The time our book club in Seattle argued about 'American Dirt' for three straight meetings

We met at the Elliott Bay Book Company cafe back in early 2020, right before everything shut down. The debate got so heated that one member, a teacher, brought a printed list of 15 articles about the author and cultural appropriation. We spent over an hour just on the ethics of who gets to tell which stories. It made our group realize we needed better rules for tough talks, so we now start each book with a quick chat about what kind of discussion we want. Has your club ever had to set new rules after a book blew up like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

rivera.jake1mo ago

Honestly that sounds like a lot of drama over a book. Tbh my group would just move on to the next pick.

webb.victor1mo ago

Consider how a group picks books, @rivera.jake. Moving on fast might just bury a real problem with how you all choose stuff. That drama could pop up again with the next pick.

johnb9526d ago

Ugh, been there. My group tried a "no veto" rule where we just rotate picks, but it led to some real duds. Now we do a quick vote with three options from the person whose turn it is. Cuts the drama way down.