Chicago-based Great Books Foundation is gearing up for its annual three-day book discussion party themed, "Difficult Gifts". People from all over the country will partake in two-hour discussions for each of the following works:
- The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (novel)
- Endgame by Samuel Beckett (play)
- "Sorrow-Acre" by Isak Dinesen (short story included in Introduction to Great Books Second Series)
It's exciting to watch people argue books and see how the characters and plot of say, The Great Gatsby, matter today. GBF is a Chicago treasure with an international audience, all predicated on the idea that great books get people thinking and, most importantly, talking (click here for an Examiner feature from a few months ago). In addition to the discourse, Great Books Chicago 2010 includes:
- Steppenwolf Theatre production of Samuel Beckett's Endgame, starring William Petersen of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation fame. Petersen serves as executive producer on CSI and was nominated in 2004 for a Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of Gil Grissom, the lead investigator.
- A visit to the Museum of Science and Industry, the only remaining building from the World Colombian Exposition of 1893. Those who have read The Devil in the White City will recall this building as the Palace of Fine Arts.
- At the Museum of Science and Industry, there will be a program and tour of the U505, a German submarine captured during World War II.
- A "coffee talk" presentation, "A Short History of Truth," by University of Chicago Basic Program faculty member, Clare Pearson.
Sounds pretty cool, eh, booknerds? The rub is that the weekend of litertainment costs $255. No typo. If you have the money, it'll be worth it. If you don't, join the club. Difficult gifts indeed.
Friday, April 30- Sunday, May 2. Register online or call the Great Books Foundation at 800-222-5870, ext. 1
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