The Book Discussion Group at the McClelland Library is led by Dr. Joyce East (left), a retired professor of Irish Studies, and Mary Wilber (right), a retired librarian and former member of the Scottsdale Library Board. The group seeks to engage members of our community with the tradition and excellence of all forms of Irish Literature.
Meeting Time and Place
Book discussions will be held from 10:30AM to 12:30PM in the McClelland Library’s Norton Room. Don’t forget to check our library, your local library, local book stores, and the internet to find your copy.
2019/2020 Schedule and Selections
September 28, 2019: G. B. Shaw, John Bull’s Other Island (play–1904) September Guide
October 26, 2019: Molly Keane, Good Behaviour (novel–1981) October Guide
December 7, 2019: Julia O’Faolain, No Country for Young Men (novel–1980) December 2019 Guide
January 25, 2020: Colm Tóibín, Bad Blood: A Walk Along the Irish Border (non-fiction–1994) January Guide
February 29, 2020: Donal Ryan, The Spinning Heart (novel–2012)
March 28, 2020: Bernard MacLaverty, Midwinter Break (novel–2017)
April 25, 2020: Sally Rooney, Normal People (novel–2018)
Experience the discussion online
The McClelland Library Book Discussion Group is going digital! Join us to continue the discussion after meetings by becoming a member of our Facebook group.
Irish Writers and Cultural History
The selections this season follow the political and cultural history of Ireland since
1900. We will consider how individual Irish writers tell that history, the narrative
devices they use, and their sense of Irish identity. We also want to be conscious
of diversity among these writers and their varying views on this cultural and
political history. The list includes a play, fiction, and nonfiction. On occasion, we
may add a poem or two. Below is the schedule of readings:
Sources For Text
(1) The McClelland Library and local bookshops (2) Online sources, including Amazon and Kenny’s (kennys.ie)