Core Conversations invites you to join fellow alumni and Columbia faculty in an exciting program that encourages critical reading and thought-provoking discussions characteristic of the Core classroom, from wherever you are and at your own pace. In one to two month long sessions, alumni will read and discuss Core or Core-like texts through this private book club.
Upcoming Session
Painting Time by Maylis de Kerangal
October 18 – December 4
Led by Danny Smith Salfati, Lecturer in Art History and Archaeology
This five-week session will explore the relationship between art and artifice and the tireless task of a painter in Maylis de Kerangal’s 2021 novel Painting Time. We will approach the task of an art historian in reverse, examining how Paula’s mastery of material and subject matter reveal the attention and dedication required to truly see an image.
Looking for an introduction to the text? Check out Danny Smith Salfati's video below!
Past Sessions
Gilgamesh: A New Translation of the Ancient Epic translated by Sophus Helle, Postdoctoral Fellow at Princeton University.
Pat Barker's The Silence of the Girls with Nicole Gervasio GF'12 GF'14 GF'18, Lecturer, Department of English and Comparative Literature
Hamlet, William Shakespeare and Haider, Vishal Bhardwaj with Professor Benjamin VanWagoner
Claudia Rankine’s Citizen: An American Lyric
Boccacio’s Decameron with Associate Dean Martinsen, Maude Meisel, Margo Shohl Rosen and Adjunct Assistant Professor Nancy Workman
To the Lighthouse and Virginia Woolf with Professor Joanna Stalnaker
The Works of James Baldwin with Yujhán Claros, PhD candidate, Department of Classics
The Iliad, Homer with Kate Meng Brassel, Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Classical Studies, University of Pennsylvania
Republic, Plato with Associate Professor Marcus Folch
Julius Caesar and Othello, William Shakespeare with Professor Julie Crawford
Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville with Professor Richard John
Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky with Associate Dean Deborah Martinsen
How to Register
To join the book club, simply fill out this form by providing your name, email address, and class year. Once you sign up, you will receive emails from us throughout the current and future Core Conversations sessions.
Once you have signed up, you also have the option of joining the Core Conversations group on goodreads.com, which has a private discussion forum for members of the group.
If you are new to Goodreads, click "Create an Account" and proceed through the provided instructions to create an account.
If you have a Goodreads account, sign in and click the “Join Group” button on the Core Conversations page.
In the message box that appears, type your full name and your Columbia College class year so we can verify your Columbia College connection.
If you are not a graduate of Columbia College and would still like to participate as a guest of an alum, include the full name and Columbia College class year of the alumnus with whom you are joining.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m a member of the Goodreads group already. Do I still need to fill out the form to sign up?
If you joined the Goodreads group prior to October 2020, you’re all set! We’ve recently updated the registration process with the new sign up form to make it simpler to join. Joining the Goodreads group is now optional.
Do I need a certain edition or version of the book?
Faculty will likely not require a specific edition, although they may reference page numbers from the edition they are using. If a specific edition is recommended, it will be shared with the group before the session starts.
Do I need to read the entire book by the first session?
No. The reading plans provided assume you have not read any of the book before the first session.
Can non-alumni join?
Yes! Feel free to invite friends, spouses and family members to join you in a Core Conversation experience. Non-alums cannot join on their own, though, as our goal is to maintain the Columbia College connection. When your non-alum clicks the "Join Group" link, they must list the name and class year of their affiliate alumnus/a in the Note section.