Edmonton Lesbian+ Book Club

FEBRUARY: Our Sister Killjoy , by Ama Ata Aidoo MARCH: Loose End , by Ivan E. Coyote APRIL: Wild Girls , Diana Souhami MAY: Patience & Sarah , by Alma Routsong (aka Isabel Miller) JUNE: Wild Dogs , by Helen Humphreys JULY: The Price of Salt , by Patricia Highsmith AUGUST: What Night Brings , by Carla Trujillo SEPTEMBER: The Monkey's Mask , by Dorothy Porter OCTOBER: Drag King Dreams , by Leslie Feinberg (due out March 2006) NOVEMBER: Mohawk Trail , by Beth Brant

Hey everyone. Sorry for the long break between posts. Here's the scoop. We've had excellent book discussions in the last couple of months. And, we had a lovely little pre-holidays get-together too. We take a break from book club in December because people are always so busy with the holidays. And here are our plans for the coming months: January: We're reading "Our Sister Killjoy" by Ama Ata Aidoo. February: We'll read "Loose End" by Ivan E. Coyote . Unfortunately, we had to shelf the idea of reading Nicole Brossard's "Mauve Desert" as it is out of print and difficult to get hold of. Perhaps when her latest, "Yesterday, at the Hotel Clarendon" goes paperback, we'll read it. That's it until the new year!!!

Our reading schedule for the coming months, based on your votes/anti-votes/requests! October: Finding Ms. Wright, by Anne Seale November: Written on the Body, by Jeanette Winterson December: we're on hiatus January: Our Sister Killjoy, by Ama Ata Aidoo February: Mauve Desert, by Nicole Brossard

We're reading "The Quilt" by Ismat Chugtai. a review.

1. Lilly was awarded the German Federal Service Cross in 1981 for “her heroic efforts” to conceal and protect Felice. Did you find Lilly “heroic”? 2. Was this a memoir? 3. Did you find their affair passionate? Do you think the circumstances of the war heightened their affair? 4. Did you find Lilly self-serving? 5. Do you think Felice regretted not leaving Germany when she had the chance? 6. Did the relationship come across as obsession to you? 7. “It is not an introspection on being or becoming lesbian. It is not the reminiscence of a woman who regrets not doing enough to save her lover from the Holocaust. It is not an inspirational memoir by an ordinary Berliner who learned great lessons from her experiences. Neither is it a compelling account of that dreadful time nor even much of a love story.” Do you agree? What is it, if not a love story?

I'm just posting our discussion questions from the following two books, in case you missed the weekend, but read the books... Questions for He Drown She in the Sea (Shani Mootoo) 1. Why did Mootoo set this novel in a fictional island instead of Trinidad? 2. What is the effect of the skipping through time? 3. What role do class divisions play in the story? What about race? 4. How did you feel about Rose’s father’s reaction when he discovered the children sleeping together? 5. Reviewers describe the patois her characters speak as lyrical and sensuous. Do you agree? 6. An important scene happens when Rose and her mother visit Dolly and Harry at their seaside shack. She says to him “They are not our friends. Maybe I myself mislead you.” What impact did this scene have? 7. The book takes quite a plot twist at the end. Did it feel real to you? Note: Click here to hear Shani Mootoo read from her book. Questions for Venous Hum (Suzette Mayr) 1. The publisher calls this novel “magic realis...

For August we're reading "Aimée and Jaguar" by Erica Fischer, and may be watching the movie too! Some reviews of the book here! Don't forget about the weekend getaway in late August, where we're reading "Venous Hum" by Suzette Mayr (publisher's description) and "He Drown She in the Sea" by Shani Mootoo (publisher's description) . See earlier post for details. And in September, it's "The Quilt and other stories" by Ismat Chugtai. (Read a review. )

1. The Jews in Cuba are described as going into hiding here by converting to Catholicism, a practice that has occurred in many areas of the world. Do you see this as paralleling/not paralleling the experiences of members of the GLBTQ community who have stayed or gone into hiding i.e., "the closet." What about other cultural variations on the same theme? 2. Many of the characters are confronted with the challenge of assimilation and the emergence of multiple identities. Is Alejandra Cuban or American or both? How does Judaism play into her identity? How does lesbianism or bisexuality factor into her identity? What about her lover- how does she respond to Ale's multiple cultural identities? 3. Ytzak both gave up, and took from others, much for his beliefs especially in regard to his relationships to with his family. How do you see this paralleling the queer community? Do you think Ytzak overstepped his rights as grandfather? 4. What is "love"? Have you ever been ...

Hey Lesbian Book Club! Tell all your friends and loved ones! The book club is having its second annual weekend getaway at Pine Trails! When? The weekend of August 26, 27 and 28th, 2005. Where? Pine Trails at Pigeon Lake How much does it cost? It’s $70 per person for the weekend. Tent sites are less. What’s happening? Well, the details are far from finalized, but here’s the plan. We’ve selected two titles to read and discuss over the weekend: "Venous Hum" by Suzette Mayr, and "He Drown She in the Sea" by Shani Mootoo (both local authors!). We’ll barbeque! We’ll go swimming. Or whatever you like. If you’d like to go, you need to reserve a spot. Contact tree_dream@yahoo.ca! **More details to come as things as finalized.**

Hey everyone, July's title is "Days of Awe" by Cuban-American author Achy Obejas. Some links: A great interview with the author, some discussion questions, etc: National Yiddish Book Centre Another fantastic site with interviews, discussion questions, etc.: bookclubs.ca More questions: random house publishing group For those planning ahead, August we're reading "Aimée and Jaguar" by Erica Fischer, and may be watching the movie too! And in September, it's "The Quilt and other stories" by Ismat Chugtai.