Great Books Reading Groups

**Please note that due to UNC regulations, masks will be required for all in-person events regardless of vaccination status. In-person and hybrid events may switch to virtual-only based upon recommendations from local, state, and national public health officials. If an in-person or hybrid event is designated “virtual-only,” the CPH staff will contact registrants and provide them with information on how to attend virtually or with options for receiving credits or refunds. If you have any questions, please email human@unc.edu or call 919.962.1544. We appreciate your flexibility during these trying times.**

Great Books Reading Group discussions will be held in person and online this spring and summer!

We are excited to return to meeting in person at Flyleaf Books this year!  In addition, we will also offer two virtual classes over Zoom each semester for those who prefer to participate from home.

Join UNC faculty leaders for a robust discussion of classic texts, ancient to modern. Reading groups will meet on successive Tuesdays or Wednesdays from 10 am to 12 pm, and each participant will receive a copy of the book before the first session. Due to the nature of the reading groups, refunds cannot be offered. Seats are limited to 16 participants, so sign up early to reserve your seat!

To enroll in one or more of the Great Books Reading Groups visit our registration page and click the “register” button for “Great Books Reading Groups.”  From there, you can select the book group(s) of your choice. You can also register over the phone by calling us at 919-962-1544. We will send you a copy of the book and a reading preparation guide approximately three to four weeks before the first meeting (or as soon as you register if less than three weeks before).

Spring 2022 Book Groups

Tuesdays, February 1 & 8 (VIRTUAL)
Nine Continents: A Memoir In and Out of China by Xiaolu Guo
Marc Cohen, Teaching Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature

Wednesdays, February 16 & 23 (IN-PERSON)
The Sufferings of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Gabriel Trop, Associate Professor of German

Tuesday, March 1 (IN-PERSON)
Alcestis by Euripides
William H. Race, George L. Paddison Professor of Classics Emeritus

Tuesdays, March 8 & 15 (VIRTUAL)
Waiting for the Barbarians by J. M. Coetzee
Lauren Jarvis, Assistant Professor of History

Tuesdays, March 22 & 29 (IN-PERSON)
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Stephanie DeGooyer, Assistant Professor of English and Comparative Literature

Wednesdays, April 6 & 13 (IN-PERSON)
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Kimberly J. Stern, Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature

Tuesdays, April 19 & 26 (IN-PERSON)
Poems by Robert Frost
George Lensing, Mann Family Distinguished Professor of English Emeritus

Summer 2022 Book Groups

Tuesday, May 17 (VIRTUAL)
Poems by W. B. Yeats
Hilary Edwards Lithgow, Teaching Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature

Tuesdays, May 24 & 31 (IN-PERSON)
The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio (select stories)
Maggie Fritz-Morkin, Assistant Professor of Italian

Tuesdays, June 7 & 14 (IN-PERSON)
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Geovani Ramirez, Teaching Assistant Professor of English and Comparative Literature

Tuesdays, June 21 & 28 (VIRTUAL)
Arturo’s Island by Elsa Morante
Henry Veggian, Teaching Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature

If an event is marked **SOLD OUT** – email human@unc.edu with your First & Last name, and phone number to be added to the waitlist.

Books provided by Flyleaf Books

Instructions for using Zoom chat can be found here, or give us a call and let us walk you through the process.