Essay Club #1: Recap

Going into last night’s Essay Club, I wasn’t sure how things were going to pan out. In the interest of having the maximum number of participants (26), we had to split the group into three tables, which made for diffuse conversations. People didn’t drink nearly enough (to be fair, it was a Monday night), though they were bullish on the kale salad and beer-braised chicken. (Thank you, Back Forty East!)

Irin kicked things off by explaining a bit about the topic of “Women in Charge” and about why she selected each of the essays. The goal was to provide an overview of some of the main arguments and perspectives, and to give people something to react to. She asked the group to think about what they liked, what they hated, and what stuck with them. She also encouraged each of us to bring the topic back to our own lives and experiences.

Over the course of dinner, the discussions at the three tables shifted back and forth from the very specific (growing up in a household with reverse gender roles) to the very timely (Sheryl Sandberg and the first crop of Lean In circles). Perhaps unsurprisingly, the night brought more questions and more readings, including:

• What is feminism? How does Gabby Reece fit into it?
• What does feminism look like in other cultures, specifically the Netherlands?
• Christine Quinn, Gloria Steinem, and paid sick leave.

More to come, plus some musings from the wonderful Emily Cavalier about what went on at her end of the table. And please share any of your thoughts on the essays — whether or not you were at the dinner.