If you’ve been reading at 49 Writers, you’re familiar with our 49 Writers quarterly online book club discussions. Last quarter (we fudged it into last week) we shook things up with a fabulous 49 Writers poetry discussion, led by Sandra Kleven. This quarter we return to a more traditional format. We’ll begin the book selection process by taking nominations, followed by a poll to choose this quarter’s book. Then we’ll schedule a two-day online discussion for early in March.
In the past, we’ve discussed John Straley’s The Big Both Ways, Seth Kantner’s Ordinary Wolves, Miranda Weiss’s Tide, Feather, Snow, and Cindy Dyson’s And She Was. Books nominated but not selected in the past can be nominated again. Nominated titles should either be written by Northern authors or set in the North. Next quarter, Andromeda plans to lead a discussion of David Vann’s Legend of a Suicide (the paperback comes out in March), so we’ll leave that out of this quarter’s mix.
To nominate a book for discussion, leave a comment below. You don’t have to justify or explain a nomination unless you want to; just leave the title. You know the drill: click the button that says (number) comments below, write your comment in the box, type the silly-looking capcha letters, choose an identity (anonymous is fine), and wait for confirmation that your comment has been posted. Easy enough. We’ll gather the nominations next Monday morning, January 18, and set up a poll so readers can choose their favorite from among the nominated titles.
I can't recall if this got nominated in the past, but if not, how about Blonde Indian, by Ernestine Hayes? It came up in the poetry discussion last week and I'd bet Ernestine would pop into a discussion if asked. I can't stop plugging this wonderful book.
Great suggestion! I've heard so many good things about Ernestine's book.
How about Michael Chabon's The Yiddish Policemen's Union?
Another book I've been meaning to read and just haven't picked up yet. Love it!
Is there a link to the discussion about "Tide, Feather, Snow" somewhere on the site? I'd be curious to check it out.
How about Rock, Water, Wild: An Alaskan Life by Nancy Lord? Or The Cormorant Hunter's Wife by Joan Kane?
a land gone lonesome, Dan O'Neill
Nice variety of options emerging. Link to the Tide, Feather, Snow discussion: http://49writers.blogspot.com/2009/06/discussion-tide-feather-snow.html. We also featured a guest post by Miranda Weiss. Access by typing her name in the search box at the upper left of the blog screen.
Did "Flight of the Goose" by Lesley Thomas ever get discussed? If not, I nominate it, as it has received a great amount of attention, is literary fiction, and is about Alaska.