Barbara McConnell Asilomar Great Books Weekend 2021

 

Dear Great Books Supporter,

One of the major events of the year for the Great Books Council of San Francisco is the Spring weekend at the Asilomar Conference Center in Monterey, California, named in honor of beloved Great Books leader Barbara McConnell. During the weekend there are discussions of poetry, a work of nonfiction, a work of theatre and a work of fiction. 

BUT, this year, due to the ongoing pandemic, we are proud to present this event via Zoom.  From the comfort and safety or your home, you are invited to join us for an immersive 3-day event and make sure you check the affordable pricing.  Do note, this year we are not including the books in the price and when you register, the links to the editions we are using will be included in the registration email.  This will make it easy for you to find the correct edition for the discussion.  The poetry, though, will be emailed under separate cover.

We will be discussing outstanding works and selections of poetry this year, keeping with the traditional format for the weekend.

We'll kick off the Asilomar weekend with an evening of poetry discussion featuring works by John Donne, Louise Glück, Charles Simic, Yannis Ritsos, and Derek Walcott. As usual, these poems will be provided in a PDF format attachment with your registration confirmation.

  On Saturday we’ll continue with our non-fiction discussion. Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince will get the morning off to a rousing start as we explore this seminal work on statesmanship and political power that has proven relevant for over four centuries. This slender volume has been called one of the first works of modern political philosophy, in which the effective truth is considered more important than any abstract ideal.

 

After lunch we will be having a Meet & Greet general session where we can talk about shared inquiry in the Bay Area, answer questions and get to know local groups from the different counties and what series they are discussing.

In the evening will continue with our work of fiction with a lesser-known but no less poignant novel from Kazuo Ishiguro. Never Let Me Go is a page-turning mystery while also providing a thought provoking and disturbing view of the future. Winning the Booker Prize, Ishiguro has created "a gripping mystery, a beautiful love story, a scathing critique of human arrogance and a moral examination of how we treat the vulnerable and different in our society." 

Wrapping up on Sunday morning, our play this year is Wit by Margaret Edson. First performed in 1995, Wit won several Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards.  In 1997, the young director, Derek Anson Jones, was chosen by the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut, to create a new production of the play.  Wit opened at the Union Square Theatre in New York on October 6, 1998 and closed on April 9, 2000 after 545 performances.  Edson was presented with the John Gassner and George Oppenheimer playwriting awards, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Conceived from her hospital work experience, this session will cover many of our familiar shared inquiry themes.

Tenative Schedule

This year we are offering additional events geared towards first time, student and local group leaders as well as our well led discussions.  There are chances to converse with the Executive Committee who dedicates themselves to Great Books and you in the Northern Californiia area as well as help with Zoom meetings and general discussion.

Activity	Times
Zoom Tech Assist Session	Fri. 5:30 – 6:15pm
Poetry Discussion	Fri. 6:30 – 8:40pm
The Prince Discussion	Sat. 9:30 – 11:40am
Meet & Greet – All About GBs	Sat. 1:30 – 2:30pm
Never Let Me Go Discussion	Sat. 6:30 – 8:40pm
Wit Discussion	Sun. 9:30 – 11:40am

 

Pricing

This year we are offereing a wide range of pricing for everyone.  Below is the pricing options.  One exciting new feature is the opportunity to introduce a new "Buddy" to the Great Books Experience.  Invite a friend and they will recieve a discount.  There's also an option for Seniors and all Students are welcome to attend for Free.  

Again, the books are not included and their links will be emailed to you when you register for ease of ordering.

 

We hope you will joing us for this exciting weekend!

Register Now! For more information, contact Sheri Kindsvater at kindsvater@aol.com.