Demon Readers Cultural Literacy Book Group

Be a Demon Reader

This is a book group that meets both online and in person. You don't have to be a homeschooler to belong. You just have to be a home scholar -- that is, someone who values learning enough to believe that it shouldn't be limited by the clock, the calendar, or the map.

Those who live in the area are welcome to attend the meetings. Bear in mind that killer brownies will be making their presence known at these. You don't have to eat them, but you have to at least tolerate their presence (and they always appreciate compliments).

We will be reading and discussing great works of literature, with a strong preference given to those books that have had a significant impact on our culture and language. We deplore the sexism, racism, and Eurocentrism that contributed to many of these books being by DWGs (dead white guys), but will not stoop to empty gestures of retroactive egalitarianism. We refuse not to read an important work or body of work, or to give preference to a less culturally significant writer or book, just because the system that gave birth to those works suffered from a prolonged bout of severe ickiness.

We believe that great works and writers cannot be read in a vacuum. Every effort will be made to give solid context to the work currently being studied and discussed. This will lend depth and liveliness to our discussions, not to mention some terrific literary gossip.

No one is required to continue reading past (or even all the way up to) the point of actual physical pain. It is hoped that the discussions of the book in question will inspire readers to give a difficult book another shot. If not, at least one will have gained some cultural literacy from hearing about the book in question, which is certainly better than a kick in the pants.

Many of our members are homeschoolers or other people possessed of very little in the way of spare time. Therefore, the in-person discussions will be summarized here. Plot summaries and background information about the writer and his or her time and place will also be supplied. Read-along members are encouraged to post questions, comments, and other fun stuff relating either to the work currently being read or to previously addressed books and writers. We would also enjoy hearing about any titles or authors you would like the group to read and discuss. Whether you'll be reading along at home or hoping to attend an in-person meeting, keep an eye on the discussion forum.

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