Book Selection Process

We had an excellent first meeting, Black Men Readers,

and while I’m looking forward to our March 17 meeting where we will discuss Barak Obama’s The Audacity of Hope, we came up a bit short on the book selection question. We did decide that before each meeting we’ll each contribute two possibilities, from any genre, and we’ll choose from them. But we also need some sort of process that will allow us to narrow selections down, especially since we’re not going to limit membership, so there’s no telling how many possibilities could rain down on us every two months. We had nine brothers show up yesterday, but six additional brothers said that they couldn’t make it but will be there next time. That’s fifteen brothers in the mix, with the distinct possibility that more are on the way.

If that’s true, then we’re talking about reading and voting on at least 30 selections in advance of a book selection. Sounds a little daunting to me, since it’s entirely possible that votes would be split widely among the 30 possibilities. Now, it’s true there’s no guarantee that every brother will contribute two prospective selections, but I’m going to propose an interim step, nevertheless, that will allow us to streamline the process somewhat. I hope you guys agree. If you have ways you can improve this, I’d love to hear it.

So. Here’s the way I’m proposing we handle the book selection process:

1. Brothers can submit no more than two (2) book possibilities—of any genre—, and the deadline for submission is the Saturday two weeks before a regularly scheduled meeting. (I’ll send out reminders…)

2. We review the proposed book selections for a week, and then we vote for three (3) preferences on the Saturday before a regularly scheduled meeting. The three books that get the most votes will be viewed as the finalists—and we review them for a week, understanding that we’ll vote for one of the finalists at the meeting that next Saturday.

3. Then, we vote from among the top three (3) finalists at the meeting. (I think it’s important that the final selection, the book that we’ll discuss at the next meeting, be selected at the meeting and not on-line. Brothers who are in the room—at the meeting—should rightfully get voting preference.)

So there it is. The last organizational step, at least as far as I can tell. Once we get this last issue squared away and decided, then we’re mostly about reading and discussing books.

Now, look, I admit it: the above selection process might seem somewhat cumbersome and protracted, but the good news is that it allows us to do two things at once: one, we’ll have a book selection process that is democratic and fair (if, perhaps, something of a pain—we’ll have to see about that. I hope not); and two, it allows us to invite brothers into the group without trying to deal with a sequential, one-brother-chooses-then-another-brother-chooses process that is better suited to a smaller group.

And anyway, there’s no guarantee that all fifteen or more of us will want to participate in the book nominating and voting process anyway. Maybe a good portion of you will just want to know which book we’ll read next, and will find out at the meeting. I don’t know. Like I said, we’ll see. But that’s why we’re headed down this road, and like the genre-free selection idea, we’ll see what happens…

Comments?