The Ouroboros Project Book Club — Reading as Practice

We gather both in person and virtually (RSVP for virtual access), not simply to consume books but to inhabit them—to let them speak through us, unsettle us, and call us into new ways of seeing.

Our ethos is rooted in Stringfellow Barr’s Notes on Dialogue. We listen with the “mind’s ear,” think and converse 'with' rather than 'at' each other, and treat dialogue as a cooperative search for understanding, not a contest of cleverness. Brevity, curiosity, and playfulness are valued over monologues or point-scoring. Courtesy is not politeness for its own sake, but the condition of genuine inquiry.

The club is democratic and group-driven. The circle is protected, but not owned, by the host: authority exists only to safeguard the purpose. Members share responsibility for the health of the space. Books are chosen collectively, using ranked-choice voting, and every voice weighs in shaping the rhythm of our gatherings.

Each meeting begins with a threshold-crossing tradition to mark the transition from ordinary life into our sacred space for dialogue. We form a pact of presence—phones down, listening intently, hearing the intent and finding the good in the speaker, honoring both speech and silence. We explore passages and impressions, then harvest and share insights and “next practices” to carry forward into daily life. We close by thanking one another and acknowledging the web of connection we’ve built in that time.

This is not about finishing books, collecting knowledge, improving rhetorical skills, or winning arguments. It is about cultivating presence, testing ideas against lived reality, and forging connections strong enough to change how we see the world—together.

Info: 6:00 – 6:10 PM · Arrival & Threshold Ritual

6:10 – 6:25 PM · Introduction & Framing the Circle

6:25 – 7:00 PM · First Impressions & Dialogue

7:00 – 7:20 PM · Future Book Selection & Group Decisions

7:20 – 7:30 PM · Gratitude & Closing Ritual

7:30 – 8:00 PM · Optional Social Time & Snacks

Also check out other Arts events in National City, Contests in National City, Meetups in National City.