April Gathering: Albany Chesterton Society

When: Thursday, April 6th at 7 o’clock in the evening

Where: Scarborough’s in Latham

What: Chapter V – to – ???? (as far as we get) of The Ball and the Cross

V.   THE PEACEMAKER

VI.   THE OTHER PHILOSOPHER

VII.   THE VILLAGE OF GRASSLEY-IN-THE-HOLE

VIII.   AN INTERLUDE OF ARGUMENT

IX.   THE STRANGE LADY

X.   THE SWORDS REJOINED

XI.   A SCANDAL IN THE VILLAGE

XII.   THE DESERT ISLAND

XIII.   THE GARDEN OF PEACE

XIV.   A MUSEUM OF SOULS

XV.   THE DREAM OF MACIAN

XVI.   THE DREAM OF TURNBULL

XVII.   THE IDIOT

XVIII.      A RIDDLE OF FACES

XIX.   THE LAST PARLEY

XX.   DIES IRAE

February ACS: The Death and Burial of Dickens

We shall meet, as is our wont, at 7 o’clock in the evening on the first Thursday of the month (February 2nd, 2017) at Scarborough’s in Latham.

The plan (ha, “plan?”!) is to discuss the final 4 chapters of GK’s  work on Charles Dickens. What fun – check out these headings!

(IX) Later Life and Works

(X) The Great Dickens Characters

(XI) On The Alleged Optimism Of Dickens

(XII) A Note On The Future Of Dickens

Hope to see you there. Until then,

+ Chesterton CONTRA MUNDUM! +

January. Chesterton. Dickens. (& you… & some guy named Scarborough)

Announcing the details of our January gathering… Please join us and spread the word!

When:  Thursday, Jan. 5th at 7 o’clock in the evening

What:   Chapters 5-8 of Charles Dickens (1906)

• CHAPTER V         THE GREAT POPULARITY
• CHAPTER VI       DICKENS AND AMERICA
• CHAPTER VII      DICKENS AND CHRISTMAS
• CHAPTER VIII    THE TIME OF TRANSITION

Where:  Scarborough‘s in Latham

Who:   Readers, thinkers, talkers, listeners, philosophers, enthusiasts, wonderers, seekers of hope/ humor/ friendship/ dinner and anyone remotely curious about Chesterton (or Dickens). You need not have done the reading to be able to enjoy.

Why:  (See “who” section above.)  Because it’s fun, it’s restorative, it’s social, it’s thought-provoking in a happy way, and because you’ll need dinner anyway.

In the meantime, wishing you all and your families a blessed remainder of Advent, happy Hanukkah and merry Christmas.

+Chesterton Contra Mundum+

DECEMBER with the ACS

Announcing our next meeting:

When:    Thursday, December 1st, 7 o’clock PM

Where:   Scarborough’s in Latham

What:     Chapters 1-4 of Chesterton’s 1906 book on Dickens (available at amazon

              OR free here) …plus dinner, drinks, or any of the above. 
Why:      Because it’s rollicking good fun.  Because Chesterton is like medicine;

              because we need friends; because you’d be eating dinner *somewhere* that

              night anyway…
Who:      Readers, thinkers, laughers, wonderers, talkers, listeners, contrarians,

              gentlemen, ladies, well-mannered children, the curious, Dickensians,

              Chestertonians, or anyone who aspires to any of the above.

Biographer Ian Ker calls Chesterton’s writings on Dickens among his very best. Given the busy-ness of the season and (at least this month’s short notice), we’ll limit next meeting to just the first four chapters, but hope to crank out the rest of the book in January so as to keep things moving (of course, ACS follows the organic approach, so who knows!).

We hope to see you!

November ACS Update:

As our October get-together (robust turnout notwithstanding) did not lend itself to discussion of the 2nd half of St. Francis of Assisi, we have rededicated our November gathering to a final discussion of this book.

Please note that we will ONCE AGAIN try a new location:

Scarborough’s
497 Old Niskayuna Road, Latham, 12110.
Thursday, Nov. 3rd
7 o’clock PM

St. Francis of Assisi “biography” take-3.

In order to secure a private room, we commit to a minimum $200 party tab. As such, we really must know ahead of time that folks can and will show up so no one person (Matthew G.) is stuck footing a giant bill. While our laissez-faire, cat-herding approach has worked pretty well over the years, we want to be sure our lovely, civilized group of characters continues to thrive and provide community, camaraderie, laughter, support and intellectual stimulation for years to come. Finding the right venue (food, ambiance, acoustics, flexibility of the staff/owner, etc.) is a big part of the success of our group!

 

PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU PLAN TO COME.

For December, we will (at least begin?) GKC’s book about Charles Dickens:

Amazon here. or find the Free E-Book here.

Plotting our course; Rochester Conference and upcoming ACS agenda

1. Having made it about as far as Chapter 4 in our September Meeting, and seeing as how many had not had a chance to read or acquire the book in time (sorry!), we will spend one more month (and our October meeting) on Chesterton’s St. Francis of Assisi “biography.”

2. Our November & December selection was decided upon: GK’s study of Charles Dickens, just in time for Christmas.

3. Mark your calendars for ROCHESTERTON! The 13th Annual (and rollicking) day conference put on by our friends of the Rochester Chesterton Society and the Basilian Fathers at St. John Fisher College. If you’ve never been to one of these, I highly recommend it.

September ACS Meeting: St. Francis of Assisi

(I love this quote ^ because it is thoroughly and unabashedly ANTI-Gnostic… see below)

What: Chapters I-V of GKC’s biography of St. Francis

I.  The Problem of St. Francis

II.  The World St. Francis Found

III. Francis the Fighter

IV. Francis the Builder

V. Le Jongleur de Dieu

Where:  Smith’s, as usual.

When: Thursday, September 1st at 7 o’clock PM

Why:  Because we need each other (and Chesterton helps)

Who: Anyone* who a) likes Chesterton, or b) likes people who like Chesterton, or c) likes St. Francis, or d) is simply curious about any of the aforementioned & not-mutually-exclusive groups of people.

*You need not read or complete the reading to attend and/or enjoy! (We only ask that you be a tolerant/tolerable/nebulously proverbial good person who can admit that YOU, yes – you, are what’s wrong with the world.)

August: A Swashbuckling Return (to ACS)

After a semi-hiaitus, the Albany Chesterton Society will reconvene this week:

When: Thursday, August 4th

Where: 7 o’clock in the evening at Smith’s in Cohoes (171 Remsen Street, public lot and on-street parking)

What:  The Woman Who Was Chesterton (a biography of GK’s wife, Frances), & dinner & kindred company & manners & culture

Why: Because the world needs Chesterton and because WE need EACH OTHER ;)

Join us!

May Gathering

Friends,

Join us for the May gathering of the Albany Chesterton Society.

We’ll meet on Thursday, May 5th, at 7 o’clock PM at Smith’s Restaurant in Cohoes.

On the agenda: Part IV, Chapter X (The Case for the Public Schools) to the end of What’s Wrong With the World.

Who / Why / What: The Albany Chesterton Society exists to give thinking, reading, common sense people a happy excuse to gather socially and discuss the writings of G.K. Chesterton – a brilliant and prolific writer from the turn of the century.  All are welcome!

April with Gilbert

Join us this Thursday, 4/7/2016, 7 o’clock in the evening at Smith’s (WWWTW Part IV, Chapters VII, VIII, & IX)