How to Be Book Club - "Being-Time" & "On the Shortness of Life"

Existential crises are like a persistent rash. There's no cure, but if you're suffering from the Big Questions, maybe the How To Be Book Club can be a salve. Come hang out in Book Club Bar's back garden one Saturday each month, and join us in discussing works of philosophical fiction from across different eras and parts of the globe. We'll read the book beforehand (and do us a solid, if you can—get your book from our store), and then gather for casual conversation over drinks. No preparation needed; just bring your book and your curious mind!

This June, we'll be reading a Buddhist text and a Stoic text simultaneously to examine both philosophies' attitudes towards time. Our Buddhist text, Being-Time by Shinshu Roberts, is an expansive analysis of "Uji" (or "Being-Time"), one of the most salient essays of the Shōbōgenzō (the foundational text of the Sōtō school, which remains the largest of the three main sects of Japanese Buddhism today). Our Stoic text, On the Shortness of Life by Lucius Annaeus Seneca, is an essay collection about the fleeting nature of time, and how to treasure the little time you do have on Earth. One of my favorite quotes from the book is "Live immediately."

This month's picks: by Shinshu Roberts

& by Seneca

What your ticket includes:

• $8 off any drink at the bar

Grab a brunch cocktail at the bar and tell us what you thought of the book! Our informal discussion will be led by BCB bookseller Keri Kelly.

Registration is capped, so please register early if you are planning on attending. Please note: gratuity for the bartenders is not included. Please use your tickets at the beginning of the event.