{photo by Pam Gerhardt}
“Of the things that followed I cannot at all say whether they were what men call real or what men call dream. And for all I can tell, the only difference is that what many see we call a real thing, and what only one sees we call a dream. But things that many see may have no taste or moment in them at all, and things that are shown only to one may be spears and water-spouts of truth from the very depth of truth.”
~ C.S. Lewis, Till We Have Faces
Today’s wonder moment gives you a peek into a fun tradition that we have here at SLOCA: staff book club meetings. As you know, we are a community of readers! So, a few times throughout the school year we choose a book, invite the staff to read it, and then get together to discuss it. Our literature-loving high school English teacher Paul McCullough usually leads these informal gatherings, and the size of the group ranges widely depending on the date chosen.
Recently we met to discuss Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold by C.S. Lewis, which many of the staff read this past summer. A fascinating twist on the myth of Cupid and Psyche, this story is full of deep metaphor and symbolism and all those powerful literary devices that make you want to re-read it because you know there’s so much there. We reflected on what it had to say about love vs. control, seeing yourself clearly, gaining wisdom through unlearning (or how the older you get the more you realized you don’t know), and many other themes in the book. Personal stories were shared by a few that helped us relate to some of the situations in the narrative.
It’s always a pleasure to read a great book, and the delight is only enhanced by talking about it and learning through it with others. Being part of a team that celebrates good books is rewarding and invigorating! We thought you might like to know that this is something that happens behind the scenes in our SLOCA community.
Oh, and we highly recommend Till We Have Faces, if you’re looking for a good book. Use that link to purchase on Amazon, or the school store would be happy to order it for you! There's also a copy in our school library.
