BOOK CLUB | SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7 | 11 AM–1 PM | FREE
Illiterati: Gen X Book
Useful Delusions by Shankar Vedantam
Illiterati: Gen X Book Club will meet at FUSION on Sunday, December 7, from 11 AM–1 PM. The December discussion will be on Useful Delusions by Shankar Vedantam.
This autumn (and the last read) has been so real for everybody, the group is going to dive into the non-fiction side of fiction for December.
A few years ago, former NPR journalist and Hidden Brain podcast host Shankar Vedantam became absorbed with the story of Donald Lowry.
Decades ago this Illinois man impersonated a woman, writing thousands of love letters to men across America—and he asked them for money.
Some of the men who were fooled by this con artist did not care when they learned the truth. Some actually reported that their lives had been transformed for the better. Eventually, when Lowery was brought to trial on charges of mail fraud, some even came and testified in his defense and argued that the love letters had kept them from depression and suicide.
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In 2004 Karl Rove was said to have expressed disdain for people living 'in what we call the reality-based community,' which he defined as people who 'believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality.' ...'That's not the way the world really works anymore,' he continued. 'We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality— judiciously, as you will—we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors ... and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.' From the sudden rise of fascist autocracies, to the incomprehensible love and joy in Roberto Benini's Guido in Life is Beautiful, committing to a dubious narrative proves itself to be humanity's greatest superpower.
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We are a media-positive book group. Audiobookers are welcome too. Prepare yourself for lively, non-disrespectful discussion. BYO snacks and drinks!
This book club is FREE and open to the public!
All are welcome. The club will be discussing books related to Generation X. You're welcome to BYO snacks and drinks. Later in the season Novel Point Coffee will also be open next door. Look in the photos section on Meetup.com for the current reading list. If you have reading suggestions please send them to genxbookclub@gmail.com, and keep in mind:
Authors should be born between 1960 and 1980. Outliers will want good reasons to be included. Any books over 400 pages may be discussed over multiple months.
Folks are welcome to attend even if they haven't finished the book, and audio versions are fair game.
Gen X Book Club is looking for discussion above agreement, but being mean will not be tolerated. Disagreement can be lovely as long as it remains respectful.
ABOUT ILLITERATI: GEN X BOOK CLUB
“Things are weird. The adults are all gone. We've been left to fend for ourselves by the light of an empty fridge.
Gen X was made for this. We got ourselves to the mall food court, looking for each other without appearing to care. Let's read Gen X literature. Let's discuss it as if it's real. As our ultimate rebellious act in a dying world we'll make it so.
Now that we've found a couple of interested slackers we'll crack open Eggers, Wurtzel, Safran Foer. Hewlett & Martin. If all goes well and follows in reasonable order we'll start with early Gen X authors and move to the later. Maybe rinse occasionally with something hopeish from outside the timeline, like Allie Brosh.
But when does it all go well and follow in reasonable order?”