Thanks to everybody for such a lovely session last night – the discussion was excellent and gave me so much to think about. One of the things is – what’s the difference between expressing feelings in writing and sentimentality? Obviously, this is partly due to the genuineness we experience from the writing – but maybe there are also cultural strands at play. While reading One Day, some of us wept – some of us were tempted to throw the book across the room at the tragic moment – some of us might have wished we had got to this bit before coming to book group (those spoiler moments). But this is what makes the evening brilliant – the exchange of ideas and opinions, revealing and fascinating. And very stimulating. I always leave book group on a high (yes OK the coffee is the best in the county).
Poems we read last night were:
In an iridescent Time by Ruth Stone
Summer Solstice New York City by Sharon Olds
Look forward to seeing you again in September if all goes according to plan. Have a lovely summer. 
Hope you have enjoyed reading Brooklyn. I’m looking forward to the discussion tonight at Leonard’s Coffee House, 6pm. It’s been a really busy month so far, so a relaxing evening with fellow readers will be wonderful. I have two poems to bring – one by the amazing Jack Gilbert (for the American voice) and one from Helen Dunmore – a fabulous writer who may well be visiting Durham soon. There’s so much fantastic stuff to read – one of life’s reliable certainties. 
Question: do we have a better discussion if people do or do not enjoy the book group choice? In any case an excellent discussion about why we do or do not engage with character, and what the place of humour is in novels which could just be depressing.
Ah the Leonard’s Coffee House book group is a wonderful thing! The discussion on the poetry of Fleur Adcock and Chase Twichell (both poets reading at the Culture Lab in Newcastle this Thursday) was amazing. It is always fascinating discussing poetry with a group – as if each person holds a piece of a puzzle which collectively brings the work to life. A lovely evening in a delightful setting. Next book is Colm Toibin’s Brooklyn – hope you enjoy it!
Hope everybody had a peaceful Easter, and managed to get some reading done. I really enjoyed our book and look forward to the discussion. I’m assuming we will all be wearing our checked shirts? Maybe this is because I’ve just spent a week in Scotland on the Fielding Programme doing some writing myself – and it’s that kind of rugged place. I didn’t have to cut any wood, even though we had snow and hail. Very beautiful.
As well as our book, I’m going to bring a few poems from “local” poets: those with some connection to the North East. Probably Gillian Allnutt, Colette Bryce and Sean O’Brien – just one from each. Look forward to seeing everybody next Monday.
I really enjoyed this Monday’s meeting and the opportunity to discuss not only the novel but also the poetry. Both discussions were excellent and varied – it’s great to have a broad range of views and the chance to air them. Plus I found that I was rethinking aspects of the novel and not just having my prejudices confirmed – which is always good! The poetry discussion was utterly uplifting and have felt high on it ever since Monday – that could partly be the excellent coffee of course! Look forward to seeing you on April 12th when we will be discussing Per Petterson’s Out Stealing Horses. I’ll also bring some poems, as requested – was thinking I will bring some work from a couple of local writers if that’s OK. Probably Anne Stevenson and Gillian Allnutt – both great poets. But open to suggestions!
How is it going with the book? Hope you are all enjoying it – I’m looking forward to our discussion. The way authors manage multiple plot threads is always interesting – do you find yourself particulalry interested in one of the characters? Do you find some of the settings more convincing than others? I admire Sarah Hall’s prose and her ability to adapt it to each of her scenarios in this novel.
Hope you have also had a chance to look at a Jane Draycott poem or two – but don’t worry if not, I will bring copies and we can spend a little time pondering them. Should be an interesting night!
I re
ally enjoyed our first meeting in lovely Leonard’s Coffee House and thought the discussion was excellent. I’m looking forward to our next get together on March 8th. Hope you are all enjoying the Sarah Hall – quite a different read from the last book, but equally absorbing and enjoyable I hope you agree.
I will bring along some copies of poems from Over by Jane Draycott for us to look at also. I think she is a wonderful poet, and look forward to discussing her work with you all.
Welcome to the new Durham book group, held in the very lovely Leonard’s cafe in Fowler’s Yard – where the coffee is excellent and the cakes are really beyond tempting. This group will be held from 6pm-7.30pm on the second Monday of the month – the first one is on Feb 8th, when we will be discussing What Was Lost by Catherine O’Flynn. Please come along and join us: you will get a membership card which entitles you to various perks, plus the opportunity to discuss books, life and everything.
The group will feature a mix of fiction and poetry and our first meeting is on 8 February, when the book under discussion is What Was Lost by Catherine O’Flynn, which won the prestigious First Novel Award at the 2008 Costas. The book is about a disparate group of characters coming together over a missing girl and features a woman detective with a monkey on her shoulder! If you would like to join the group, contact durhambookgroup@newwritingnorth.com or phone 0191 233 3850.
