Social: Longform Article Reading Club

Discuss a longform magazine or newspaper article with a group of longreads fans in this monthly club from the Magazines and Newspapers Center. It’s like a book club, but instead of books we discuss long-ish periodical articles that take anywhere from twenty minutes to one hour to read.   

To participate, read the month's selection ahead of time, then join the discussion at the appointed time and location.  

The agenda of the meeting includes round-robin introductions, a forty-five minute discussion utilizing the shared inquiry method, and then a final twenty minutes to share any other thoughts the article brought up for you.  

Typically, selections can be investigative journalism, creative writing, personal essay or another genre, as long as it was originally published in a periodical.  

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November Selection

“Yellow Woman and a Beauty of the Spirit” by Leslie Marmon Silko

Los Angeles Times Sunday Magazine, 19 Dec 1993

In this essay that went on to become the title piece of her 1996 book, Native American literary giant Leslie Marmon Silko writes about the concept of beauty as held by the old timers of Laguna Pueblo reservation in New Mexico, a concept informed by the mythology of Yellow Woman (Kochininako) and taught to her as a child by her great-grandmother. In sharing these stories and beliefs, she invites us to explore Native ideas of beauty, sturdiness and gender roles that contrast with white, Christian ideals. These beliefs celebrate female sensuality and fertility, peering into the spirit and determination of a person rather than judging their static outward appearance. 

Access options:  

• Read on ProQuest (SFPL card required)
• Read on the LA Times Website (a paid account may be required)
• Read on Hoopla (SFPL card required)
• Email mnc@sfpl.org to request a PDF of the article