Q-MoB Queer Men's Book Club (3rd Wed) (Pittsfield, MA)

In the Queer Men's Book Club, when we read and digest great books together, we take the time to get to know ourselves, our book club companions, and the issues and perspectives the book brings up in a much deeper and more collaborative way. Reading can be such a solitary experience, but when we do it together and explore our reactions and insights, reading becomes a collective experience that builds lasting bonds.

REVIEWS OF THIS MONTH'S BOOK:
"The Heart's Invisible Furies"
by John Boyne

"John Boyne’s new novel opens in the small west Cork village of Goleen, in 1945, during mass in the parish church. Instead of giving a sermon, Father James Monroe rises to denounce 16-year-old Catherine Goggin, recently discovered to be pregnant. The priest calls her up to the altar to shame her before family and congregation, before kicking her out of the church and banishing her from the parish. Boyne introduces this scene by informing us that it will be known later that this priest has himself fathered two children in the area, and his brutality is inflamed rather then tempered by hypocrisy.

Cyril, a boy who knows he is gay in a society that hates his sexuality, will take decades to unlearn a history of crippling guilt and shame, while at the same time truly weighing his own weaknesses. The book blazes with anger as it commemorates lives wrecked by social contempt and self‑loathing.

By the next section of the novel it is 1952 and Cyril is a watchful seven-year-old, used to masking his emotions. While vividly observant in his interior monologue, he is shy and silent in company. “Even at that tender age I knew that there was something about me that was different and that it would be impossible ever to put right.

However, the entire novel becomes a vigorous argument against such a certainty. The Jesuits may say “Give me a child until he is seven and I will show you the man”, but Boyne’s fiction argues passionately that self-transformation is not only possible but essential. There are two key relationships in Cyril’s life: the first is with his childhood friend Julian Woodbead, who possesses all the boldness and beauty Cyril feels he lacks; the second is with the Dutch doctor Bastiaan, whom Cyril meets when he goes to live in Amsterdam. Bastiaan is a liberator, drawn entirely in light: warm, humorous, self‑accepting, loving and true towards Cyril during their years together."

-- Helen Dunmore The Guardian Book Review

"This book will beat you up, pick you up again, dust you off and then make you look back at everything you’ve read and realise you’ve read a masterpiece. A combination of incredible writing, beautiful characters and almost perfect storytelling make The Heart’s Invisible Furies one of the greatest books I’ve ever, and I can tell you now, will likely ever read in my life."

-- Luke Harkness of Luke's Book Review Blog

WHAT TO BRING:

1) $10-$20 donation online, cash, or check made out to "Q-MoB Inc" to suppot Q-MoB's efforts to foster community, wellness, & fun for rural queer men throughout the 8 counties in 4 states that make up the Greater Berkshires, unless you are already a Q-MoB Monthly Donor Member or this is your first time ever at a Q-MoB activity (your 1st time is always free).

2) Your thoughts on this months book

3) Ideas for next month's book you'd like the group to consider reading and discussing,

4) Snacks &/or beverages to share with participants.

DIRECTIONS/PARKING: GPS should take you to the front of the house. The tan house sits back from the road and it the last house on the right before the campground entrance. please call Dan (413-770-6411) if you have any trouble. Parking is available along the horseshoe shaped driveway- pending any snow buildup. Park between the snow markers off to the side to allow cars to move through. Or stop at the front door and ask for help.

CARPOOLING/RIDE-SHARE: Carpooling is a great way to get to know other men, save money on gas, and help to reduce your carbon footprint and save the planet. If you need a ride or are open to carpooling, please indicate that when you are registering, & our ride coordinator will try to match you with people nearby who are interested in carpooling or offering rides.

OR : Please donate $10-$20 to help assure Q-MoB can continue to offer more than 20 activities & multiple resources & services to rural queer men all over the region. If you attend 2 or more Q-MoB events/month, please consider becoming a monthly sustaining donor member. By donating $25, $50, $75, or $100/month you can help to sustain the incredible variety of activities, services, and resources Q-MoB provides and assure all of these activities are accessible to men regardless of their age, income, or ability, and best of all you can avoid having to donate at each and every event you attend. Monthly Sustaining Members pay only once a month and then can attend all our activities with no further donation.

HOW TO REACH US THE DAY OF THE EVENT: If on the day of the event you need to cancel or be late or have trouble finding the group, please call/text the Host Dan 413-770-6411

Host or Publisher Q-MoB (Queer Men of the Berkshires)