Tuesday, September 27, 2016

October Not Fiction Book Discussions

This month we read The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee, a biography of "one of the most powerful and dangerous ideas in the history of science: the 'gene,' the fundamental unit of heredity, and the basic unit of all biological information."

Mukherjee traces the history of the idea of the gene all the way back to its origins with Aristotle, Gregor Mendel, and Charles Darwin; through its dark manipulation in its early days by eugenicists; through the discovery of its essential action and form by James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins, and Rosalind Franklin; to the technological ability to "read," "write," and "map" it with the Human Genome Project and the rapidly developing ability to "edit" it. He ends ultimately with the open-ended ethical questions raised by these abilities.

Which of the many philosophers, naturalists, and scientists who have contributed to our understanding of the gene did you find interesting? Why do you think some individuals' work was unnoticed or unrecognized at the time, such as Mendel's discovery of heredity and Franklin's work on the structure of DNA?

The genetic code is universal, but its variations are myriad. Our understanding of the gene alters our understanding of essential current political and cultural issues concerning race, sexuality, gender identity, sexual preference, intelligence, temperament, and free will. Mukherjee cautions throughout his book that the danger of the idea of the gene lies in our ability to rightly understand and use it: "The genome is only a mirror for the breadth or narrowness of human imagination. It is Narcissus reflected." What do you think? How has our understanding of the gene changed the political, cultural, and legal landscape of the world? Would it be better to limit or audit scientific research to prevent information being used to support morally questionable ideas? Or should unlimited scientific research be allowed and encouraged? What do you think our future will look like if we are unlimited in our ability to alter the human genome? According to a recent article on NPR's Morning Edition, developmental biologist Fredrik Lanner of Sweden has become the first researcher known to attempt to modify the genes of healthy human embryos in order to learn more about how genes regulate early embryonic development, with possible interventions in cases of infertility and miscarriage. What are the most pressing moral and ethical questions posed by current genetic research?

Mukerjee weaves in his own family's story throughout the book, showing the effects of severe mental illness on his uncles and nephew and the emotional repercussions for the whole family. How has his personal story helped you to understand the relevance of genetics to everyday life? Has reading The Gene made you reflect on yourself--your physical characteristics, your temperament, your health--and your own family's story?

We hope you will join the discussion: Tuesday, October 4, at 6:30 p.m. at Main Library; Thursday, October 20, at 11:00 a.m. at West Ashley Branch Library; and here on the blog.

Friday, September 16, 2016

Readalikes: If you enjoyed September's selection . . .

If you enjoyed Dear Mr. You by Mary-Louise Parker, then you might also like these books and films suggested by discussion group members, some for their use of the epistolary format or focus on letters as historical documents and some for their use of verse form or extremely short form:


  • Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love by Dava Sobel
  • Poor Folk by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
  • Book of Ages: The Life and Opinions of Jane Franklin by Jill Lepore
  • 84, Charing Cross Road book by Helene Hanff and movie with Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins
  • Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
  • The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis
  • Art and the Intellect by Harold Taylor
  • The Lake House movie with Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves
  • Brown Girl, Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
  • The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis by Lydia Davis
  • Ninety-Nine Stories of God by Joy Williams

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

September Not Fiction Book Discussions

Dear Mr. You by Mary-Louise Parker is another memoir--of sorts--written in the form of letters. Parker writes letters to men as a way of looking back at her life and the people she has encountered along the way who have made a difference in it. These men include those with whom she has had close relationships, such as her grandfather, her father, her son, her mentors, her friends and boyfriends, but also men with whom she had only a brief but significant encounter, such as a cab driver and a hospital orderly, and men she hasn't met, such as the future husband of her daughter. In a profile of Parker for LA Times, interviewer Joy Press reports that "Mary-Louise Parker never intended to write a memoir. In fact, she’s a little freaked that Dear Mr. You is being labeled as one. ‘I feel bad when people say memoir, because who writes a memoir that is only about how they were affected by one gender? The pieces are about me but also . . . not.’” Press notes, “Still, if you look closely at these letters, you’ll find a sidelong portrait of Parker, a mosaic of autobiographical shards.” We get a sense of Parker as a daughter, a mother, a friend, a romantic partner, a student, a professional actor, a writer, and a person making her way in the world.

According to an article in the Toronto Star, Parker and her agent submitted Dear Mr. You to publishers without her name attached.Unlike the publishers who read the manuscript of Dear Mr. You, we read Parker’s book knowing her as a celebrity. What do you expect from a celebrity memoir? Did Parker meet or break these expectations? Which letters stood out for you? Which surprised you? Delighted you? Disappointed you? Left you wanting more information? How does the letter format affect your perception of the stories Parker relates and of Parker herself? How would your perception of Parker and the events of her life differ if she had presented them in a more detailed, chronological, anecdotal narrative? In the profile of Parker for LA Times, Parker told interviewer Joy Press, “To me, this book is a collection of thank-you notes.” Take a moment to think: If you were tasked with writing a book like Dear Mr. You, to whom from your life would you write a thank you letter? Think especially of those people to whom you would not have said “thank you” at the time . . . Care to share?

We enjoyed the Tuesday, September 6, discussion! We hope you will join us Thursday, September 15, at 11:00 a.m. at the West Ashley Branch Library or here on the blog.