About Us
The Nevada Chesterton Society is a “set of highly well-intentioned young jackasses”. This is a title that our patron unwittingly gave to all Chestertonians when he penned it over 100 years ago, but you don't have to be young in fact to join; just in spirit. I think the man would have been surprised to know there would be societies dedicated to him years after his death. He probably didn’t consider himself worthy of such devotion, but we have stumbled across his works and found that “it is Good” and with a fanatical enthusiasm have decided that everyone should know this man. I am referring of course to the great 300 lbs philosophizing Roman Catholic Journalist, whom you never heard of, G.K. Chesterton. We can forgive you for not having heard of him. You really should have heard something by him, something about him or at least something against him, but alas that enormous figure has not diminished, but rather dissolved in our fogy modern minds. His influences are every where, from Gandhi to Michael Collins, from T.S. Elliot to George Orwell. He walked in a time of literary and political giants. In that court, he played sometimes the fool, sometimes the King, but always the sage. Most admired him, some rebuked him, and some trembled at the thought of him, but they all knew him. Like the Old Religion he served, he was a figure that you could not merely be dispassionate about. So we cordially invite you to come participate. Come to love or hate him, but come to know him.
The Nevada Chesterton Society holds regular book discussions on a monthly basis. We also host talks and forums, poetry reading, plays, all things Chestertonian. We usually meet in a pub or a restaurant; someplace convivial. No matter who you are, where you’re from or what you think you are most welcome to come participate. Refer to this site regularly for information on upcoming events. And visit the site of The American Chesterton Society for an abundance of material from G.K. Chesterton.
Contact Sharon Parker at 775-688-3021 or at dolcevita30@yahoo.com for more information.
Start the New Year with C.S. Lewis
Happy New Year! Our next Chesterton meeting is Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. at Walden's Coffeehouse. We will continue our discussion of C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity, covering Part III re Christian Morality.
Our February meeting will be Wednesday, February 1, same Bat Time, same Bat Location. We will finish our discussion of Mere Christianity at that meeting.
All are welcome!
September Meeting Information
Our September meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 7 at 6:00 p.m. at Walden's Coffee house, corner of West McCarran and Mayberry in the Biggest Little City in the World. Join us to conclude our discussion of What's Wrong With the World. We will discuss Part V, The Home of Man. Newcomers welcome!
July Meeting Information
Our next meeting will be Wednesday, July 6 at 6:00 p.m. at Walden's Coffeehouse in Reno. We are working our way through What's Wrong With the World? We will discuss
Part III (Woman), chapters 9 through 12, and Part IV (Education), chapters 1 through 10. This is pages 114-161 in the Ignatius Press edition of the book. If the weather is nice, we may sit out on the back porch.
June 2011 Meeting Information
Our next meeting will be Wednesday, June 1 at 6:00 p.m. at Walden's Coffeehouse in Reno. We will continue our discussion of GKC's class work on social issues, What's Wrong with the World? We will discuss Part II re Imperialism (all chapters) and Part III, chapters 1-8 re Feminism.
Also, please contact yours truly at the e-mail address above if you would like a copy of a short study guide that comes from the Sheed & Ward edition of What's Wrong, published in the 1940's.
What's Wrong With the World?
Please join us for our next adventure, which will be tackling What's Wrong With the World? We will discuss Part One - The Homelessness of Man [pages 15-61 in the Ignatius Press version] at our May meeting on Wednesday, May 4 at 6:00 p.m. at Walden's Coffeehouse in the Biggest Little City in the World.
GK notes in the dedication that he originally called this book "What is Wrong", which resulted in a number of comical incidents such as "many a mild lady" opening her eyes when GK remarked casually "I have been doing 'What is Wrong' all morning." :-) Anyway, this is GK's masterpiece on social and moral issues. He takes on everything from imperialism to feminism to education and beyond, in his usual merry and insightful style.
We will work our way through the book in four sessions, maybe five, and finish in time to have our now-traditional Oktoberfest.
April Meeting Information: The ChesterBlogg
Our April meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 6 at Walden's Coffeehouse, 6:00 p.m. as always. We will discuss two short pieces relating to Gilbert and Frances Chesterton: a chapter from Joseph Pearce's biography of GKC and a letter that GKC wrote to Frances after their engagement. Contact yours truly for copies!
March Meeting Information
Our March meeting will be on Wednesday, March 2 at 6:00 p.m. at Walden's Coffeehouse. We will be discussing the second half of Chesterton's novel, The Flying Inn. See you there!
