The Writing Beyond Writing Book Club
Since Writing Beyond Writing was officially published last month, I’ve led several phenomenally successful talks about the Endangered Alphabets Project in general and the book in particular, and something has struck me each time: every question asked by someone in the audience led directly to a chapter in the book.
Somehow, in writing a book about the remarkable lesser-known scripts of the world, I’ve stumbled onto questions and issues that fascinate people about writing itself, and leave them aglow with insights and discoveries.
(By the way: if this is the first time you’re hearing about the book, you can learn a lot more about it HERE.)
Writing Beyond Writing has always struck me as a great book-club book, leading to fascinating, wide-ranging discussions—but the people who most want to dive down into it live all over the world!
So I am starting the Writing Beyond Writing Book Club (WBWBC), which will give you the chance to join me (by Zoom) and other interesting, lively-minded people and chew on questions and issues that literally nobody else is considering.
Here’s how it will work. The WBWBC will run in seasons, each consisting of four meetings.
Each meeting will run for 90 minutes, and will focus primarily on a particular chapter or chapters of Writing Beyond Writing:
Meeting 1: Writing and Art
Can writing be art? Can art be writing?
Meeting 2: Writing and Community
How does a particular culture shape the writing it uses; and what value does that script have for its culture?
Meeting 3: Writing and the Immaterial World
Can writing be a spiritual act? Can it be a form of magic?
Meeting 4: The Future of Writing
Yes, what about cursive? What about ChatGPT?
The WBWBC will offer two concurrent versions: The Writing Beyond Writing (Western Hemisphere) Book Club and The Writing Beyond Writing (Eastern Hemisphere) Book Club.
The Western Book Club will meet once a month on the third Sunday at 1 p.m. EST (UTC -5), starting on Sunday, February 18th, and will run for four months. (Feb 18, Mar 17, Apr 21, May 19.)
The Eastern Book Club will meet once a month on the first Sunday of the month at 8:30 a.m. EST (UTC -5), starting on Sunday, March 3rd, and will run for four months. (Mar 3, Apr 7, May 5, June 2.)
You don’t have to live in the Western Hemisphere to join the Western Club or the Eastern Hemisphere to join the Eastern Club—I just want to make sure nobody is excluded because of the time difference!
Maximum capacity is 25. Minimum capacity is 6—in other words, if fewer than six people sign up, that particular season will not run.
Meetings will be recorded, but only those registered and paid up for the season will have access to the recordings.
The fee to join is $40 USD per season, which includes a free digital edition of the book and entitles you to a 25% discount on orders of either the paperback or hardback edition. (Shipping is not included in the discount, alas.)
Questions? This is a new concept, so questions are inevitable and necessary! Contact me directly at tim@endangeredalphabets.com.
To sign up for either Book Club, click on the PayPal button here, which will also automatically tell me to dispatch you your digital copy of the book. When you sign up, in the notes/comments section please let me know whether you’re signing up for the Western or Eastern Book Club.
