THIS IS AMERICA - Book Clubs

THIS IS AMERICA - September 30, 2002: Book Clubs

By Jeri Watson and Jill Moss¹

VOICE ONE:

Reading is an important activity for many Americans. Today, thousands of men,
women and children belong to groups to discuss the books they read. I’m Mary
Tillotson.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Steve Ember. A report about book clubs is our story today on the VOA
Special English program, THIS IS AMERICA.
((THEME)
)

VOICE ONE:

No one is sure how many Americans belong to reading groups called book clubs. Yet publishers and bookstores
report that more and more people throughout the United States are joining them.
Most of the clubs work the same way. Members read the same book at the same time. Then they meet to talk

about the book.

Members may be friends or people who live near each other. Or, they may be people who work together. Some
book clubs develop from other organizations. Religious and community groups often establish book clubs.
Some Americans belong to reading groups on the computer service known as the Internet. These groups include

people around the world who communicate about books they read. These people send electronic mail instead of
meeting to discuss books.

VOICE TWO:
Book clubs may be for only women or only men. Or, they can be for husbands and wives together. Some are
family groups where parents attend with their children. Children may belong to book clubs of their own.

Most reading groups study books by a number of writers. However, some groups read the work of a single writer,
usually one that has been famous for awhile. William Shakespeare, James Joyce, Jane Austen, George Bernard
Shaw and Mark Twain are examples.

Other groups may be named for an important person in the work of the writer, like a Sherlock Holmes Club.

Holmes is the great British crime investigator³ created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Members of these book clubs often are experts about their chosen reading material. For example, one member of
a Holmes reading group can identify almost every person in every Sherlock Holmes story.

VOICE ONE:

Some book clubs meet in homes. Other clubs meet in a religious center or work place. Some gather in
a
bookstore, a public information center or library. A few always have a meal at the same eating place.
Highly⁴ organized groups may enforce⁵ reading rules. They may say that members who have not read the required

material may not be permitted to comment at meetings. National clubs often provide a list of required or
suggested reading.
Some book clubs require their members to pay hundreds of dollars for a one-year club membership⁶. These clubs


usually have an expert leader, like a professor.

Other book clubs are not as organized. They have no official leader. Members exchange the responsibility of
directing meetings. Books are chosen by voting on suggestions by members.
((MUSIC BRIDGE)
)
VOICE TWO:

Oprah Winfrey is the star of a popular American television show. Six years ago, she
started a reading group called Oprah’s Book Club. Each month during autumn,
winter and spring, Mizz Winfrey chose a book she liked. She announced her choice
on the show. She asked people to read the book. Then, they wrote to the show with
their thoughts and opinions.

Oprah’s Book Club was successful because Mizz Winfrey would invite writers to
her show to discuss their books. Her club greatly influenced what Americans read.
For example, some libraries reported that several hundred people had to wait to
borrow one of the books she suggested. Publishers also felt the effects of Mizz
Winfrey’s book club. They would often need to make thousands of extra copies of a book to satisfy public
demand.

Earlier this year, Oprah Winfrey decided⁷ to drop the book club from her television show. However, computer
users⁸ can still find her book choices on her Internet website. Also, people who write books continue to make
appearances on her show.

VOICE ONE:

In recent months, several new, national book clubs were formed. The newspaper U-S-A Today started its club in
April. Every six weeks, the U-S-A Today Book Club chooses a new book. Members can discuss the books with
writers and other people electronically.

One of the first books chosen was “Empire Falls” by Richard Russo. “Empire Falls” was chosen a short
time after it won a Pulitzer Prize, America’s highest writing award. Winning the Pulitzer is known to increase a
book’s sales.

VOICE TWO:

At least four television shows also have formed book clubs. A-B-C Television’s “Good Morning America”
started a program called, “Read This.” It invites members of existing book clubs to suggest things to read.

This is different from a new club organized by N-B-C Television’s “Today Show.” On that show, bestselling writers are asked to suggest a book. In the first program, writer John Grisham chose “The Emperor of
Ocean Park” by Stephen Carter.

At first, there were two-hundred-forty-thousand copies of “The Emperor of Ocean Park” in publication⁹. After
the “Today Show” announcement, the number of copies in American bookstores rose to almost five-hundredthousand.

On C-N-N television, financial reporter Lou Dobbs chooses books that he believes investors¹⁰ will enjoy. Many of
the books he suggests deal with economics¹¹ or financial issues. Another television show, “Live with Regis and
Kelly,” has a less serious book club. All books chosen there are said to be easy reading with no deep hidden
messages. Club members say reading for them is meant to be fun and light.

((MUSIC BRIDGE))

VOICE ONE:

Several cities in the United States, such as Chicago and Seattle, also have started book clubs. Public library


officials in Washington, D-C, hope their club will create a feeling of togetherness in the city, and help those
people who can not read.

Smaller, local clubs may read works¹² that already have been popular for centuries, like "The Odyssey¹³" of Homer.
They may read poetry or mystery stories or love stories. Or, they may read books about people, politics, or
current events.

VOICE TWO:

Book clubs are more than reading groups. They are social groups, too. Most of the book clubs have only women
as members. The women often become good friends. They discuss their families and jobs, as well as the books
they read. The meetings give members a chance to learn what other women are thinking. One club member says
she thinks it is valuable to talk about what you read with good friends.

Other clubs help unmarried men and women meet each other. A Christian¹⁴ religious center in Cincinnati, Ohio
organized one such club. Members have to be unmarried and more than forty years old. This group reads a lot of
books about relationships between men and women. One was called “Men are from Mars¹⁵, Women are from
Venus.
”
John Gray, an expert on communication and relationships, wrote this book. It discusses differences in
how men and women think and act.

VOICE ONE:

Some reading clubs in the United States are for husbands and wives. One woman says this is a great idea for a
book club. She says husbands and wives often talk to each other only about their children, or work, or money
problems. “Talking about books,” she says, “opens a whole new level of communication.
”

American children belong to reading clubs, too. They may be as young as four years old or as old as eighteen.
Some children’s clubs get help from the Great Book Foundation¹⁶. This educational organization provides lists of
books to read. It also trains people to lead discussions¹⁷ about the books.

VOICE TWO:

Young children read stories like “The Emperor’s New Clothes” by Hans Christian Andersen. Other popular
books for young readers include “How the Elephant Became” by Ted² Hughes. Older children might read
works such as “Antigone” by Sophocles and “On the Limits of Government” by John Locke.

One woman has belonged to a book club in Washington, D.C. for more than twenty-nine years. She says some of
the best books she has read are the ones she would NEVER read if she did not belong to a club. She says her
reading group has opened her eyes to a wider and more interesting world.

((THEME))

VOICE ONE:

This program was written by Jerilyn Watson and Jill Moss. Our producer was Caty Weaver¹⁸. Our engineer was
Maurice Williams. I’m Mary Tillotson.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Steve Ember. Join us again next week for another report about life in the United States on the VOA
Special English program, THIS IS AMERICA.

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1 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

2 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

3 investigator   

n.研究者，调查者，审查者

参考例句：

• He was a special investigator for the FBI.他是联邦调查局的特别调查员。
• The investigator was able to deduce the crime and find the criminal.调查者能够推出犯罪过程并锁定罪犯。

4 highly   

adv.高度地，极，非常；非常赞许地

参考例句：

• It is highly important to provide for the future.预先做好准备非常重要。
• The teacher speaks very highly of the boy's behaviour.老师称赞这个男孩的表现。

5 enforce   

vt.实施，执行；强制，强迫；加强，坚持

参考例句：

• You have no right to enforce your own views on me.你无权把你自己的观点强加给我。
• They tried to enforce agreement with their plans.他们企图迫使人们同意他们的计划。

6 membership   

n.成员资格，会员全体，从属关系

参考例句：

• I must renew my membership of the sailing club.我必须延续我的航海俱乐部会员的资格。
• He made up his mind to apply for membership in the Party.他决心申请入党。

7 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

8 users   

用户，使用者( user的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The new software will prove a boon to Internet users. 这种新软件将会对互联网用户大有益处。
• Ramps should be provided for wheelchair users. 应该给轮椅使用者提供坡道。

9 publication   

n.出版，发行；出版；公布，发表

参考例句：

• They don't think this article is suitable for publication.他们认为这篇文章不宜发表。
• The government has delayed publication of the trade figures.政府已将贸易统计数字延后公布。

10 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

11 economics   

n.经济学，经济情况

参考例句：

• He is studying economics,which subject is very important.他正在学习经济学，该学科是很重要的。
• One can't separate politics from economics.不能把政治与经济割裂开来。

12 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

13 odyssey   

n.长途冒险旅行；一连串的冒险

参考例句：

• The march to Travnik was the final stretch of a 16-hour odyssey.去特拉夫尼克的这段路是长达16小时艰险旅行的最后一程。
• His odyssey of passion, friendship,love,and revenge was now finished.他的热情、友谊、爱情和复仇的漫长历程，到此结束了。

14 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

15 Mars   

n.火星，战争

参考例句：

• As of now we don't know much about Mars.目前我们对火星还知之甚少。
• He contended that there must be life on Mars.他坚信火星上面一定有生物。

16 foundation   

n.[pl.]地基；基础；基金会；建立，创办

参考例句：

• The foundation of the university took place 600 years ago.这所大学是600年前创办的。
• The Foundation gives money to help artists.那家基金会捐款帮助艺术家。

17 discussions   

n.讨论( discussion的名词复数 )；商讨；详述；论述

参考例句：

• Discussions are held on an informal basis within the department. 讨论限于在本部门内非正式地进行。
• Her specialist input to the discussions has been very useful. 她在这些讨论中提供的专家建议很有助益。

18 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。