East 2 West Literary Coterie

Oprah has a book club, the New York Times has its list of "best sellers" that naturally becomes a book club, high schools, colleges and even public libraries have reading clubs. There are many, many more clubs, societies and groups on-line that suits just about every person's need to read.
After graduating college, my reading tendencies popped on the back burner, as the need to earn money flopped itself on the front burner. Reading my friends' tweets and status updates (on Facebook), I started feeling out of the loop in the literary arts department.

So, naturally, when my dear friend, Taryn, spouted out about reading Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami this past April for her one of her last English courses, I pounced on the chance to read and have someone to talk about the book.

(I will openly admit that I truly do miss the discussions in Dr. Hardwig, Dr. Hirschfeld, Dr. Lofaro, Dr. Howe, and Dr. Welch's English courses. They were fun, especially Hardwig's Southern Literature.)

After reading and sharing our thoughts and issues on Kafka on the Shore, T & I started talking about doing this "reading thing" on a regular, monthly basis. Something to keep us connected, not only in a literary arts sense but also in a "keep in touch" sense. Yes, yes; we keep in touch as friends, but you all know as much as I do about what happens with the yearbook "K.I.T. friend!" moments. They are just that... moments. "K.I.T. friend!" is something everyone wrote (still writes) in yearbooks, just to have something to write down. It's fallen into the yearbook pit with "stay cool", "have a great summer!", "see you next fall!", "B.F.F.". I'm one of those people who remembers her friends, especially those whom she connected on a different level (not in a sexual sense, people!) with. You can say, T & I just clicked, and like that click, as did our reading together and talking about it.

Thus, East 2 West Literary Coterie (aka E2W) was formed on April 25, 2011. All thanks to:

This book is worth the read! You can even find a free audio book version on-line. The girl and the two guys who do the reading in the audio book just slings you around and around, and you find yourself drowning in Murakami-san's words. It's perfectly beautiful to read. I refuse to speak of spoilers or even give a generalized summary.

You simply...

... must read Kafka on the Shore.




As T & I invited our reading friends to join E2W, our list of book recommendations got some hits. From the classic works of Uncle Will Shakespeare to modern day manga (tasteful ones), the list spans various genres and plots that I'm a bit pleased to look at the list. From April's Kafka on the Shore, we gave blooming May a leisurely read with Emma by "big sister" Jane Austen. We even included options to watch Gwyneth Paltrow's Hollywood movie and the BBC's 2009 mini-series version for a compare/contrast. Though only three people participated in May's Emma, I already knew that many people would opt to read from their own list of books. I, too, have my own list, but to me, it's more exciting and more pleasing to read a book with someone and have a good, hearty chat over the book than it is to read alone.

By the way, if you haven't read Emma by "big sister" Jane Austen, and you feel you don't have the time and/or the patience to read the book, I highly recommend the BBC's 2009 mini-series over Hollywood's version with Gwyneth Paltrow. BBC - as always! - stuck close to the book and the actors were just darling to watch. (I do have the mini-series on my playlist on YouTube. Simply look up the user: KurelleBlend. It's the only playlist on my channel.)

Now, as fatherly June comes rounding the corner, T has chosen The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. My brain automatically shifted to Hollywood's rendition of the novel with Jim Cav... Cavie... Caviz... omg! Jesus Christ (he played Jesus Christ) and the ever so sexy jawline Guy Pierce. Of course, with thinking strictly of the betrayal and revenge, I threw out the question: How are you linking that novel to Father's Day? T casually states, "The novel really concentrates on his role as a father once he escapes." Great gods be good! After she said it, my memories of reading Dumas' words started flowing, and yes, my dear friend is right. He is a father out for revenge.

So, as E2W Literary Coterie enters its third month of existence, (I don't know about T) I'm wondering if anyone will actually join T & I in our readings and discussions. The saying is true in the literary world: "The more, the merrier!", and I truly believe in it. I understand that everyone's trying to read Uncle George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series (thank you HBO for taking on the task of making A Game of Thrones a reality!), JK Rowling's Harry Potter series (I am looking forward to Deathly Hallows: Part 2), along with the Twilight books and magazines and other reading materials, but I do believe in returning to the classics once in a while. Sure, Uncle Will has been overdone in school with Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, but what about his Troilus & Cressida? Love's Labour's Lost? Twelfth Night? Titus Andronicus? To tell you the truth, only college students who actually take a Shakespearean course - whether it be for English or for Theatre - will get a chance to read all (or nearly all) of Uncle William Shakespeare's works.

Last thought: I have yet to get asked this, and I know a few people are wondering... "What the hell is coterie?" Co-te-rie (koh-tuh-ree) is an exclusive group; a clique. a group of people associated by a common thing. a circle of people.
"Why not just say 'book club'?" Because E2W won't only read books, there are various types of literary works. Though largely made of books, I want people to expand to movies, TV shows, plays, reenactments, radio broadcasts. There's more excitement in comparing and contrasting an original book with a rendition of something else.
"Why East 2 West?" Simple, because I'm on the West Coast, while T is currently on the East. Just goes to show, it doesn't matter where you are, you can always be part of something interesting and fun... and can learn something new and see something in a different perspective.

Here's to the literary arts! To reading! To my best female friend, T!

Until next time; next topic --