Delve Readers’ Seminars Testimonials

As of spring 2010, nearly 500 readers have participated in Delve, many hoping to enrich their understanding of literature with the input of other readers.

New seminars will be announced this spring.

Delvers Help Each Other Take On Demanding Texts

Molly J. Milan wrote, “I’d never wanted to read Jane Eyre [because] I’d always thought it would be too difficult and I wouldn’t be able to get through it. This seminar helped me read—and enjoy.” Caroline Petrich similarly shared that she joined a Delve seminar to read Virginia Woolf’s The Waves “because Ms. Woof always intimidated me. I figured I’d be better off as part of a pack digesting her work, rather than having to consume it by myself.”

Whether gaining courage to choose a challenging read or looking for more insight, participants share similar positive experiences reading classic books with their group. One Delver revealed a 30-year, unrealized goal to finish James Joyce’s Ulysses. Before joining the Delve seminar, “I was never able to penetrate it. This class made it possible for me to not only finish it but to have a denser understanding of fiction in general and Joyce in particular.” Caroline noted a similar accomplishment, after she joined a Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson seminar. She told us, “Reading poetry can be challenging for me. The pace of living in the 21st century doesn’t lend itself to thoughtfulness, and reading poetry demands this. Coming together in a group offered a way into the poetry, a focused place where I can pay close attention to the artistry at hand.”

The Delve Experience by Jen Fejta, six-time Delve participant:

I started participating in Delve: Readers’ Seminars when I was finishing my senior year of college. Until that point I had only been exposed to literary discussions within a classroom setting, so the whole experience felt a bit freeing. In a Delve seminar the point of the sessions isn’t to memorize the historical relevance of an author’s accomplishments or rehash well-established themes for a term paper. The point is the conversation itself—to share in the excitement, the difficulty, and the mystery that the text creates. Delve participants (who come from different generations, backgrounds, and educational levels) bring their own experiences to the table, their own questions and relationships to the text at hand; they become your literary comrades as you try to unravel the mystery together. Each year that I participate in Delve I witness this energetic camaraderie grow.

I’ve found that Delve provides an enriching experience, not only in its enthusiastic attendants, but also in its knowledgeable guides. The guides that I’ve worked with have provided excellent structure to the conversation, deepening the level of enjoyment with their specialized knowledge. They never allow you to rest on vague generalizations, but push you to examine the text from several angles and perspectives that you may never have considered before. I’ve participated in other peer-led reading groups since graduating from college, but I find Delve to be the most edifying program of its kind because of the intellectual caliber of both its members and guides.

Six seminars and many thoughtful conversations later, Delve has given me new perspective on what literature can do for a community. I can’t wait to see what Delve will show me next!

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