VOICE ONE:
Reading is an important activityfor many Americans. Today, thousands of men, women and childrenbelong to groups to discuss the books they read. I’m Mary Tillotson.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Steve Ember. A report about book clubs is our story todayon the VOA Special English program, THIS IS AMERICA.
((THEME))
VOICE ONE:
No one is sure how many Americans belong to reading groups calledbook clubs. Yet publishers and bookstores report that more and morepeople throughout the United States are joining them.
Most of the clubs work the same way. Members read the same bookat the same time. Then they meet to talk about the book.
Members may be friends or people who live near each other. Or,they may be people who work together. Some book clubs develop fromother organizations. Religious and community groups often establishbook clubs.
Some Americans belong to reading groups on the computer serviceknown as the Internet. These groups include people around the worldwho communicate about books they read. These people send electronicmail instead of meeting to discuss books.
VOICE TWO:
Book clubs may be for only women or only men. Or, they can be forhusbands and wives together. Some are family groups where parentsattend with their children. Children may belong to book clubs oftheir own.
Most reading groups study books by a number of writers. However,some groups read the work of a single writer, usually one that hasbeen famous for awhile. William Shakespeare, James Joyce, JaneAusten, George Bernard Shaw and Mark Twain are examples.
Other groups may be named for an important person in the work ofthe writer, like a Sherlock Holmes Club. Holmes is the great Britishcrime investigator created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Members of these book clubs often are experts about their chosenreading material. For example, one member of a Holmes reading groupcan identify almost every person in every Sherlock Holmes story.
VOICE ONE:
Some book clubs meet in homes. Other clubs meet in a religiouscenter or work place. Some gather in a bookstore, a publicinformation center or library. A few always have a meal at the sameeating place.
Highly organized groups may enforce reading rules. They may saythat members who have not read the required material may not bepermitted to comment at meetings. National clubs often provide alist of required or suggested reading.
Some book clubs require their members to pay hundreds of dollarsfor a one-year club membership. These clubs usually have an expertleader, like a professor.
Other book clubs are not as organized. They have no officialleader. Members exchange the responsibility of directing meetings.Books are chosen by voting on suggestions by members.
((MUSIC BRIDGE))
VOICE TWO:
Oprah Winfrey is the star of apopular American television show. Six years ago, she started areading group called Oprah’s Book Club. Each month during autumn,winter and spring, Mizz Winfrey chose a book she liked. Sheannounced her choice on the show. She asked people to read the book.Then, they wrote to the show with their thoughts and opinions.
Oprah’s Book Club was successful because Mizz Winfrey wouldinvite writers to her show to discuss their books. Her club greatlyinfluenced what Americans read. For example, some libraries reportedthat several hundred people had to wait to borrow one of the booksshe suggested. Publishers also felt the effects of Mizz Winfrey’sbook club. They would often need to make thousands of extra copiesof a book to satisfy public demand.
Earlier this year, Oprah Winfrey decided to drop the book clubfrom her television show. However, computer users can still find herbook choices on her Internet website. Also, people who write bookscontinue to make appearances on her show.
VOICE ONE:
In recent months, several new, national book clubs were formed.The newspaper U-S-A Today started its club in April. Every sixweeks, the U-S-A Today Book Club chooses a new book. Members candiscuss the books with writers and other people electronically.
One of the first books chosen was “Empire Falls” by RichardRusso. “Empire Falls” was chosen a short time after it won aPulitzer Prize, America’s highest writing award. Winning thePulitzer is known to increase a book’s sales.
VOICE TWO:
At least four television shows also have formed book clubs. A-B-CTelevision’s “Good Morning America” started a program called, “ReadThis.” It invites members of existing book clubs to suggest thingsto read.
This is different from a new club organized by N-B-C Television’s”Today Show.” On that show, best-selling writers are asked tosuggest a book. In the first program, writer John Grisham chose “TheEmperor of Ocean Park” by Stephen Carter.
At first, there were two-hundred-forty-thousand copies of “TheEmperor of Ocean Park” in publication. After the “Today Show”announcement, the number of copies in American bookstores rose toalmost five-hundred-thousand.
On C-N-N television, financial reporter Lou Dobbs chooses booksthat he believes investors will enjoy. Many of the books he suggestsdeal with economics or financial issues. Another television show,”Live with Regis and Kelly,” has a less serious book club. All bookschosen there are said to be easy reading with no deep hiddenmessages. Club members say reading for them is meant to be fun andlight.
((MUSIC BRIDGE))
VOICE ONE:
Several cities in the United States, such as Chicago and Seattle,also have started book clubs. Public library officials inWashington, D-C, hope their club will create a feeling oftogetherness in the city, and help those people who can not read.
Smaller, local clubs may read works that already have beenpopular for centuries, like “The Odyssey” of Homer. They may readpoetry or mystery stories or love stories. Or, they may read booksabout people, politics, or current events.
VOICE TWO:
Book clubs are more than reading groups. They are social groups,too. Most of the book clubs have only women as members. The womenoften become good friends. They discuss their families and jobs, aswell as the books they read. The meetings give members a chance tolearn what other women are thinking. One club member says she thinksit is valuable to talk about what you read with good friends.
Other clubs help unmarried men and women meet each other. AChristian religious center in Cincinnati, Ohio organized one suchclub. Members have to be unmarried and more than forty years old.This group reads a lot of books about relationships between men andwomen. One was called “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.”John Gray, an expert on communication and relationships, wrote thisbook. It discusses differences in how men and women think and act.
VOICE ONE:
Some reading clubs in the United States are for husbands andwives. One woman says this is a great idea for a book club. She sayshusbands and wives often talk to each other only about theirchildren, or work, or money problems. “Talking about books,” shesays, “opens a whole new level of communication.”
American children belong to reading clubs, too. They may be asyoung as four years old or as old as eighteen. Some children’s clubsget help from the Great Book Foundation. This educationalorganization provides lists of books to read. It also trains peopleto lead discussions about the books.
VOICE TWO:
Young children read stories like “The Emperor’s New Clothes” byHans Christian Andersen. Other popular books for young readersinclude “How the Elephant Became” by Ted Hughes. Older childrenmight read works such as “Antigone” by Sophocles and “On the Limitsof Government” by John Locke.
One woman has belonged to a book club in Washington, D.C. formore than twenty-nine years. She says some of the best books she hasread are the ones she would NEVER read if she did not belong to aclub. She says her reading group has opened her eyes to a wider andmore interesting world.
((THEME))
VOICE ONE:
This program was written by Jerilyn Watson and Jill Moss. Ourproducer was Caty Weaver. Our engineer was Maurice Williams. I’mMary Tillotson.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Steve Ember. Join us again next week for another reportabout life in the United States on the VOA Special English program,THIS IS AMERICA.