre-read by the Board and chosen for the ability to sustain a rousing two hour discussion. Special effort is given to find pieces with: cultural diversity, different genres ie, plays, fiction, non-fiction, and pieces that have or will stand the test of time. Many of our titles have included classics and prize winning authors, but (in true Great Books fashion) we do not limit our selections based solely on book sales or as defined by others as classics. We are excited to present the four readings of our next June 26-28 event:

1. The Yellow Sofa, by Eca de Querios, Jose Maria de Eca de Queiros,  is often considered to be the greatest Portuguese novelist, certainly the leading 19th-century Portuguese novelist whose fame was international. The Yellow Sofa is touted as “ It’s an excellently written novella loaded with humor, irony, and an emotional depth that had me nodding with understanding and tearing up periodically.” The NW Great Books Group has discussed this novella previously and found engaging and well suited enough to discuss it a second time!
2. August: Osage County, by Tracy Letts was Winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Please don’t judge the book by the movie! This play is one of the most bracing and critically acclaimed plays in recent Broadway history and perfectly suited for a Great Books discussion.
3. The Shallows, by Nicholas Carr was a Finalist for the 2011 Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction. Carr explores compelling exploration of the Internet’s intellectual and cultural consequences yet published. He crystallized one of the most important debates of our time: As we enjoy the Net’s bounties, are we sacrificing our ability to read and think deeply? Read this, you’ll find it fascinating.
4. The Guide, by R.K. Narayan, R. K. Narayan is among the best known and most widely read Indian novelists writing in English. The novel’s beauty is its ability to show you the traditional Indian way of storytelling.

Registration: Two nights of dorm lodging at Trimble Hall, six cafeteria meals, one set of four books, parking is free..

Please join us this June, meet new friends and renew enduring friendships! And for goodness sake, spread the word! Here is the Registration Form: 56th Pacific Northwest Great Books Weekend Event

Cindy Bouldin  bouldin@aol.com
Steven Burdick cadasb@gmail.com