Which Circle?'s Reading Program

History

About ten years ago, at the height of their Christian fundamentalism, the creators of ''Which Circle?'' had a short discussion about book reading. It went something like this:

Jeff: I almost read a book.
Chris: You 'almost' read a book?
Jeff: Well, I thought about taking it off the shelf.

With years of Fundamentalism coming to an end, Jeff and Chris decided to read. Chris led the way by reading the complete works of Kurt Vonnegut while Jeff read Sports Illustrated for Kids.

At one point, before the new millennium, they both inexplicably agreed to jointly read Pulitzer Prize winning novels.

This exercise was brief and lasted only until Chris adamantly refused to read Booth Tarkington's, The Magnificent Ambersons. (A severe lapse on his part that should be noted at every opportunity.)

The Program Today

The program today is no longer based on the Pulitzer Prize (lousy jingoists!) but on five critical areas (although a selection may be strong in one area and weak in another). For those interested in joining the program, the following introductory plan is required.

1. Paul Fussell: Class: A Guide through the American Class System
2. John Steinbeck: A viewing of Michael Moore's film ''Roger and Me'' is sufficient
3. Sinclair Lewis: Select either Babbitt or Elmer Gantry
4. Kurt Vonnegut: Select one from Cat's Cradle, Slaughterhouse Five, or Breakfast of Champions
   
5. H.L. Mencken: Mencken on Religion edited by S.T. Joshi

It is strongly recommended that Fussell be read first and Mencken be read last.

Benefits & Enrollment

The benefits of the ''Which Circle?'' reading program are immeasurable. We can't promise that the reading program will get you a date or make you instantly wealthy, but we can promise you that you'll discover it exhilerating to quote someone other than C.S. Lewis. Perhaps you'll also burn with a stronger desire to use birth control (see An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser) or find joy in drawing with felt-tipped pens (Breakfast of Champions). What we do know is that you'll be more discerning as a result.

To join our reading forays, simply complete the introductory plan above, and shoot us an e-mail covering your progress and your assessment of the readings.

Come join us and you can vote for the best books during the next scoring session scheduled for Christmas '04.

Current Text

• Studs Trekel, Working

Future Selections

• H.L. Mencken, H.L. Mencken on American Literature
• Kurt Vonnegut, Galapagos
• Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita
• Philip Roth, Portnoy's Complaint

All Time Top 25 Books

Check out the expanded presentation of Which Circle? Top 25 rankings including comments on each text from the WC? staff.

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