Cornell Club of Maryland

(CCMD)

Big Red Bookcase

Coordinator | Maryland | October 2024 Onwards

Key Responsibilities: Book Selection, Preparation, Discussion Facilitation, Author Liaison, Attendance Reporting

Who We Are

We are alumni of Cornell University (and friends and family) who live in the state of Maryland and are happiest when we’re reading. We span quite a few backgrounds, and we range in age, but that poses no challenge as we get together virtually each quarter to discuss a novel authored by another of Cornell’s very own alumni.

We are a curious bunch. Our meetings are peppered with questions surrounding the chosen novel. The novels’ authors is with us, so these questions vary in their goal from sparking conversation among fellow attendees to sourcing behind-the-scenes clarity. To accommodate the full spectrum of availability, these questions are accepted both beforehand and spontaneously, during our meetings on Zoom.

We are democratic. Regular participants of Big Red Bookcase are surveyed on the upcoming quarter’s read and have continuous avenues of voicing their interests and sharing feedback. Readers are encouraged to nominate a specific title, likely featured on The Cornellians, or a wider genre. We’re reading Historical Fiction next!

“These are great questions.
Making me realize I've never discussed Vamp in a serious manner.”

-James Magruder, Author of Vamp Until Ready

Evolution of Format

Participants met quarterly and engaged in gripping conversation under previous leadership, but to energize our participants, I introduced:

  • Pre-Collected Discussion Questions: I circulate Google Docs ahead of our Bookcase meetings to allow participants to note down questions for each other as well as the attending author, who values being informed of the incoming questions, to the extent possible, ahead of our discussion.

Iteration 1: February 2025

Our first time around, participants were given the option to add to general discussion questions for their peers.

I had started us off with a set of probing thoughts.

Iteration 2: May 2025

This time, participants were encouraged to introduce themselves to the author.

We split questions between those directed specifically at the author or the larger group of readers.

Iteration 3: August 2025

Third time’s the charm! We stuck with sectioning off “Questions for the Author,” which ranged from personal to plot-related.

Introductions to a new author came naturally, with participants volunteering relevant details.

  • Book Selection / Availability Surveys: I distribute short, online surveys as a means for past attendees and CCMD members broadly to divulge any constraints around availability as well as novels of interest.

For a time, I shared summaries of chosen novels during Bookcase meetings, but I have since retired that practice, as it provided not much value. Attendees had consistently finished reading the elected novels, and now, there’s more of an opening for direct questions to an author!

What We’ve Read

CCMD members pored over the following titles during my first year of service as Bookcase Coordinator. We were joined by the author in each discussion!

Vamp Until Ready by James Magruder, Cornell Class of 1982

A group of lovable protagonists are central to Vamp Until Ready as they navigate Ithaca, The Commons, and the theater scene. Readers understand the transformative events —past and present— in each character’s life that shape them into who they become.

The Edge of Water by Olufunke Grace Bankole, Cornell Class of 2001

The Edge of Water trails multiple generations of women as they experience worlds that vary in kindness. The novel also zooms in on a few key men in each woman’s life. Hurricane Katrina is central to the story.

Love, Me by Jessica Saunders, Cornell Class of 2003

A lawyer and mother of two, Rachel Miller, unwillingly rewinds the clock after racy photos and letters to and from her now-famous high school boyfriend are leaked in Love, Me. Rachel —and readers alike— are forced to evaluate the state of marriage, relationships more widely, and career.

The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obreht, Cornell MFA Class of 2009

Set in an unnamed Balkan country, The Tiger’s Wife offers a glimpse into young doctor Natalia’s search for answers in the aftermath of her grandfather’s mysterious death, amid floating superstitions, stories of “the deathless man,” and secrets that line the very fabric of her routine.

In 2024, prior to the above, CCMD indulged in pages of: