PUBLIC INVITED TO GREAT BOOKS WEEKEND: Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter, Macchiavelli’s Discourses to be discussed at Asilomar
San Francisco, Calif. – All book lovers are welcome April 11-13, 2008, at the Asilomar Conference Center, Pacific Grove, for the San Francisco Great Books Council’s 50th annual spring event.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, Niccolo Macchiavelli’s Discourses, and the modern play by Tina Howe, Painted Churches, are on the agenda. A selection of poetry also will be discussed. Readings at Great Books events may be ancient or modern, but must be worth careful reading and provoke questions of interpretation that group discussion will help to illuminate. Participants must have read the selection and are discouraged from bringing up other works or extraneous matters until later. Everyone’s opinion is respected, newcomer and veteran alike.
Registration is now open but space may be limited so early signup is recommended. The weekend includes lodging for Friday and Saturday, six meals, reading materials, and social gatherings. Rates are surprisingly affordable at $259 to $482 per person depending on choice of accommodations. A family rate is available. To sign up, log onto www.greatbooks-sf.com or call Sheri Kindsvater at 916-852-0615.
About the San Francisco Great Books Council
The San Francisco Great Books Council is an affiliate of the Great Books Foundation, founded at the University of Chicago 60 years ago by Robert Maynard Hutchins and Mortimer J. Adler. A non-profit educational organization, its mission is to provide people of all ages the opportunity to read, discuss, and learn from outstanding works of literature, current and past, western and non-western.
The San Francisco council coordinates 40 book groups throughout Northern California, publishes a newsletter, Reading Matters, provides leader training, helps start new book groups, and sponsors literary events in scenic locations. To learn more or join a group, log onto www.greatbooks-sf.com or contact SFGB president Kay White at (415)382-1927 or kaycleveland@aol.com.