The Anatomy of a Book Club
Did you see the opinion piece by James Atlas in Sunday’s New York Times? In “Really? You’re Not in a Book Club?” Atlas noted that, these days, it’s safe to assume that most people you encounter belong to a book club.
It’s a great piece that explores types of book clubs (book theme, participant characteristics, author-driven, etc.) as well as the longevity of different groups. He says that no matter what type of book club it is, the group provides the opportunity “to gossip in a dedicated way.” He also offered this insight on the sociological anatomy of a book club:
Reading is a solitary act, an experience of interiority. To read a book is to burst the confines of one’s consciousness and enter another world. What happens when you read a book in the company of others? You enter its world together but see it in your own way; and it’s through sharing those differences of perception that the book group acquires its emotional power.
Since book club members like to visit with each other and voyeur into other groups, this would be a great piece to tweet to your followers. I’ve created an instant tweetable, so you can send it from your own account. (Or you can just retweet mine by clicking on it above.)
