A Novel Approach For Inman Park Book Club: No rules!

Book clubs come and go. Some are intense, high-pressure endeavors, requiring members to research the authors and back stories of each reading selection. Some groups even distribute packets of material prior to the actual book discussion. Others print up outlines (or agendas) that mandate the order in which various aspects of the book are to be discussed.

Inman Park has always, in general, prided itself on marching to an idiosyncratic drum. The Inman Park Book Club has been a mainstay in the historic neighborhood for 32 years. Members like to boast that they were in this book club way before Oprah made book clubs hot.

Longtime members of the IPBC say there is a reason for its success and longevity: a lax, lively, loosey-goosey attitude. Plus great food.

“We call ourselves the ‘No Rules!’ book club,” said Jan Keith, an active participant for about 20 years. “You don’t even have to read the book!” Some participants have shown up for the once-a-month book chat and potluck, and then decided to read the book after all because the invigorating discussion inspired them.

Several club members (ranging in age from their 20s to 80s), said they simply enjoy being among fellow pleasure-readers. The group reads classics, serious literature and nonfiction, quirky stuff and bestsellers. Memorable choices of the past have included “Jane Eyre,” “The Zookeeper’s Wife,” “Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn,” “A Lesson Before Dying,” “The Guns of August,” “Bel Canto” and “Little Bee.” While a discussion about that month’s pick always transpires, IPBC get-togethers are also a casual forum for simply sharing reading recommendations.

“There have been times,” said original club member Oreon Mann, “that we’ll discuss the book like this: Someone says ‘I liked it,’ the next person said ‘I really liked it,’ then a few others say ‘Me, too,’ then we say, OK, we all liked it, so good, then let’s just eat some more.” That’s more apt to happen “when it’s the best book in the world,” Mann said. “A book that is not universally popular will lend to best discussions.”

Mann is the only original club member still on board. The club launched in 1978 or 1979 because he is sure how old his son was when it started and he knows how old his son is today.

The “no rules” concept is far-reaching. You never know who might show up from one month to the next (usually from 5 to 20, from a pool of about 75 or so who stay tuned in).  There aren’t even guidelines for the potluck, which means some get-togethers could feature nothing but appetizers, while others might have an array of desserts and only desserts.

The group welcomes those from outside Inman Park, and neighbors who have moved to other parts of the metro area often continue participation. Jan Keith serves as a point person and often sends emails around that inform readers of general book news. When Keith recently sent around a “books to take to the beach” list found online, an idea was hatched to create the club’s own such list.

But Keith reminded the group that theirs is a “no rules” club after all, so the name for IPBC’s own effort: “Were We To Even Have A Summer Reading List, This Could Be It.”

The general definition of a “beach” or “summer” book varies widely. Is it just escapist fluff, or is it something you can really sink your teeth into because you finally have precious vacation time?

“A summer read should be mostly happy,” opines Jan Keith of IPBC.

who typically consumes several books in a month. “Who wants to cry and get all worked up in the hot weather and break out in a heat rash? An occasional tear is OK, but a full-fledged cry should be reserved for a ‘winter’ read when one is alone in one’s room, piled up with quilts and coverlets.  Or sitting before a real wood-burning fireplace (never gas!) in a mountain cabin.”

Keith also thinks a summer read “might have short chapters for frequent interruptions while at the beach or pool with friends or family,” or so you can take that quick dip “to cool off so one’s brain doesn’t fry.” For Keith, a summer read “might be set in a foreign country — one that the reader could visualize herself visiting one day.”

To her, a summer read can have a  “heavy topic  — as long as the heaviness does not consume the book.”

As for romance, yes, by all means, Keith said. “Or, at a minimum,   someone should have a fling or two.  Sexy reads are more acceptable in the hot, summer months, when more flesh is exposed.”

All things considered, Keith thinks a summer read “should leave the reader refreshed” when that last page is turned.

“This is my story and I’m sticking to it,” Keith said.

The Inman Park Book Club meets at 7pm on the fourth Wednesday of every month except April. Location is usually at a different home in the neighborhood or nearby. “Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand” by Helen Simonson is the selection for July 27. For more information: 404-668-7330, or email: info@kingkeith.com