O&A Men’s Book Club-April
| Tue |
| Apr 20 |
| 6:30 pm |
april’s meeting marks o&a book club’s 1st year anniversary! we have a very special location secured for our book discussion and celebration.
marchand’s bar & grill located at the vinoy, st. petersburg, will be hosting our gathering with a three course menu priced at $19.25 served to us in our own private dining room.
we will need a proper head count so please leave a comment below so we can arrange for suffient seating.
congratulations to byron the winner of april’s book selection courtesy of o&a book club sponsor jim conlin and the belleair complex of raymond james.
be sure to mark your calendars for the 3rd tuesday of the month. watch for bi-monthly reminders to help with those short term memories and over taxed dance cards. we do our best to meet every other month on each side of the bay.
with your help lets continue to build our membership. we’ve added a new facebook share function at the top of every post enabling o&a book club members to share this and every o&a event post with their friends on the ever popular social networking site facebook.
NEW & IMPROVED:check out the changes to your book club
vote on book selection- each month several choices will be announced, cast your vote by leaving choice in the comment section below…you’re input helps decides the next reading selection.
post your discussion questions- contribute your thoughts for discussion questions by typing them into comment section below.
help spread the word- want to increase membership in your book club? use the facebook share button found at the top of this and every post! select the thumbnail and viola, o&a book club is posted to your wall.
smaller group discussions- as the discussion group grows each month, we will at times break off into small more intimate groups enabling all to participate in conversation.
wear and win- as mentioned above, o&a is kicking off a new program at most events, wear and win. wear o&a gear to an event, you’re entered to raffle at each event for a wonderful prize.
o&a book club test drive- we welcome new comers, come check us out. first time visit is free. become a member and enjoy the membership benefits.
cost- enjoy all our club has to offer for $38, billed annually. that’s only $3.16 a month to cover all the administrative expenses and receive o&a ringer t-shirt.
membership benefits- a complimentary o&a ringer t-shirt, restaurant discounts (when available), email reminders and monthly raffle (wear your o&a ringer t-shirt for raffle entry at each book club meeting and most other o&a events too).
april’s selection is “A Parisian From Kansas” by Philippe Tapont. using the amazon link/image below you will find copies starting at $0.55 and at the same time be contributing a percentage of your purchase back to o&a book club.
when, where, what…etc.
cost: o&a book club annual membership dues $38[wp_cart:Annual Mens Book Club Dues-April 2010:price:38.00:end]please state size of shirt you would like, o&a ringer t-shirts are available in sizes small through extra extra large.
when: meet up at 6:30, order dinner at 6:45 and book discussion to start shortly thereafter.
where: marchand’s bar & grill, vinoy, located on the lobby level of the hotel past check-in & lobby bar on the right, 501 5th ave ne, st petersburg, map
comment: plan on attending? share your thoughts on current selection or future selection ideas. post a comment below!
use the link below to share this event with your friends on facebook
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got a question? call us at 727.776.5213
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the vinoy? at rock-bottom prices? of course we’ll be there! pls put me & senator down on the rsvp list asap!
This will be my first O&A book club meeting. How do I register for this event? Do I need to pay for dinner up-front?
Hey Andrew!
Use the PayPal add to cart button to register any O&A Event, including yearly dues for O&A Book Club.
Our dinners are paid for at Book Club meetings via separate checks.
We look forward to seeing you!
Finally, on a day I am not on duty at the FD – lol. I have this marked on my calendar. See everyone soon!
Tony! We look forward to seeing you at O&A Book Club’s first year anniversary discussion group and celebration!
Byron you always crack me up. Sorry guys i missed last month but will definitely be there this time. Looking forward to seeing everyone.
I’ll be there. Just joined on Pay Pal.
We look forward to seeing you Jim! WELCOME!
Robert. Please count both Mauricio and me in, because supposedly two heads are better than one. John.
Yeah! Y’all are welcomed addition!
I’m looking forward to it and have marked it on my calendar!
Awesome! Our discussion groups are not the same when you’re not present, look forward to seeing you at our 1st Year Anniversary.
Vinoy sounds wonderful! I’ll be there – (how convenient, too – I live 5 minutes away)…..
Wonderful! Glad you’ll be there!
there is an interesting article in this month’s vanity fair re: the real family that evelyn waugh based brideshead revisted on
it supports the saying that truth is stranger than fiction
my book came today!
ty jim!
can’t wait to read it!
byron…you are most welcome and glad to hear it arrived. i really enjoy sponsoring the book club as well as being a member…interesting and fun group.
see you in a couple weeks!
i hope you got my ty card, too
senator would kill me if i was ever so gauche as to just send a ty e-note!
ty again, though
thanks to robert and o & a, senator & i went to studio 620 last night to hear miguel santana’s moderated presentation of his latest book the marien revelation
miguel did a great job, there was a great turn-out (there were a ton of chairs, yet almost every seat was filled), the 2 graphics presentations at the beginning and at the end were awesome, the eckerd religious-studies professor who led the discussion had a wonderful, scholarly, insightful sense of humor, miguel’s partner ken was beaming with pride, we met quite a few other, good folks who are involved with studio 620 and o & a, &… the setting & refreshments– esp’ly the wine– were great, too!
if you haven’t read the marien revelation yet, i predict you’re in for an interesting, literary treat
the opening passage from mark 14: 51-52 will blow you away!
as a good episcopalian, i would have remembered this “gay” passage, but oddly enough it never seemed to come up in bible study &/or in college?
i also predict that this book will end up in movie negotiations, like miguel’s first book did (ken & miguel’s social media consultant filled us in!)
sen & i plan to wear our o & a shirts, wh we’ll get when we renew our book club membership, at future events like this (they’re a great, camaraderie-type icebreaker)
everyone who is going to see miguel at streetcar charlie’s this saturday night is going to have a great time!
he has copies of his book to sell & sign after the presentation!
Charlie and I are both looking forward to the 20th.
Thanks and congratulations for a great first year
welcome aboard guys!
we’ll have jolly fun!
look for the ocean of o & a t-shirts
one of the things i love about the book club is that you have to put a little something into it, like read the book, before ya’ go, so that there’s a fascinating, springboard topic of conversation
versus standard barroom chitchat bores me to death!
Just joined. missed the spot for shirt size – medium.
Looking forward to the discussion.
Thanks Bill! Got your covered!
Hope to see everyone next week!
How’s the book coming along? This is a good day to read it.
Good Morning Robert. What time should we get to the Vinoy? I am looking forward to seeing everyone.
The usual meet up at 6:30 would be great! It’s gonna be a good one!
I’ll be there Tuesday for April meeting. Thanks
Carl, we look forward to seeing you!
I’m still reading, but hope to finish in time;-)
You go Gary! My book was due back to the library before I could finish. Look forward to seeing you Tuesday evening!
I’ll be there.
Excellent! We look forward to seeing you Peter!
I was planning on going to the book club. However, I am having a tooth pulled in the afternoon. Although my dentist said I should not have a problem eating, I will be on pain medication and I am not sure that I should drive. Russell was planning on bringing me and also attending but he now has a client and can’t do that. Robert, any suggestions?
Hi Robert,
Russell rearranged his schedule, so he will be able to bring me to book club. He is going to be staying for dinner too. What I need to know is, what do we owe you?
So glad you’ll be there! The 1925 menu (costing $19.25 for 3 courses) will all be on separate checks, so you are all set! Look forward to seeing you guys!
Hi everyone:
Some sample discussion questions for tomorrow night:
1. The structure of the book is “self-referential.” Philippe blurs the line between reality and imagination – then points it out along the way. What is he trying to do? Make the story more interesting or is there something more? Is he trying, like Darren, to turn his life into a work of art?
2. Why does Tapon so often reference other authors and works of literature? Is this a “homage” to his idols or is it a statement about the timelessness of certain themes?
3. Is this an AIDS novel? Is it a story about living or dying – or something else?
4. Why does Darren want a novel about himself? Is he seeking fame, money, or something deeper? Why does Philippe beg to write the novel?
5. Discuss Darren as a character – is he a saint or a sinner – a victim of destiny? How do his family, friends, and environment shape who he is and what he becomes?
6. How are Darren and Philippe different? How do they become more similar as the novel progresses?
7. Does Tapon’s role of author and observer keep us from ever really knowing him as a character?
8. Why so many characters? Do they add to or detract from the story?
9. How do are the places in the novel – Immaculatum, New York, Paris –shape Darren?
10. Is the novel a portrait of Darren or Philippe? Who do we understand more by the end? Who is really dying?
11. How does the evolution of the writing of the novel parallel the progression of Darren’s illness?
12. Discuss the ending – why not let Darren die?
ty w
i know you put your heart, soul & a lot of thought into these questions
By the way…Stephen and I will be there!
Look forward to seeing you guys!!
Will – you always come up with some really thought provoking good questions for discussion. Appreciate all you have done to facilitate the book club this past year and make it interesting and a lot of fun. Thank you!!!
here, here!