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Introducing the Night Vale book club
🕑 Added 2024-12-05 00:54:43 +0000 UTCHi all, as you may have heard on the show or in our newsletter, we're starting a book club for Weird Scouts and above. This book club will be personally led by Jeffrey and I, and will be held in the Patreon chat part of our page.
The book we are starting with is Vacation by Deb Olin Unferth, which was one of the two foundational texts of Night Vale (Jeffrey will be leading discussion on the other one next.)
When I was 22, I moved to NYC from California. I did not know anyone in NY, had no jobs lined up, had only been there once briefly to look for a room to rent. It was a roll of the dice by someone who wasn't happy with their life. Maybe this new place will go better for me, I hoped.
(Within four months of moving there, I met my future wife and most of my future collaborators on Night Vale, so this worked out very well for me)
During that time, I didn't have a great deal of money. So one way I would shop for books was to wait for sales on McSweeney's, a publisher I was very into at the time. Then I would bulk buy all the cheap books and that would be my reading for a while. In one of these sales, the book Vacation was $5. It had a cool cover, was cheap, I was in.
I read the book. And then I started it over and read it again. Because it had broken my brain. I hadn't known you could write like that. In both meanings of the word "could": I hadn't known it was possible to write like that and I hadn't known that people were allowed to write like that.
Everything in my writing that came after started with that moment, I think, when Vacation revealed to me that there was so much more to writing than I had been aware of.
Now, I haven't read Vacation in fifteen years. I cannot promise it will be as good as I remember. But I think it's worth visiting, as it was one of the books really bouncing around in my head when I started writing Night Vale.
So get a copy here or here or at a local bookstore or at the library.
Discussion schedule will be:
Jan 6: chapters 1-4
Jan 13: chapters 5-10
Jan 20: chapters 11-14
Jan 27: chapters 15-21
See you there!
-Joseph Fink
Comments
Jason Schuurmans
I don't know if this is against the rules (and if it is please nobody tell station management) but I got the book and read it even tho I am only a blood pact scout. What a great read that was! I'm not sure what to say about it other than it was just crazy weird and cool, reminded me of Fear and Loathing in several ways, and pairs very will with the soundtrack from Severence. Thanks Joseph for the recommendation! Hypothetically because I'm only a blood pact scout!
Welcome to Night Vale
it will be a chat. sorry, first day back from vacation, I will post it soon! - Joseph
Cypress Wylde
Will the book club be in a community chat? Or how will it be taking place? Sorry, I am new to this.
Sarah Briggs
I started reading it as I was worried I would get behind, but got absorbed and finished it yesterday! Looking forward to the discussion and hope I can still remember what happened....
Jennifer Lyle
I like having it broken up! Then I don't have to rush & try & read it during the holidays & I can read it through Jan. Plus I like that we will have multiple discussions & not just one.
Heather Fidler
I have the book and am holding off on starting it until January. Waiting is delicious torture!
Welcome to Night Vale
Oh, I have a question about schedule. Do you all like breaking the book up over a month? I just didn't want anyone to feel pressure to catch up. Or, given the long lead time, would you prefer just starting with discussion of the whole book?
Journey Brown-Saintel
Update: was mentioning the book to someone at work (and of course started with WTNV) and someone passing by went “I love Welcome to Night Vale!”
Journey Brown-Saintel
Ahh so excited to start this book club! I’ve already started reading the book and (no spoilers!) it has Night Vale’s vibe in spades—I see what you mean about the writing. Some of my favorite books are like this. And an ode to your younger self’s cross-country move! I moved from NY to Cali at the same age! (And have now moved back. 🍎💗)
Sparrowo
awesome! ill grab the book from my library next week
Carla Rover
An actual BOOK CLUB? With not-terrible-snobby-puritanical-folks-who-actually-like-words-AND-people-of-all-kinds? Wut??? Thanks!
Arline Babka
I hope getting the kindle version is okay. I love that you’re doing this in sections. This will be fun❣️
Lori Rothman
Yeah!! I live in Alaska so timed live things seldom work for me.
Welcome to Night Vale
It will be throughout the day (and week), not a live event. I will probably post some initial thoughts and questions when I get to work in the morning, which is around 9am pacific.
Lori Rothman
What time will it be?
