BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam//NONSGML v1.0//EN NAME:Book Club: The Fire Next Time #1  METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20260414T181500 DTEND:20260414T194500 DTSTAMP:20260414T181500 UID:2026/book-club-the-fire-next-t@8F96275E-9F55-4B3F-A143-836282E12573 CREATED:20260415T124309 LOCATION: SUMMARY:Book Club: The Fire Next Time #1  X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

In November 1962 James Baldwin’s essay “Letter from a Region of My Mind” appeared i n The New Yorker. It would become a marker in USA civil rights hi story — his plea to ‘end the racial nightmare’ was too conci liatory for some, yet transformative for others. His reflection  on race, religion & society is essential reading for our own day and age.

The Library Book Club is everybody’s book club. Fan cy a refreshing read, a change of scenery and a nouris hing encounter? Come and read The Fire Next Time w ith us! 

About the book and its author 

The Fire Next Time consists of two ess ays: the latter is “Down at the Cross,” which appeared in The New Yorker on 10 and 17 November 1962  under the title “Letter from a Region of My Mind;” and the former  ”My Dungeon Shook,” which is a letter Baldwin wro te to his nephew a few months later, on occasion of th e 100-year anniversary of the emancipation of all enslaved people in the USA. It is in this chronological order that the Library Book Club will read the essays. 

James Baldwin (1924 – 1987) grew up in Harlem, New York City, and was a writ er of novels, essays, poems and plays; as well as civil rig hts activist and public intellectual. At age 24, he left Ne w York City for Paris, where he lived nine years, and which would be a gateway for years of travel across Eurasia and Africa. It is in this context, of observing his home country from abr oad and hearing of the civil rights movement, that he wrote the two essays at hand. 

In The Fire Next Time&n bsp;Baldwin manages a societal critique that is deeply pers onal, clear cut yet loving, and activating. In our own time, tha t is seemingly defined by fracture, it is worthwhile t o sit with his observant, patient and invigorating ana lysis. What can we learn from Baldwin’s portrayal of race, religion and society in our own context; and what wo uld we have to add? 

“… America and all the Wester n nations will be forced to re-examine themselves and release themsel ves from many things that are now taken to be sacred, and to discard nearly all the assumptions that have been used to justify their lives and their anguish and their crimes so long.” -James Baldwin, “Down at the Cross,” The Fire Next Time (Pengu in, 2024): p. 34. 

Practicalities < /h3>

Schedule 

5:30 p.m. walk-in: you’re welcome to com e in early, to bridge time or to bring and have dinner. 

< strong>6:15 p.m. opening: we kick off with a round of i ntroductions, and a brief introduction of the book. 

6:25 p.m. group discussion: we share our e xperience and findings reading the book so far. 

7 :25 p.m. summarising: we look ahead to the next se ssion and summarise today’s session. 

7:45 p.m. end or socialising: we end the session, although y ou’re welcome to stick around until the building closes. 

< h3>About the Library Book Club 

The Library Book Club is for anyone roaming VU’s campus. We read a few books each year, and try to throw something new into the m ix each time; passing fiction and non-fiction, poetry and prose, shor t stories and longer ones along the way. Our librarians sel ect three candidates for a season and you get to vote. If&n bsp;you’d like to engage with this group more often, the easie st way to get involved is through the group chat (WhatsApp). 

DESCRIPTION: The Library Book Club is everybody’s book club. Fancy a refreshing read, a change of scenery and a nourishing encounter? Come and read The Fire Next Time with us! 

About the book and its author&nbs p;

The Fire Next Time consists of two essays:  ;the latter is “Down at the Cross,” which appeared in < em>The New Yorker on 10 and 17 November 1962 under the title “Letter from a Region of My Mind;” and the former ” My Dungeon Shook,” which is a letter Baldwin wrote t o his nephew a few months later, on occasion of the 100-yea r anniversary of the emancipation of all enslaved people in the USA. It is in this chronological order that the Library Book Clu b will read the essays.  James Baldwin (1924 – 1987) grew up in Harlem, New York City, and was a writer of novels, e ssays, poems and plays; as well as civil rights activist an d public intellectual. At age 24, he left New York City for Paris, where he lived nine years, and which would be a gateway for&n bsp;years of travel across Eurasia and Africa. It is in this con text, of observing his home country from abroad and he aring of the civil rights movement, that he wrote the two essays at h and.  In The Fire Next Time Baldwin mana ges a societal critique that is deeply personal, clear cut yet l oving, and activating. In our own time, that is seemingly&n bsp;defined by fracture, it is worthwhile to sit with his observ ant, patient and invigorating analysis. What can we learn from Baldwin’s portrayal of race, religion& nbsp;and society in our own context; and what would we have to add?&n bsp; “… America and all the Western nations will be forced to re-examine themselves and release themselves from many things that a re now taken to be sacred, and to discard nearly all the assumptions that have been used to justify their lives and their anguish and thei r crimes so long.” -James Baldwin, “Down at the Cross,”&nb sp;The Fire Next Time (Penguin, 2024): p. 34. 

Practicalities 

  • We’ve pi cked the Penguin Modern Classics edition of 2024 as a refer ence point (ISBN 9780140182750), so page numbers al ign with that edition. 
  • For the  first session we’ll be discussing pp. 9 – 36< /strong>, which is the opening of the essay “Down at the Cross ” (until the break at ‘… we got rid of Him.’). F or session t wo, we read on till p. 61 (br eak at ‘… at the enemy’s door.’); and for < /strong>session three  we finish “Down at the Cross” (till p. 78) and read “My Dungeon Shook”< /strong> (pp. 1 – 8). 
  • This book club season co nsists of three biweekly sessions on Tuesdays 14 April, 28& nbsp;April and 12 May; you’re not obliged to  participate all sessions. 
  • The location is the Library Lounge, at the entry of the Uni versity Library in the Main Building (HG-01A01). 
  • There’s no need to sign up. If you ’d like to receive updates and also to vote for book s in the future, you can join the group chat (WhatsApp). 

    • Schedule 

    5:30 p.m. walk-in: you’re welcome to come in early, to bridge time or to bring and have dinner.  6:15 p.m. openi ng: we kick off with a round of introductions, and a brief introducti on of the book.  6:25 p.m. group discussion: we share our experience and findings reading the book so far.  7:25 p.m. summarising: we look ahea d to the next session and summarise today’s session.  ; 7:45 p.m. end or socialising: we end the sess ion, although you’re welcome to stick around until the building clo ses. 

    About the Library Book Club  ;

    The Library Book Club is for anyone roaming VU’s campus. We read a few books each year, and try to throw something new into the mix each time; passing fiction and non-fiction, poetry and p rose, short stories and longer ones along the way. Our libr arians select three candidates for a season and you get to vote. If you’d like to engage with this group more often, the easiest way to get involved is through the group chat (WhatsApp).   In November 1962 James Baldwin’s essay “Letter from a Re gion of My Mind” appeared in The New Yorker. It would become a m arker in USA civil rights history — his plea to ‘end the raci al nightmare’ was too conciliatory for some, yet transformative for others. His reflection on race, religion & society is essen tial reading for our own day and age. END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR