53rd Annual
Wachs Great Books Summer Institute

at Colby College

Waterville, Maine

                   August 2 - 8, 2009

Art of War

                       

Sun Tzu

Art of War

Tolstoy

War and Peace

Virginia Woolf

Three Guineas

Tim O'Brien

The Things They Carried and

On a Rainy River

Owen and others

Poetry selections

 

 

Join us in our annual reading, discussion and friendship week at Colby College. In a Great Books Discussion, a group of readers share their understanding of a thought-provoking book in a well-conducted forum.  We work to find a level of insight rarely achieved by reading by oneself.  It is a time for readers who love to think and talk about the world’s great works, and who enjoy spending time with others who share that joy.

 

The Registration Fee of $525 covers your accommodations in a dormitory room (single or double), meals, discussions and books, as well as swimming, tennis, a film, group social activities, and a real Maine lobster bake.  The cost for commuters (people who participate in group activities but live off-campus) is $250, and includes lunches and the lobster bake. Scholarships are available on a need basis.  Registration deadline is July 1. 

 

Application and Refunds:  A deposit of $250 per person is required with application, $125 of which is refundable for cancellations before July 1.  The balance is due at registration on August 2.  We do not accept credit cards, so be prepared with a check or cash.  We will send books and additional information upon receipt of your deposit.  To register, complete the form below and send with your deposit of $250 per person to:

            Great Books Summer Institute at Colby

            824 Thomas Road

            Lafayette Hill, PA 19444-1107

 

An optional bus trip to Boothbay Harbor, fee $25 (see other side), and Junior Great Books Option (visit our website www.greatbooksdiscussionprograms.org for details.)

Direct any questions to Tom Beam at 215-836-2380, or FAX 215-836-7158,

                                    or email agreatbook@aol.com.

 

APPLICATION        (Make checks payable to Great Books Summer Institute)

 

Name (s)________________________________________________________

 

Address ________________________________________________________

 

__________________________________    Zip_________________

 

Phone (         )____________________  E-mail _________________________

 

Rooming with   ___________________________________________________

 

Rooming near (if possible) __________________________________________

 

[     ]    We have included $25 per person for the bus trip

[     ]    Need handicapped access

[     ]    Need bed board

[     ]    Prefer self-directed (leaderless) group

[     ]    Have previous Great Books experience

 

 

What is it like to spend a week at the

Wachs Great Books Institute?

 

Have you ever closed a book after reading the last page and wished you had someone to discuss it with? Every summer, readers gather for one week at Colby College to discuss a set of works  –  some long, some short, sometimes including plays and poetry – and to enjoy the company of others who have at least these readings in common.

   

Participants live in the Colby dormitories, eat together in a dining room, and are assigned to discussion groups for the week.  Formal discussions take place in the mornings, and follow the rules of the Great Books shared inquiry method.  No outside sources are allowed so that all participants are on an equal basis and the emphasis is truly on the reader and the text.  We mail books to participants soon after registration, and people are expected to have read the texts completely when they get to Colby.  Most discussion groups have assigned leaders, who move from group to group during the week.  A few very experienced participants opt for a “leaderless” group. 

 

There are a wide variety of activities during the week, from an opening night orientation to a talent show (strictly voluntary), a lobster bake, and a movie.  The world famous Art Museum provides docent tours (signup at registration). The Great Books Institute takes over a social gathering place each night for the “Wachs Works”, our version of a friendly pub, named after our founder, Is Wachs.  Here people socialize, play cards and just relax.

 

Cotter Union, Colby's student center, includes Page Commons (for lectures, performances, and celebrations), the Pulver Pavilion, the student post office, conference rooms, lounges, the Office of Student Activities and the most recent addition, the Colby Seaverns Bookstore. The Joseph Family Spa, which serves beverages, short-order meals, and snacks, is located in Pulver Pavilion, and the Marchese Blue Light Pub is in the south wing. The Pugh Center houses offices for multicultural organizations and meeting space for social and cultural programs.

 

The food at Colby is good and plentiful.  Living arrangements are plain but comfortable.  Fans, phones, reading lights and bed boards are available.  It is dormitory living, however, with no frills and no air conditioning.  (Our Maine location means this usually is not a problem.)  We have private bedrooms with shared bath facilities.  All buildings are smoke-free.  The school provides towels and bed linens. Arrangements can sometimes be made for people with special needs. Let us know if you need access to a refrigerator for medical needs.  The college has a great library, a fine art museum, a bookstore, tennis courts and first-class athletic facilities, as well as waterfront property at a nearby lake.  For those without cars, rides with other participants are generally available.

 

Participants make their own travel arrangements.  Many arrive by car, but there is air service to Portland and Bangor or South West Airlines et al to Manchester, NH, with rental cars, buses and limousine service available from there.  There is also a Greyhound bus terminal in Waterville.

 

People attending the Institute come from all walks of life.  Many of them have come to Colby for decades, but there are also many newcomers every year.  Everyone is welcome.  The goal is shared inquiry, shared laughter, and shared experience.  The results are often friendship, fun and sometimes even glimpses of the truth.

 

Want additional flyers or information on some other Great Books events?  See our Junior Great Books Option?

                          Go to www.greatbooksdiscussionprograms.org.

 

 

Bus Trip to Boothbay Harbor, Maine       Wednesday, August 5th         Noon to 8pm

 

Discover stunning natural beauty at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, on 248 waterfront acres in the mid-coast town of Boothbay. See spectacular gardens, native wildflowers, majestic ledge and stonework, pristine forest, and tranquil water views. Stroll leisurely along the Central Gardens’ paths, or enjoy the sights, sounds and scents in Boothbay Harbor - the lobster wharves, with clams and mussels steaming on the dock; the gulls' distinct cries; the tingle of sun and salt on your skin; the cooling relief of an onshore breeze and Restaurants to suit all.

 

Please Reserve a seat / seats on the bus at $25 per person (Enclosed)

 

Name(s) ____________________________________________________________

 

The bus trip will include a box lunch, available as you board the bus at noon. You can visit the town and Botanical Gardens and have dinner on your own.

The bus will board promptly at 8pm for the return to campus.