A Book Club Courts Liberals

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: New York Times

By MOTOKO RICH
Published: June 16, 2008

....Starting on Monday, the new Progressive Book Club is inviting readers to join and buy three books at $1 apiece in exchange for the obligation to buy four books over the next two years. The brainchild of Elizabeth Wagley, a former fund-raiser and communications adviser for nonprofit groups including Doctors of the World, the Progressive Book Club is trying to update the paradigm of such familiar institutions as the Book-of-the-Month Club, as well as the 44-year-old Conservative Book Club.

Ms. Wagley said that she believed the new book club would fill a void for progressively minded readers. “The right has always understood the power of ideas, the power of books as legitimizers of ideas,” she said. “I see the opportunity with the book-club structure to create a powerful tool to showcase the ideas of the left.”

As with a classic book club, members of the new club will be offered a slate of books each month, reviewed and chosen by a panel that includes the novelists Michael Chabon, Erica Jong and Barbara Kingsolver; John Podesta, president of the Center for American Progress; Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor of The Nation magazine; and Todd Gitlin, the author and a journalism and sociology professor at Columbia University.

The first lead selection is “The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker” by Steven Greenhouse, a reporter at The New York Times. Other offerings for June include “Outright Barbarous: How the Violent Language of the Right Poisons American Democracy” by Jeffrey Feldman, and “Mudbound,” a debut novel by Hillary Jordan. The club will also offer about 200 older titles like “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine and “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson....

LINK TO PROGRESSIVE BOOK CLUB: http://www.progressivebookclub.com/pbc2/home.pbc

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/16/books/16club.html

[Bragi]

1. Great idea!

I think I'll join. Any reason not to?

- B

[DeepModem Mom]

3. Not that I see from the article. I looked, however, for a link to a website...

that might give more info, and I couldn't find one in the text.

[CrispyQ]

4. Here you go:

http://www.progressivebookclub.com/pbc2/home.pbc

[DeepModem Mom]

6. Thank you, CrispyQ!!! I've edited the link into the OP. nt

[AnneD]

2. Considering that most of the bookd I HAVE bought....

of late are liberal and financial....I'm a candidate.

[Ian David]

5. I've been waiting for something like this! n/t

[From The Ashes]

7. It gets better...

one of the causes you can support is Democratic Underground!

[Bragi]

8. Bonus! /nt

[CrispyQ]

9. Thanks for the post.

I think I'm going to join.

My library used to be a great place to get current liberal books. I'm not sure if directorship has changed, or if it's simply lack of funds, but it no longer has the same great selection it used to. And if you donate a book, it's likely the book will be sold & the money used for the homework center. I think the homework center is great, but my monthly donation goes to that. I would donate several reference books as well, but not so they can sell them for $2. ~sigh

[CrispyQ]

10. Please consider posting in the non-fiction books forum.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=209

Oh & I saw a novel for sale, so also the fiction forum: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=208

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

k&r

[DeepModem Mom]

11. Good idea! Done, in both forums! nt

[sazemisery]

12. I am Hillary Jordan's stepmonster, so please....

Join the book club and get her book, please.:)

[byronius]

13. Ordered. Got Nixonland. Cool!

Plus Blackwater, and Mudbound. Excellent. Such a deal.

[damntexdem]

14. All book clubs should -- liberals actually read!

All, that is, except the "My Pet Goat" Book Club. ;-)

[davidinalameda]

15. I signed up last night

but I saw the story on another site