Does "The Red Ant House" by Ann Cummins have an underlying theme? 

 Are the two girls trying not to be invisible? 

 Is the Jewish aversion to shaming people part of the dialogue about one of the girls shaming him, me and his wife? 

Endings usually matter in short stories. Why end with, "It was a dream in the distance."?

Perhaps I'll get some answers when we discuss this Tuesday evening, May 1.

Great Books Discussion Schedule

Short, Cheap, Nearly Great Books

Each of the books we are reading contain about 20 selections and are usually less than 20 pages. 

Purchased used, these books are typically less than $5 each.  Hence, SHORT & CHEAP. 






We meet about every other Tuesday evening from 7:30 PM until 9 PM. 

Find us in the Community Room at Whole Foods Market - Tamarac.  7400 E Hampden Ave, Denver 80237

We follow the Great Books method:
Shared Inquiry

Great Books discussion groups are forums for thoughtful adults to read and discuss significant works of fiction, philosophy, political science, poetry, and drama. Great Books discussions are non-didactic, open-ended gatherings where people of all backgrounds come to talk about substantial literature and the great ideas and issues that literature addresses.
Discussions are lively, engaging, friendly, sometimes contentious, probing, enlightening—and a good deal of fun. Participants challenge their own and others' beliefs and opinions in the light of a rich, thought-provoking text.
The object of a Great Books discussion is not to go home with the "right answer." The object is to examine the many questions raised by a text and to test some of the many possible answers by looking back to the text, using sound reasoning informed by our own experience.


Basic Guidelines for Shared Inquiry

1. Read the selection carefully before participating in the discussion. This ensures that all participants are equally prepared to talk about the ideas in the work.
2. Support your ideas with evidence from the text. This keeps the discussion focused on understanding the selection and enables the group to weigh textual support for different answers.
3. Discuss the ideas in the selection and try to understand them fully before exploring issues that go beyond the selection. Reflecting on the ideas in the text and the evidence to support them makes the exploration of related issues more productive.
4. Listen to other participants and respond to them directly. Directing your comments and questions to other group members, not always to the leader, will make the discussion livelier and more dynamic.
5. Expect the leader to only ask questions. Effective leaders help participants develop their own ideas, with everyone gaining a new understanding in the process. Participants should look to the leader for questions, not answers.