We see our books, especially our Wising Up Anthologies, as catalysts for community, a way of deepening the conversations that develop through the shared experience of reading, especially around areas of social concern, for example pluralism in families, love and aging, illness and meaning, immigration and acculturation, and religious difference. We want to bring our books to the groups that could most benefit from the stance our anthologies take - warm, empathic, musing . . . and unafraid to ask the difficult questions, to understand ourselves as constructively interconnected, and to find the 'We' in 'Them', the 'Us' in 'You'.
Sometimes identifying with the multiple authors in a book, in all their variety, may open up new perspectives, allowing us to understand and explore something about ourselves and our own lives more fluidly and thoroughly than we would be able to in any other way. Hearing someone else do the same opens up fresh possibility of relation. We not only listen to the writers we are reading, but we are listening to and for something in ourselves as well. In that listening, we provide community for them and for ourselves.
How would our sense of community shift if, even with the most important subjects, we took, for awhile, a musing, reflective stance? One where we sought to understand rather than persuade, to identify with rather than distinguish ourselves from? One where we realized that we were all, with all our differences, equally responsible for finding what unites us?
If the subject of one of our anthologies really speaks to you and you would like to explore the subject in greater depth with others, we encourage you to consider hosting a small conversation group or holding a small Reading for Relation, Writing for Insight workshop. We'll help.
We've already organized our anthologies to facilitate discussion and to encourage open-ended, open-hearted exploration. Some of them have questions included in the book. Others have free accompanying downloads available with discussion questions and writing prompts included for those who would like to combine more inner exploration.
We're happy to provide our books at steep discounts for this purpose, as well as providing consults and discussion guides. We'll also announce your event on our website and our Facebook page.
If interested, write us at wisingup@universaltable.org or call us at 404/276-6046.
