<![CDATA[SAM – Senior Active Men’s Group of Illinois - Short Story Group]]>Sat, 18 May 2024 00:41:48 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[May 14 - "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings"]]>Sat, 04 May 2024 18:52:42 GMThttp://samgroupil.org/short-story-group/may-14-a-very-old-man-with-enormous-wingsNext Meeting Date: Tuesday, May 14
Time: 1:30 - 2:30
Where: Beth Emet

In our last meeting...
.....our group experienced another engaging and thoughtful discussion about what happened and why in the story "The Red Convertible" by native American author Louise Erdrich.

Our next Meeting...
..will be Tuesday May 14, 1:30-2:30, at Beth Emet.

Our next story...
..is a story of magical realism by the Columbian novelist and short story writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez. "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings: A Tale for Children" was first published in Spanish in 1968 and in English in a 1971 issue of New American Review.  

The story can be accessed by clicking here.

This group is for...
...any SAM member who wants to read the story and come to the group meeting. Call me (Phil) if you have any questions.

Please respond to the RSVP.
Phil

Phil Osborne
847.424.9433
a_very_old_man_with_enormous_wings_by_gabriel_garcia_marquez.pdf
File Size: 111 kb
File Type: pdf
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]]><![CDATA[April 30 - "The Red Convertible"]]>Fri, 26 Apr 2024 21:27:35 GMThttp://samgroupil.org/short-story-group/april-30-the-red-convertibleNext Meeting Date: Tuesday, April 30
Time: 1:30 - 2:30
Where: Beth Emet

In our last meeting...
.....our group discussed the story "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien. The author, himself a Vietnam War vet, skillfully wove together what the soldiers carried--weapons and other material items, fear and other emotions, and troublesome mental self-talk. Our group experienced another engaging discussion about these "things."


Our next Meeting... 
..will be Tuesday April 30, 1:30-2:30, at Beth Emet.

Our next story...
..is a natural sequel to the one we just read. It's about a vet--what he was like before his time in 'Nam and what he was like after he returned. It's titled "The Red Convertible."
The author is Louise Erdrich, a much-awarded Native American writer. Here in Evanston, Erdrich has been in the news just recently because her book The Night Watchman is the One Book One Northwestern selection for the '24-'25 academic year. This is a campus-wide program that brings students, staff and faculty from across campus together around a single book.  All first years students will have a copy of this novel that received the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Erdrich's short story "The Red Convertible" can be accessed below.

This group is for...
...any SAM member who wants to read the story and come to the group meeting. Call me (Phil) if you have any questions.

Please respond to the RSVP.

​Phil
Phil Osborne
847.424.9433

the_red_convertible_by_louise_erdrich.pdf
File Size: 6945 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
]]><![CDATA[April 16, "The Things They Carried"]]>Mon, 08 Apr 2024 01:03:53 GMThttp://samgroupil.org/short-story-group/april-16-the-things-they-carriedNext Meeting Date: Tuesday, April 16
Time: 1:30 - 2:30
Where: Beth Emet

In our last meeting...
...we had an introduction to the unusual short stories of Denis Johnson and our usual good discussion about his story "Car Crash While Hitchhiking."  

Our next Meeting... 
..will be Tuesday April 16, 1:30-2:30, at Beth Emet.

Our next story…
..is "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien. It's attached to this email.

This group is for...
...any SAM member who wants to read the story and come to the group meeting. Call me (Phil) if you have any questions.

Please respond to the RSVP.

Phil
Phil Osborne
847.424.9433
the_things_they_carried_tim_obrien.pdf
File Size: 3648 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
]]><![CDATA[April 2 - "Car Crash While Hitchhiking"]]>Mon, 25 Mar 2024 23:53:39 GMThttp://samgroupil.org/short-story-group/april-2-car-crash-while-hitchhikingNext Meeting Date: Tuesday, April 2
Time: 1:30 - 2:30
Where: Beth Emet

In our last meeting...
...we had a good turnout and great discussion about “Cat Person,” a story first published near the beginning of the Me, Too movement.  

Our next Meeting... 
..will be Tuesday April 2, 1:30-2:30, at Beth Emet.

Our next story…
 ..is one recommended by Randy: “Car Crash While Hitchhiking.” It’s one of the stories in the collection of short stories by Denis Johnson titled Jesus’ Son, published in 1993. 

The story is attached below. 

Our meetings are for...
any SAM member who reads the story and would like to attend. Please RSVP here.

Call me (Phil) if you have any questions.

Phil Osborne
847.424.9433​
car_crash_while_hitchhiking_4.pdf
File Size: 167 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
]]><![CDATA[March 19 - "Cat Person" by Kristen Roupenian]]>Mon, 11 Mar 2024 17:58:45 GMThttp://samgroupil.org/short-story-group/march-19-cat-person-by-kristen-roupenianNext Meeting Date: Tuesday, March 19
Time: 1:30 - 2:30
Where: Beth Emet

Thanks to Tom Arthur for assisting us, in our last meeting, with our introduction to Joyce Carol Oates through her short story, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God."

Next meeting:
Our next meeting is Tuesday, March 19, 1:30-2:30 at Beth Emet.

Next story:
The next story is "Cat Person" by Kristen Roupenian.

The story is attached below.

A bit of background:
This story was published in The New Yorker December 11, 2017. The story quickly went viral and became the most read short story of recent years. This was near the beginning of the "Me, Too" movement, when a series of prominent men resigned their positions or were fired because of allegations of sexual misconduct.

Questions to keep in mind as you read this story include: What constitutes "mutual consent?"  Why is it so difficult to know?  How is this different for men and for women? How has this changed over time?

The Short Story Group is for any SAM member who wants to read the short story and participate in the discussion. Please respond through the RSVP or call Phil, if interested.

Phil
847.424.9433
cat_person_kristen_roupenian.pdf
File Size: 233 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
]]><![CDATA[March 5 - Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Joyce Carol Oates]]>Mon, 26 Feb 2024 19:28:16 GMThttp://samgroupil.org/short-story-group/march-5-sinners-in-the-hands-of-an-angry-god-by-joyce-carol-oatesNext Meeting Date: Tuesday, March 5
Time: 1:30 - 2:30
Where: Beth Emet


Next Story Source:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/kbdsmsthj479nh2eew6ys/Sinners-in-the-Hands-of-an-Angry-God-Joyce-Carol-Oates.docx?rlkey=ajunoh3p3i096vnm1u7vxc09y&dl=0

Bit of Author Bio:
The next story is by a contemporary author and a woman, Joyce Carol Oates, regarded as the preeminent American author today. Now 85 years of age, she continues to write incessantly. Her publications include 48 collections of short stories, poems, essays, and numerous novels in many different genres. According to an interview, her next novel is a mystery, her first of this type. 

Who is Meeting For:
The meeting of the Short Story Group is open to any SAM member who would like to read the story and attend the discussion. Please respond to the RSVP below. 


RSVP HERE

For questions, contact Phil Osborne, 847.424.9433 or PhilOsborne1@gmail.com
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