SHARED INTEREST GROUPS (SIGS)

A Benefit of SOAR LLI Membership

Shared Interest Groups or SIGs are a way for SOAR members to take a deep dive into areas of common interest. SOAR’s SIGs are intimate, hosted by a SOAR volunteer (or team of volunteers) and typically meet once a month (presently only on Zoom) to discuss a book, film, or issue. SOAR SIGs are a free benefit of SOAR membership and are a wonderful way to connect with other SOAR members from Wayne County to Traverse City to Florida and beyond!

Book Clubs

Do you love to read? SOAR has a book club for you!

“Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.”
—Mason Cooley (1927-2002)

Like millions of adults aged 55 and better, SOAR members love to read (or listen to) and discuss books. SOAR has several Shared Interest Groups focused on different genres of books: from fiction to non-fiction, classic literature to current best-sellers, and even detective novels. SOAR Book Groups are led by one or more of SOAR’s devoted volunteer facilitators and are designed to encourage a deeper understanding of the books, and foster healthy discussion, while promoting friendship and fun.

The Book Club

SOAR’s first Shared Interest Group, the SOAR Book Club remains one of the most popular. The award-winning fiction and non-fiction books chosen are selected by the members of the SOAR Book Club who take turns moderating discussions. The SOAR book club meets on the third Friday of each month at 1:00 p.m. on Zoom. To join this wonderful group, please contact co-leader Bonnie Cousens.

The Book Club Books for 2024

January 19: The Maid by Nita Prose
February 16: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
March 15: The Left-Handed Woman by Peter Handke
April 19: The Topeka School (3:30 p.m. start time) by Ben Lerner
May 17: The Nickel Boys (3:30 p.m. start time) by Colson Whitehead
June 21: Hotel Cuba by Aaron Hamburger
July 19: The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
August 16: Less by Sean Greer
September 20: This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel
October 18: Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
November 15: No Meeting
December 20: No Meeting

The History Book Club

The SOAR History Book Group launched in 2020 and focuses on literary, nonfiction books which highlight a particular historic event or era. Members help nominate award-winning or highly notable books, and are read in advance to discuss. This book group meets once a month on the second Friday on Zoom at 1:30 p.m. For more information, please email Diane Henderson at dianedhenderson@gmail.com.

The History Book Club Books for 2024

January 12: Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World by Margaret MacMillan
February 9: Plain, Honest Men: The Making of the American Constitution by Richard Beeman
March 8: Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
April 12: The Coming of the Third Reich by Richard Evans
May 10: Napoleon’s Master: A Life of Prince Talleyrand by David Lawday
June 14: A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plan to Take Over America by Timothy Egan
July: No Meeting
August: No Meeting
September 13: John Quincy Adams: A Life by Harlow Unger
October 11: Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948 by Madeleine Albright
November 8: 1920: The Year of the Six Presidents by David Pietrusza
December 13: Crusader for Justice: Federal Justice Damon J. Keith by Peter Hammer & Trevor Coleman

The SOAR Literary Society

The SOAR Literary Society is for literature lovers who wish to discuss authors and their works, and delve deeply into their themes, styles, messages, and lives. Books are read in advance and the group is open to 25 people per discussion.

The SOAR Literary Society is the brainchild of SOAR faculty member Sharon O’Brien and was introduced during her fall 2020 class, “Fitzgerald and Hemingway Revisited.” Meetings last about 90 minutes on the third Wednesday of every month beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Zoom. When classes are in session, the the SOAR Literary Society meets at 3:30 p.m. on Zoom. For more information, please email Sharon O’Brien at aa9938@wayne.edu. Members will receive an email each month confirming meeting dates and book selections.

The SOAR Literary Society Books for 2024

January 17: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
February 21: Hombre by Elmore Leonard
March 20: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
April 17: The Bluest Eye (3:30 p.m. start time) by Toni Morrison
May 15: My Last Duchess (3:30 p.m. start time) by Robert Browning
June 19: Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
July 17: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
August 21: Tell Me a Riddle and I Stand Here Ironing two stories by Tillie Olsen
September 18: The Dead by James Joyce
October 16: Animal Farm (3:30 p.m. start time) by George Orwell
November 20: Misery and A Father (3:30 p.m. start time) two stories by Anton Chekhov
December: No Meeting

The Detective Novel Club

Chief Inspector Sharon O’Brien launched this book club in June 2022 and will pry the genre of detective novels. If you love a good mystery, this is the book club for you! Please email Sharon O’Brien to sign up for the club. This book club meets once a month on the second Thursdays at 3:30 p.m on Zoom.

The Detective Novel Club Books for 2024

January 11: The Mystery of Marie Roget by Edgar Allen Poe
February 15: A Scandal in Bohemia by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
March 14: A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell
April 11: Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell
May 9: Raylan by Elmore Leonard
June 13: No Meeting
July 11: The Murder of Roger Akroyd by Agatha Christie
August 8: Cover Her Face by P.D. James
September 12: Maigret and the Headless Corpse by Georges Simenon
October 10: The Gutting of Couffignal by Dashiell Hammett
November 14: Trouble is My Business by Raymond Chandler
December 12: No Meeting

First Friday Movie Club

Films watched and discussed by members of the First Friday Movie Club encompass a broad range of genres: some are classics, others are contemporary. Some are American blockbuster hits and others are foreign independent gems. All films selected lend themselves to robust discussion and discovery and are watched in advance of the discussion session.

Group members view films independently in advance via their public library or streaming services like On Demand, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google, Vudu or Netflix. Contact hosts Ralph Stromberg or Sharon O’Brien to confirm meeting dates and film selections. Contact Ralph at ralphastromberg@gmail.com or Sharon at aa9938@wayne.edu.

This group is currently meeting virtually via Zoom on the first Friday of every month at 1:00 PM.

First Friday Movie Club Selections for 2024:

January 5: Hannah and Her Sisters — with Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, and Michael Caine
February 2: Golda — with Helen Mirren, Zed Josef, and Liev Schreiber
March 1: The Mustang — Matthias Schoenaerts, Gideon Adlon, and Bruce Dern
April 5: Giant — with Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean
May 3: Killers of the Flower Moon — with Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone
June 7: American Fiction — with Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, and John Ortiz
July 5: Amadeus — with F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, and Jeffrey Jones
August 2: Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle — with Jennifer Jason Leigh, Matthew Broderick, and Campbell Scott
September 6: Anatomy of a Fall — with Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud, and Milo-Machado-Graner
October 4: No Meeting
November 8: Fences — with Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, and Stephen McKinley
December 6: Boyhood — Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, and Ethan Hawke

Women’s Issues Group

Interested in joining a group of SOAR members to discuss issues especially relevant to women? The SOAR Women’s Issues Group chooses topics ranging from sexism and feminism, to ageism and women in business. The group considers women roles in politics, parenting and grandparenting, along with a host of other issues. Many meetings will feature advance readings, videos and other resources, and all will include a host to facilitate a rich discussion.

The SOAR Women’s Issues Group chooses topics ranging from sexism and feminism, to ageism and women in business. The group considers women roles in politics, parenting and grandparenting, along with a host of other issues. Many meetings will feature advance readings, videos and other resources, and all will include a host to facilitate a rich discussion. Meetings are informal and the group welcomes up to 25 people. At this time, these meetings are on hold.

If you are interested in any information about this dynamic group, please contact Diane Henderson at dianedhenderson@gmail.com.

Here’s a look at a few our our past topics:

2023:

July: How Men and Women Communicate

Aug: Why Women Don’t Always Support Each Other

2022:

April: Women Film Directors

May: Women and Alcohol

June: Women as Role Models

Great Decisions

Launched in the spring of 2022, this new SIG, led by SOAR faculty members, Al Darold and Dan Harmon focuses on the outcomes of a topic from current events. This group will meet once quarterly, on Tuesdays at 1 p.m., with each discussion focused on a topic “ripped from the headlines.” Members will consider the topic’s impact and outcomes and will also help to select topics and meeting dates for future classes. Interested in joining? Please contact Al Darold or Dan Harmon.

Great Decisions Topics for 2024

Tuesday, March 19: Political Polarization

Tuesday, June 4: The Security of U.S. Elections

Tuesday, September 10: The Supreme Court

Tuesday, December 10: A Reflection on the Election

The Roaring Twenties

SOAR LLI members are invited to join the new SOAR LLI Shared Interest Group (SIG) the Roaring Twenties, which will explore the culture, literature, art, and music from 1919 to 1929. This SIG will meet for the first time on October 9, 2024, at 3:30 p.m. on Zoom, hosted by Sharon O’Brien. We will continue to meet the second Wednesday of every month, except December, on Zoom at 3:30 p.m.

If you are interested in joining this SIG, please email Sharon O’Brien at aa9938@wayne.edu.

The Roaring Twenties Topics for 2024

Wednesday, October 9: Planning Meeting

Wednesday, November 13: A Diamond as Big as the Ritz by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Wednesday, December 11: No Meeting