This month, we're reading and discussing Winesburg, Ohio, by Sherwood Anderson, a "short story cycle," or collection of interconnected short stories, that explores the lives, secrets, resentments, and quiet longings of neighbors in a small Midwestern town. You may never have heard of the book, but it inspired a generation of great American novelists, including William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, and John Steinbeck. As always, no formal analysis required—just good discussion and good company.

We'll need at least two registrations to hold the discussion, so we strongly encourage you to register. (You can always cancel if you won't be able to join us.) Copies of the book are available for checkout at the first-floor service desk.

About Connect With the Classics

This is a monthly series of casual discussions about "classic" literature, defined very loosely. Discussions are open to all, whether you're an occasional reader or a serious book club fan.

About Winesburg, Ohio

Winesburg, Ohio is a little-known masterpiece that forever changed the course of American storytelling. Bittersweet and richly insightful, it reveals Sherwood Anderson's special talent for transforming the small moments of life into timeless folk tales. At the center of this collection of stories stands George Willard, an earnest young reporter for the Winesburg Eagle who sets out to gather the town's daily news. He ends up discovering the town's deepest secrets as, one by one, the townsfolk confide their hopes, dreams, and fears to the reporter. In their recollections of first loves and last rites, of sprawling farms and winding country roads, the town rises vividly and poignantly to life. With polished prose and fresh imagery, Winesburg, Ohio is an American classic that celebrates small-town life in the lost days of innocence and goodwill.