In an effort to encourage student reading outside of the classroom and foster informal student-faculty interaction, five of six jointly led book clubs met yesterday to distribute books and introduce members.
Club members ranged from undergraduate students from all classes to graduate students and faculty members, including Dean of the College Dan Nelson who will be reading On the Ridge Between Life and Death: A Climbing Life Reexamined by David Roberts.
"I think the idea of students, faculty and others getting together to talk about books contributes to a vibrant intellectual community life," Nelson said. "[This is a] chance for me to spend some time with students outside of my office and outside of any particular issue or committee. I think it's just really going to be fun."
Group members have about a month to read their books, which were distributed at no cost to each member. They will reconvene for an hour on Feb. 21 to discuss the text. The groups ranged in size from four members reading "On the Ridge Between Life and Death" led by Victoria Solbert '07 and history professor Allen Koop, to 18 members reading "Absurdistan," led by Ruslan Tovbulatov '09 and government professor Bridget Coggins.
"This is a perfect opportunity for people from diverse regions of campus to discuss something that unifies them in some way," Tovbulatov said.
Director of Student Activities Linda Kennedy selected each of the books for discussion and then asked students she felt would be interested in the books to lead the conversations. The students were then given the opportunity to ask a professor to co-lead the discussion group. Kennedy had worked with Solbert before and asked her to lead the discussion because of her interest in climbing.
"I thought I could get a free book out of it and tea time at the Hanover Inn, so I thought, 'Why not?' And it sounded like an interesting book," Solbert said.
Other groups will read "Avoidance" by Michael Lowenthal '90, a gay-themed novel about summer camp. Discussion will be led by Jamal Brown '08 and women and gender studies professor Michael Bronski; "Sex Wars" by Marge Piercy, a novel about America immediately following the Civil War, with discussion led by Amanda Rosenblum '07 and English professor Melissa Zeiger; "Tortilla Curtain" by T.C. Boyle, a novel about the coinciding lives of an immigrant worker and a wealthy landowner in California, with discussion led by Glavy Cruz '08 and Spanish and Portuguese professor Silvia Spitta; and "Great Deluge" by Douglas Brinkley, about the New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina, with discussion led by Eddie Kalletta '08 and Senior Assistant to the President Sheila Culbert. Kalletta is a member of The Dartmouth staff.
