WANTED: Thoughtful Black Men Who Read

We need to recruit, my friends. I propose we make this a transition year, a year to pump up the membership (after all, as we have seen, even one of our most dedicated, most enthusiastic members can suddenly leave, due to opportunities elsewhere). For one solid year---at least---I propose we regularly, aggressively invite brothers to join us around the table. So let me spin out for a second my thinking about the matter, and if anyone has something to add or amplify, please do so in comments below.

As far as I can tell, there are two key, important reasons why Black Men Read?! is such a pleasurable experience: one, brothers do read the book so we can talk about the book; and two, we have no narrow-minded, ideologically-driven brothers who are hostile to---and will shout down---any ideas that don’t mesh with their own. That’s it, in a nut-shell. The brothers in this book group don’t need prodding to read, they came to the group as readers---the five books we read a year are just five more books than we already read.

So when I’m out in the world, and I’m chatting with a thoughtful brother, a black man whom I’m enjoying talking to (say, at a reception, at an art gallery, in any social situation where I’m meeting and chatting with some brother somewhere), if I’m enjoying the conversation, at some point I’ll casually ask, “Hey, what’re you reading? Y’got some book you’re working on?” And if he easily and quickly volunteers whatever book he’s reading, that’s all I need. I’ll make the offer to come to a Black Men Read?! meeting, and I follow up with an invitational e-mail. (Please give me the e-mail address of whomever you’re inviting, so I can send him the official invitation e-mail and give him the standard spiel.)

It’s that easy. I just wish it was that simple. For one, I just don’t run into Brothers Who Read as often as I feel like I should. So there’s only so many thoughtful-brothers-who-read out there. But then the question is whether they have the time, or the interest. It’s a numbers game. I’ve invited a good four or five brothers to meet with us over the last year or so, and one (I’m grinning at you, Eric McNeely) has become a regular, and another is supposed to meet with us in September. The others are too busy, or just would prefer not to, for some reason or another. But as you can see, I’m ALWAYS on the look-out for new members. For the next year, I’d like the rest of us to be on the look-out, as well.

The goal is twelve. With that many members, it’s almost a given that someone won’t be able to make any given meeting, but my sense is that even if as many as three or four guys can’t make it we’ll regularly---every single time---have eight or nine brothers around the table. Whereas nowadays, with eight or nine regulars, we’re sometimes down to as few as four or five around the table. So. Let’s pump up the volume.

What do you guys think? If some of you have thoughtful-brothers-who-read in mind already, please squeeze off---there’s absolutely still time to buy and read Blonde Roots by Bernardine Evaristo, before our September 17 meeting. Do it.

The Summer Screening was terrific this year, for those of you who couldn’t make it. We looked at Night Catches Us in a great screening room in the Business School. Decent film, which prompted a full, satisfying discussion.

Enjoy the rest of your summers, eh?