BOOK CLUB II

Fourth Friday Book Club to discuss classic short stories by Herman Melville

Fri, Sep 22 2023, 2pm

Location
By Zoom
 

UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club will discuss three classic short stories by the great 19th-century American author Herman Melville when it meets from 2 to 3 p.m. on September 22 via Zoom. 

“Billy Budd, Sailor” and “Bartleby, the Scrivener” are two of the most revered shorter works of fiction in history. As the late Warner Berthoff wrote in his introduction to the 2004 collection Great Short Works of Herman Melville, "It is hard to think of a major novelist or storyteller who is not also a first-rate entertainer. … And Melville, certainly, is no exception.” 

Melville's controversial 1855 novella “Benito Cereno” follows sea captain Amasa Delano and his crew on the Bachelor’s Delight as it is approached by another, rather battered-looking ship, the San Dominick. Upon boarding the San Dominick, Captain Delano is immediately greeted by white sailors and black slaves begging for supplies. 

The Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes all UMRA members! For more information and to get the Zoom links for our meetings, please contact Dorothy Marden at [email protected] or Maggie Catambay at [email protected].



Upcoming Events

Event Date: July 15, 2024, at 9:30am

Our July 15 "hike" is going to be a kayaking adventure on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun) and Lake of the Isles!  If you don't have a kayak (or paddleboard), Wheel Fun Rentals, located next to the new concession stand rents single kayaks at $15 an hour and double kayaks at $25.  The second hour is free if we rent before noon.  Life jackets are provided with the rental.


Event Date: July 19, 2024, at 2pm

Laura Ericksen will lead the discussion of How Stella Learned to Talk by Christina Hunger, a true story by a speech-language pathologist who taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using buttons associated with different words.


Event Date: August 5, 2024, at 9:30am

Our August 5 hike will be a reprise of our hike last summer at William O'Brien State Park.  This is a beautiful park with a winding trail and a great view of the countryside.  The hike is about 5.5 to 6 miles and we'll go at a moderate pace with frequent water breaks.  After the hike, we will eat lunch at Rustic Roots Winery, a half mile north of the park. 


Event Date: August 16, 2024, at 2pm

Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of The Bookbinder by Pip Williams, a book set in 1914 Oxford chronicling the life of Peggy who works in the University bindery, but craves a life beyond binding books but to being a scholar herself.


Event Date: August 28, 2024, at 5:30pm

Enjoy a two-hour cruise on the Jonathan Padelford, leaving from the Harriet Island dock in St. Paul, boarding time at 5:30 p.m. We will have a brief program on board by Patrick Nunnally from the River Life Program of the Institute on the Environment.


Event Date: August 31, 2024, at 11:59pm

August 31 is the due date for annual reports and updates.  Annual Reports, Toolkits, web page updates, operating document updates and archives collections are all due each year on this date.


Event Date: September 10, 2024, at 10:30am

Autumn is a wonderful season in Minnesota so plan to join UMRA at the Andersen Horticultural Library at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Kristen Mastel, head librarian and curator, will reveal its treasure trove of publications and artifacts relating to plant history, horticulture, and natural history. After the tour, those who are interested may stay to eat lunch together, sitting outside if the weather is nice. Later, you are invited to a one-hour tram tour of the entire Arboretum that includes natural areas of flowering shrubs, bogs, and forests, family garden and landscaping showpieces, and the red barn farm


Event Date: September 10, 2024, at 12:30pm

After a summer break the UMRA Photo Club will next meet September 10, 2024 in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library. For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 am. For September the THEME will be Curves


Event Date: September 16, 2024, at 10am

We will continue to discuss the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage.  You will also hear about notable non-health plan and non-broker resources.