These events are separately run and operated. Please contact the specific event contact for assistance.

The New England Council Great Books 2023-2024 Season Events

Theme: 1922 – The Waste Land and Some Forgotten Masterpieces of the Early Modernist Period


NEW ENGLAND COUNCIL PREVIEW EVENT:
Saturday, October 14 2023. Two sessions.
12:00 - 2:00 pm EST and 3:30 - 5:30 pm EST
A Virtual Experience via Zoom.

The title poem is widely regarded as one of the most important poems of the 20th century and a central work of modernist poetry.



NEW ENGLAND COUNCIL WINTER WEEKEND:
Saturday-Sunday,
February 3-4, 2024, 2:00 - 4:30pm EST
A Virtual Experience via Zoom.

Join us for a weekend of exploration and contemplation of the following works:

  • Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis, plus his Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech
    ISBN 0375759255

  • One of Ours by Willa Cather
    ISBN 0679737448
View/Print Winter Weekend
Registration Form

To Register: Please print, fill out and return the registration form and mail it, along with your check payable to New England Great Books Council, to:

Alexis DesRoches
112 Willow Springs Dr., Apt. 104
Farmington, ME 04938

Please note: You have the option to sign up for only one or both sessions. Details are on the registration form.

NEW ENGLAND COUNCIL SPRING RETREAT:
Thursday - Sunday, May 2-5, 2024
A Virtual Experience via Zoom.

Readings from the Early Modernist Period by some of the finest writers of 1922:

Follow this site for more details of the New England Great Books Council 2023-2024 Season.

All times are Eastern Standard Time.

View/Print Spring Retreat Documents

Contact: Alexis DesRoches
Phone number: (207)-779-8979
Email: newenglandgreatbooks@gmail.com

  • Link to New England Council

    • Philadelphia Great Books
    64th Annual Spring Institute
    Saturday, May 18, 2024
    by Zoom

    Theme: Memory & Imagination

    Please join us for a day of Zoom discussions, two sessions 9:30-11:30 AM and 1:00-3:00 PM with two wonderful novels. All times are Eastern Daylight Times.

    In the morning, we will discuss The Immense Journey by Loren Eisley. In the afternoon, we will discuss Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino. Details are on the Registration Form.

    Your $35 fee covers copies of both books, which will be mailed upon receipt of your registration. Please fill out the Registration Form, and send it with your check made out to Philadelphia Great Books Council to:

    Anne Cramer
    114 Hedgerow Court
    Deptford, New Jersey 08096


    For more information, contact Anne at (856) 245-7783, cell (856) 761-7339,
    or email Anne.

    Colby Flyer 2024 with Registration details.

    68th Annual Great Books at Colby College
    Waterville, Maine
    July 21 - July 27, 2024

    Join us this July for our annual Great Books at Colby, a lively week of discussions on the traditional and picturesque campus of Colby College.

    Our community enjoys reading and discussing Great Books. You can find insights rarely achieved while reading alone. You can connect with fellow book lovers and make lifelong friends, as you enjoy the beauty and splendor of summertime Maine.

    Our timely theme is Love & Passion. Come explore the complexities that confront people as they proceed through the vicissitudes of life.

    • Monday: Much Ado About Nothing,
      by William Shakespeare
    • Tuesday: Pride and Prejudice
      by Jane Austin
    • Wednesday: Wuthering Heights,
      by Emily Brontë
    • Thursday: The Age of Innocence
      by Edith Wharton
    • Friday: The Feast of Love
      by Charles Baxter
    • Saturday: Bonjour Tristesse
      by Françoise Sagan

    Our week at Colby is now enhanced with the option of staying in air-conditioned dorms at the Alfond Main Street Commons, in downtown Waterville

    Registration for 2024 Colby is open.

    The New England Council Great Books 2024 Mini-Colby Week
    from July 29th through August 2nd

    Theme: Love and Passion

    For those of you who can't attend Colby in person this year, the New England Great Books Council is offering a mini-conference via Zoom -- same theme, Love and Passion, three of the same great readings — all from the convenience and comfort of your own home. We have planned three evening discussions from 7:00-9:00 PM.

    • Tuesday: Much Ado About Nothing,
      by William Shakespeare
    • Wednesday: Wuthering Heights
      by Emily Brontë
    • Thursday: The Age of Innocence
      by Edith Wharton
    View/Print Mini-Colby Documents


    Contact: Alexis DesRoches
    Phone number: (207)-779-8979
    Email: newenglandgreatbooks@gmail.com

    Philadelphia's 54th Great Books Fall Institute
    Pendle Hill
    338 Plush Mill Road
    Wallingford, PA 19086
    November 8 - 10, 2024

    Theme: Individuation

    Readings for discussion Friday, Saturday, and Sunday:

    • Friday Evening: Selected Poems

    • Saturday Morning: Great Expectations
      by Charles Dickens
    • Saturday Afternoon: The Road from Coorain
      by Jill Kerr Conway
    • Sunday Morning: The Joy Luck Club
      by Amy Tan

    Details about the books, campus location, fees and schedule are in the Registration Form pdf.
    Please return the Registration Form with Deposit check made payable to FALL INSTITUTE to reserve your place. Remaining balance will be due upon arrival.

    Pendle Hill, a twenty-four acre Quaker Retreat west of Philadelphia is our new venue.
    Cost: has been significantly reduced:

  • Single Occupancy $420
  • Double Occupancy $380
  • Commuters $250

  • Smoking: All rooms and buildings are non-smoking.
  • Alcohol is not served, but BYOB is allowed in individual guest rooms and private rented spaces. We will provide libations for Saturday night’s social activity.
  • Parking and WiFi are complimentary. There are no televisions.
  • Check-In is Friday after 3:00 pm; rooms available after 4:00 pm.
  • Covid: Currently, no Covid restrictions apply. Yet, we will adhere to up-to-date protocol recommendations from the CDC and Pennsylvania.
  • Accommodations: There are six rooming houses. A few rooms have ensuite bathrooms while others share family style.
  • Food: For the most part, the food is made from scratch, with organic fruits and vegetables used extensively. All meals include gluten free and vegetarian and vegan options. The kitchen can offer plain chicken or tofu, boiled eggs, tuna or hummus.

    • View/Print Fall Institute
    Registration Form


    Junior Great Books at Colby College will not be active in 2024

    To discuss individual arrangements for Junior Great Books older children, please contact
    John Dalton directly at (610) 608-7711
    or Email: agreatbook@aol.com

    For more information about Great Books at Colby see Great Books at Colby Summer 2024 In Person Contact: John Dalton

    For more details, yearly book lists
    Book Titles by Year

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