Great Books Chicago 2012

April 27–29, 2012: a weekend of Great Books discussions and cultural events!

This year's theme is Things Fall Apart.

"Things fall apart; the center cannot hold," wrote the poet Yeats. Left to themselves, bowing to the law of entropy, things tend to deteriorate and fall into disarray, in both our personal worlds and the larger world that we all share. Unless, of course, there comes into play a principle that pushes back against this downward spiral. Call it mind or will or soul or love or even hope—something is at work keeping things whole. Join us for a searching investigation of this essential tension between order and disorder that pervades every aspect of our existence: from our personal relations with friends and family to our place in the public arenas of history and economic cycles.

Great Books Chicago is the Great Books Foundation's annual event for anyone who loves reading and talking about outstanding literature. Since 2000, the Foundation has been hosting this 3-day program of lively book discussions, performances by outstanding musical and theatrical companies, and visits to museums and other interesting sites in and around the city. But most of all, Great Books Chicago is an opportunity to get together with old friends and make new acquaintances who share the same commitment to good conversation about books and ideas of enduring value. Whether you are a lifelong member of a Great Books group or a newcomer who would like to get to know the Great Books community firsthand, you will find Great Books Chicago a stimulating, enjoyable weekend.

The weekend includes: 

• Lively Shared Inquiry™ discussions of Shakespeare's Timon of Athens; Chinua Achebe's novel, Things Fall Apart; and poems by Elizabeth Bishop, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Wislawa Szymborska, and W.B. Yeats
• A performance of William Shakespeare's Timon of Athens by the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
• BoyGirlBoyGirl performance monologues inspired by one of this year's readings 
• "Boom or Bust", a witty talk by financial expert Alex Pollock on the ups and downs of human prosperity
• More events To Be Announced!

For information on the Advanced Shared Inquiry Institute, please click here.

Registration fee is $275 (travel and hotel not included). To register, call 800-222-5870 or visit our bookstore.

The event will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Chicago, 10 E. Grand Avenue. Rooms are available at a new low price of $139. You can secure the group rate by calling 1-877-782-9444 and mentioning the Great Books Foundation. Space is limited, reserve early.

For details and information about Great Books Chicago 2012, contact us by e-mail or at 800-222-5870, ext. 7114.