Some Good News

    So, it was brought to my attention not long ago that I've been a tad too serious lately. It's even been suggested that I'm not funny anymore! You were funny once, Boss? And even more disconcerting to the person leveling these charges against me, was the fact that I haven't done a "Mailbag" column, in ages. Well, it's a crazy world out there and it annoys me at least three times a week, and last I checked there was no paywall on this website (much to my editor's chagrin), so you kind of get what you pay for. And trust me, if I had known that people actually looked forward to "The Mailbag" I'd do one every month! Some of my readers LOVE to send me e-mails. Some of them are actually nice! Anyway, before I continue to the main part of today's program...maybe this will make you laugh!!

    A couple of weeks ago I was talking to a friend...a reader, actually. And the topic was, in a nutshell, "the new bride taking her new husband's last name." Don't ask me what led to this topic, but there it is. Next thing you know, we're talking about how all that works out, and being the cagey guy I am, I say, "Well, what if the wife-to-be has a really cool name like, oh, I don't know, Jenna Avalon. That's a pretty cool name, right? A combination of Modernity and the Middle Ages, and it rolls off the tongue quite nicely." At first, my friend accused me of coming up with a stripper's name! Can you believe that? Women! What are you gonna do? And everybody knows that if I was going for a female strippers' name it would have been something like Aurora, Athena, or Wonder Woman...not Jenna! And just so I don't get accused of being sexist, if I was looking for a male stripper's name, it would, of course, be Gio The Great! You really are an idiot!

    So I continued by saying, "And what if the guy has some dopey name like Sheldon Snuffleupagus?" Oh man, that reminds me of the hilarious scene in When Harry Met Sally, where Billy Crystal is telling Meg Ryan, as they’re sitting in that famous New York deli, that you can't have great sex with a guy named Sheldon, because yelling out, "Do it to me, Sheldon!" just doesn't work! Priceless...but I digress. Where was I...oh, yeah. If the guy has a name like Snuffleupagus, does the girl take the name? It's a tricky question. I said to my friend, "Take my last name, for example: Hall. Simple...Old school...full of wisdom...Classic! Look at all the famous people named Hall: Tom T., Daryl, Anthony Michael, and of course...Monty! I mean, who wouldn't take that last name?! Hall...not Snufleupagus!" And without missing a beat, she says to me...with a straight face,  mind you, "Peter, it's the name of a part of a building. You know, like "roof," or "floor," or "ceiling," or "attic," you dork. It's not as bad as Snuffleupagus, but, C'mon...that's why you're not married." Believe it or not, I sighed in relief. Here I thought it was me, personally, you know, a physical or psychological trait that could not be overcome...when, in fact, it's just my name! I mean, I can CHANGE my name! Whew! There's hope! Such a Moron... Well, I thought it was funny. Moving on.

    Ever since the pandemic, there has been one report after another about how people's lives had been turned upside down, whether it be elementary school kids who really got screwed, or people in the food-service industry or restaurant business who lost their jobs almost immediately. Or just about anyone who couldn't work from home. But now that we have it behind us...sort of...there are glimpses and glimmers, of hope. And by that I mean, more and more people are finding different ways to reconnect. Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, I give you the Book Club!

    That's right kids, the Book Club. It seems that people are rediscovering the joy of reading together. Now, to be fair, I have always been a proponent of solitary reading. However, it would seem that this rediscovery is only partly about reading. In interview after interview, these book clubbers (Hmmm…'book clubbers'…is that really a phrase? Well, it is now.) are infected with the community it offers; the connection and a refreshing escape from our screen-dominated lives. Take that Netflix; there's a novel favorite pastime back in town!

    "The rise of book clubs is a testament to our longing for deeper connections," says Holly Cooke, founder of The Lonely Girls Club, which has a number of branches in England. Her community started as a friendship network for women and has recently expanded to include book clubs. Across the United Kingdom and the United States, book clubs are experiencing a huge renaissance. Be still my heart! The website Eventbrite reported a 350% increase in book club listings in the UK over the past four years, with more than 127,000 attendees getting together over their shared love of the written word. And in the US, 'book club' has surged back into the top 10 of "most searched events", reclaiming its popularity after a dip in 2021.

    Today's clubs are as varied as the tomes on our shelves. Clubs tailored to specific communities, interests, and genres are thriving. Many clubs are combining literature with culinary delights, while something called the Virtual Knitting Book Club brings together literature enthusiasts who also share a passion for knitting. Among the newer trends are 'silent' book clubs, where participants enjoy individual reading in a shared quiet space. These gatherings cater to introverts and offer a unique way to connect through shared silence. Yes, that club blew me away, as well. But, to each his own!

    So what's the driving force behind this reading boom? For many, in both countries, it's about reconnection. As one person said, "The loneliness epidemic, the need for friendship and connection has been there for a very long time, but I think the pandemic expedited it and brought some of these conversations to the fore." I think it goes without saying that post-pandemic, the desire for face-to-face interaction is very strong. I've talked about this very thing with many of my friends and it's the one common theme that runs through our conversations when talking about getting back into the groove, as it were, of daily, post-pandemic life. And it seems that book clubs provide a structured, welcoming environment for meeting new people.

    "Book clubs give people a bit of structure again in their lives, a bit of purpose and meaning," said one attendee in the States. "They know they're connected to people in whatever way they want to be connected, and that can be developed or just dipped into whenever they feel like it." 

    The other side of the coin for the resurgence in book clubs, and a wonderful complement to the face-to-face reconnection angle, is that in the era of digital overload, book clubs also provide a welcome digital detox. After spending the lockdown glued to screens, people are finding solace in physical books and in-person discussions about those books, as well as other topics. Now, I could be a dope here and say the lockdown would have been the perfect time to reacquaint oneself with a book or two, or 10. But let's not quibble today. "People don't want to be on their phones any more," shares an American book club member. “They're wanting to get away from technology, at least for a time, in a variety of different ways. You can see it from the increase in vinyl record sales, in the return of Polaroid cameras, and also in reading."

    Lastly, Book Club members also talked about how many of the clubs are sober spaces, offering a refuge from the alcohol-centric culture of traditional social gatherings. Many of the clubs intentionally try to have a mix of events every month, so they can include alcohol-free options. "We've seen quite a lot of damage from alcohol-centered spaces and groups," said another clubber. "People need to know there are alternatives that bring joy and fulfillment without relying on alcohol."

    So, whether you are seeking a community, craving a break from the digital, or just looking for a new way to connect, book clubs are proving that the age-old tradition of reading together is far from old-fashioned. The signs are showing, on both sides of the Atlantic, that it's never been more relevant. It's good news, kids! Read on!

write to Peter: magtour@icloud.com