Newcomb regional book clubs take place to bring alumnae together for an evening of conversation in each city. It's a great way to build community, and we'd love you to consider being a host.
Our Fall book club selection is St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell, the Zale Kimmerling writer-in-residence.
These ten extraordinary stories introduce a radiant new talent, as well as a world—the surreal marshes of the Florida Everglades—whose outlandish predicaments magically reveal the truth of our own lives.
In “Haunting Olivia,” two young boys make midnight trips to a boat graveyard in search of their dead sister, who set sail in the exoskeleton of a giant crab. In “Z. Z.’s Sleepaway Camp for Disordered Dreamers,” a boy whose dreams foretell implacable tragedies is sent to a summer camp for troubled sleepers (Cabin 1, Narcoleptics; Cabin 2, Insomniacs; Cabin 3, Somnambulists…). In “Out to Sea,” Grampa Sawtooth is shipped off to a gated retirement community comprised of independently floating houseboats in a sea of man-made waves. In “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves,” the collection’s stunning title story, 15 girls raised by wolves are painstakingly reeducated by nuns.
Get Involved! Volunteer to be a Book Club Host
Are you interested in hosting a book club in your area? You can sign up online here.
Hosting Agreements:
- Our wonderful book club hosts create a warm and welcoming environment for meaningful conversations by offering a comfortable space and refreshments.
- If hosting at home isn’t possible, selecting a cozy coffee shop or restaurant makes for a great alternative.
- Hosts also facilitate the book discussion, helping everyone feel engaged.
- Hosts keep in touch with those who RSVP to ensure a seamless experience, including information about the location, date, and time.
- After the event, hosts provide an attendance list to the Newcomb Alumnae Office within 2 weeks of the event.
Support from Newcomb Institute:
- The Newcomb Alumnae Office will publish dates on website and in the monthly alumnae newsletter, collect online RSVPs, and suggested book club discussion questions.
- When available, Newcomb Institue will provide digital access to author events, such as the Zale Kimmerling event.
- Questions about hosting? Contact Elyse Harrison at eharrison@tulane.edu for more information.
Register for a Book Club event near you here!
- Birmingham, AL | October 5, 2025 at 4:30PM CT | Hosted by Beverly Erdriech (NC '61)
- Houston, TX | October 7, 2025 at 6:30PM CT | Hosted by Andrea Lapsley (NC '72)
- New York City | October 7, 2025 at 7PM CT | Hosted by Kaye Courington (NC '80, G*82, L*87)
- St. Petersburg, FL | October 9, 2025 at 6PM ET | Hosted by Nicole Etchart (NC '80)
- Dallas, TX | October 14, 2025 at 7PM CT| Hosted by Laurie Berger (NC '88) and Dana Gerard (NC '85)
- Westminster, CO | October 16, 2025 at 5:30 PM MT | Hosted by Katherine Britton (NC '04)
- Portland, OR | November 20, 2025 at 7PM PT | Hosted by Jessica Anderson (NC '94)
- Raliegh, NC | November 20, 2025 at 6PM ET | Hosted by Lindsey Purcell
- Bethesda, MD | November 23, 2025 at 2 PM ET | Hosted by Laurie Mablie (NC ‘77)
Dates are published as they are finalized, so please check back for more cities!
Have a recommendation for a book club book? Click here to suggest our next read.
