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Tillson details how the original group was made up of white men, almost all of them somewhat liberal in their political leanings, and how over the years the group has become more racially diverse. Most of these men are what you might call influencers; they had accomplished a lot in their lives and most of them were very busy – devoting time to the monthly book club meetings required high levels of persistence and commitment.
They meet every month. Members alternate in the selection of books. The man who chooses the book also decides the location of each meeting. They usually met in restaurants. A few years after the club was founded, they also began to organize annual retreats.
Their weekend retreats in Michigan and the Hocking Hills area gave them the opportunity to bond deeper, discuss books of course, as well as just about anything under the sun.
Tillson recounts how some books opened the floodgates of speech as members exposed race, politics, technology, and even the occasional fictional title. True to form, these guys mostly read non-fiction.
At the end of the book there is an appendix listing most of the books they have read together; It is long and impressive. Here are some random examples: “Lincoln in Gettysburg†by Gary Wills, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks†by Rebecca Skloot, “Gilead†by Marilynne Robinson and “The Yiddish Policeman’s Union†by Michael Chabon.
In 2013, this reviewer had the pleasure of attending one of their meetings. That night we chatted about ‘Standing in Another Man’s Grave’ by Scottish novelist Ian Rankin. The food was delicious. The conversation was lively. This experience gave this reviewer an appreciation for what motivated these men to come together and continue to do so for all these years.
Yellow Springs’ Vick Mickunas interviews the writers Saturdays at 7 a.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. on WYSO-FM (91.3). For more information visit www.wyso.org/programs/book-nook. Contact him at[email protected]
