How does the book club work if you don’t meet in person? All book club discussion takes place over email using a technology called a Listserv. A Listserv is an email distribution program that allows a user to send one email to a centralized email address to send copies to everyone in the group. For our club, you email pipbkclb@asu.edu and everyone currently registered in the book club will receive your message in their email inbox.
What if I want to participate but I don’t want to receive a ton of e-mail? So far, the book club generates about 3-4 e-mails each day on a busy day. We can set the Listserv so you receive only one e-mail each day with everyone’s messages from that day. This is called a “digest” version of the Listserv and many people choose this option because it does cut down on the amount of e-mail you’ll receive.
How do I join the book club? You can register to join the book club on our website at www.asu.edu/piper/bookclub. Registration is free. Just complete the form and we will add you to the Listserv so you can begin discussing the selections.
What if I want to get together with book club members to talk in person? The Piper Center for Creative Writing is planning a series of special book club members-only events to coincide with upcoming author residencies. These RSVP events will allow book club members to meet each other and, typically, the author of a book club selection.
If you choose to arrange any book discussion meetings on your own, remember you should always exercise caution and common sense when interacting with people you meet in online environments. The Piper Center for Creative Writing cannot assume any liability for interactions that occur outside of our events or off of the Listserv.
How do you choose your selections? We generally choose titles that represent the most distinguished literature being written today by diverse authors in a wide variety of formats and genres. Many of our selections will coincide with visiting writers’ residencies to allow you to hear these talented writers read and talk about their work.
We try to rotate titles among fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. We encourage you to read everything selected for the club—you never know what you might love! This is an opportunity for you to break out of your reading comfort zone and explore new and exciting contemporary work.
How do I join the book club? You can register to join the book club on our website at www.asu.edu/piper/bookclub. Registration is free. Just complete the form and we will add you to the Listserv so you can begin discussing the selections.
How do I leave the club? Naturally, we regret it when any of our members have to step away from the discussion, but we are more than happy to facilitate the process for you. Simply send an e-mail to Marqueshia Wilson from your book club subscription e-mail address (the address where you receive your book club messages) with a request to be removed from the Listserv. Aimee will take your information out of the Listserv and the technology will autogenerate a cancellation message confirming the removal.
How do I find out what the upcoming titles are? We try to have our selections made as far in advance as possible. You can stay up to date by checking the Piper Online Book Club website at http://www.asu.edu/piper/bookclub to see what’s coming next.
Where can I buy the books? The ASU Bookstore has kindly set up a special Piper Online Book Club site if you choose to order the selections online. You can see their site at http://bookstore.asu.edu.
If all else fails, Amazon.com provides a wide selection of books, both new and used, for your convenience.
