Big Brain Book Group: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Monday, November 26, 2007

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

We didn't read Middlesex as a group, but many in our group have read it. These were interesting interviews with the author that we thought we would post.

Book Discussion Questions from Oprah Winfrey's website
Interview with author

Episode on the Oprah Winfrey Show

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OUR HISTORY

We began this book group in September, 2004 with a few parameters and goals. Our parameters began with a sense that, for the moment, the group would be all female. Folks could come and go, but we needed to have a "core" of at least four who came more regularly. As much as possible the core group needed to be diverse in their cultural background (ethnicity, religion, etc.). Ideally, the “core” needed to read A LOT on their own (not just for book group). They also needed to be willing to have high level intellectual conversations which included concepts of power and privilege and the ability to talk about oppression (personal experience, courses on the topic, familiarity with the language, etc.). We agreed as a group that people didn't need to have finished a book to be part of the discussion, but someone in the group needed to have read it. Logistically, the meetings would be a once a month potluck dinner. When we invited “new folks,” we needed to let them know our “parameters.”

Our goals included developing “themes” and then selecting four to six books at a time to read over the months the theme would stretch. The books could come from sources such as our own previous reading, current bestseller lists, or recommendations from others.

Our nickname "The Big Brain Book Group" evolved after one member shared this story - She belonged to two book groups and was heading out to ours one night when her partner asked, "Is it the big brain or the small brain group?" The answer was "big brain" and the name stuck.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

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