To foster communication with Welty lovers during the Coronavirus “separation period,” the staff of the Eudora Welty House and Garden has created a virtual book club called “Welty at Home.” Rachel Lott, Special Projects Coordinator, explains the details below.
Together, we’ll read and discuss Losing Battles over the course of ten weeks. Each week, we’ll read an average of 45 pages (see weekly page breakdown below). Then, on Wednesdays at 12 p.m. Central Daylight Time, we’ll host a live 30 minute book club discussion on Zoom, led by Welty biographer and scholar Dr. Suzanne Marrs. Our first Zoom discussion will be Wednesday, April 29.
To participate, link to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/99076184944
and use the Meeting ID: 990 7618 4944.
If you’re not able to make the Zoom video call, you can still follow along on social media. Each week the Welty House and Garden will post a quote from the reading on Facebook and Instagram. Comment on the post, and share your own thoughts and photos using #WeltyatHome and tagging @eudoraweltyhouse.
If you have questions or any problems logging in, contact Rachel Lott at rlott@mdah.ms.gov.
The page counts are taken from Eudora Welty’s Library of America Complete Novels.
- Week 1 – April 29 – (429-467) Beginning – “Out there with her flew the yellow butterflies of August…”
- Week 2 – May 6 – (467-526) “‘All right, did the ring ever turn up?'” – End of Part 1
- Week 3 – May 13 – (527-577) Beginning of Part 2 – “‘No, dear. I was too busy trying to steer you,’ she said.”
- Week 4 – May 20 – (577-607) “But it was getting hotter everywhere…” – End of Part 2
- Week 5 – May 27 – (608-660) Beginning of Part 3 – End of Part 3
- Week 6 – June 3 – (661-709) Beginning of Part 4 – “With a long sound like a stream of dry seed being poured…”
- Week 7 – June 10 – (709-749) “‘I’ll tell you one thing about that dress…” – End of Part 4
- Week 8 – June 17 – (750-788) Beginning of Part 5 – “There behind her, spread over her chair and ready to cloak her…”)
- Week 9 – June 24 – (788-833) “Jack and Gloria sat side by side on the old cedar log…” – “‘Don’t move. Wait for me,’ ordered the Judge.”
- Week 10 – July 1 – (833-879) “The car stood with its underside exposed…” – End