Virginia Woolf & Luzanky [Lazuli Reading Series]
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Woolf/Luzanky Discussion Group
$35.00
$35.00
per item
Attend Discussion Group + Reading Rooms for "Luzanky"
"Luzanky" by V.B. Borjen (short story)
in conversation with
Jacob's Room by Virginia Woolf (novel)
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (novel)
and other short texts [details below]
With author V.B. Borjen
Discussion led by Sakina B. Fakhri (editor of AZURE: A Journal of Literary Thought and co-founder of Lazuli Literary Group)
Location: Online (Zoom)
Main Session:
Reading Rooms (registration closed): ​
Main Session: $35
Main Session + Reading Rooms: $95
*If you plan to join us, register as soon as you can! Once you are officially registered, you will be added to the discussion group and will receive e-mail updates about meeting times and supplementary readings as they arise; you will also be able to share your thoughts and reflections with the group as you embark on this reading project! (We will do our best to post some of the more salient points below so you can follow along even if you're not yet ready to commit.)
​
*As this will be Lazuli's first discussion group, we would like to extend a special offer to those who enroll in this installment of our series. With your $95 (with Reading Rooms option) purchase, you will receive unlimited access to any Reading Rooms (for this and upcoming installments) until June 15, 2021.
"Luzanky" by V.B. Borjen (short story)
in conversation with
Jacob's Room by Virginia Woolf (novel)
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (novel)
and other short texts [details below]
With author V.B. Borjen
Discussion led by Sakina B. Fakhri (editor of AZURE: A Journal of Literary Thought and co-founder of Lazuli Literary Group)
Location: Online (Zoom)
Main Session:
- Saturday, Feb 27 - 2:00 pm-4:00 pm ET
Reading Rooms (registration closed): ​
- Wednesday, Feb 10 - 7pm-9pm ET
- Thursday, Feb 18 - 8pm-10pm ET
- Tuesday, Feb 23 - 8pm-10pm ET
Main Session: $35
Main Session + Reading Rooms: $95
*If you plan to join us, register as soon as you can! Once you are officially registered, you will be added to the discussion group and will receive e-mail updates about meeting times and supplementary readings as they arise; you will also be able to share your thoughts and reflections with the group as you embark on this reading project! (We will do our best to post some of the more salient points below so you can follow along even if you're not yet ready to commit.)
​
*As this will be Lazuli's first discussion group, we would like to extend a special offer to those who enroll in this installment of our series. With your $95 (with Reading Rooms option) purchase, you will receive unlimited access to any Reading Rooms (for this and upcoming installments) until June 15, 2021.
Supplementary Texts & Areas of Inquiry
Note: This section will be updated throughout the month; texts and suggestions may be added as they arise in the Reading Room mini-discussions leading up to the Main Session. You are welcome, but not required, to read any of the supplementary texts referred to below.
2/24/2021
The Lazuli Reading Series aims to read contemporary works from our journal, AZURE, within the context of the literary traditions from which they seem to be--consciously or not--inspired. As such, we will begin with an author reading of "Luzanky" and discuss this work in relative isolation to Woolf; next, we'll move into a brief analysis of certain components of Jacob's Room, focusing on methods of external character construction, letter-writing, and absence; finally, we will spend the bulk of our time discussing Mrs. Dalloway. (FYI, if you find you only have time to complete one of these novels in its entirety, I would recommend the latter for the purposes of this book group). For the last portion of the session, we will do a re-reading of certain passages from "Luzanky" in light of Woolfian things and observe whether new reflections arise as a result of this interaction of styles.
Managing several expansive works (and some additional Woolf essays noted below!) within the two hours will undoubtedly feel unwieldy and overwhelming, but--I am hoping--it will be a whirlwind in the most thrilling way.
Woolf Novels:
In case you are in need of a searchable text or haven't yet had time to obtain either of the works, they are available for free online on Project Gutenberg:
AZURE Text:
The author (Velid) made some subtle but instrumental adjustments for the print version of our journal; that version, which we will consider to be the "final" one (as much as such a thing is possible), will be sent to you as a pdf. If you wish, you can take a few moments to consider how the changes (the pronoun shifts in particular) contribute to a textural change. Perhaps Velid will indulge us in his thought process during our discussion!
Supplementary Woolf Essays:
To me, much of Virginia Woolf's fiction, non-fiction, and criticism exists in a continuum wherein the ideas and their applications appear to flow in and out of one another in a very organic way; that is, they inter-illuminate in a way that feels enriching rather than reductive. Woolf's literary advice is so keenly embodied within her own fictional experiments that it can be fascinating, I think, to read certain passages of writerly anxiety and ambition alongside their fictional manifestation--to see what was sought and the imaginative cloud of possibility that exists between that and what was written (the totality of which might be termed the creation itself). To this end, we will look at excerpts from the following essays in relationship to the works above:
Managing several expansive works (and some additional Woolf essays noted below!) within the two hours will undoubtedly feel unwieldy and overwhelming, but--I am hoping--it will be a whirlwind in the most thrilling way.
Woolf Novels:
In case you are in need of a searchable text or haven't yet had time to obtain either of the works, they are available for free online on Project Gutenberg:
- Jacob's Room (full novel text - free): http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5670/pg5670.html
- Mrs. Dalloway (full novel text - free): http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200991h.html
AZURE Text:
- "Luzanky" was first published online in AZURE: A Journal of Literary Thought, and you can find that version here: https://www.lazuliliterarygroup.com/lu381aacutenky-by-vb-borjen.html
- "Luzanky" - subsequent print edition with some changes: pdf to be e-mailed
The author (Velid) made some subtle but instrumental adjustments for the print version of our journal; that version, which we will consider to be the "final" one (as much as such a thing is possible), will be sent to you as a pdf. If you wish, you can take a few moments to consider how the changes (the pronoun shifts in particular) contribute to a textural change. Perhaps Velid will indulge us in his thought process during our discussion!
Supplementary Woolf Essays:
To me, much of Virginia Woolf's fiction, non-fiction, and criticism exists in a continuum wherein the ideas and their applications appear to flow in and out of one another in a very organic way; that is, they inter-illuminate in a way that feels enriching rather than reductive. Woolf's literary advice is so keenly embodied within her own fictional experiments that it can be fascinating, I think, to read certain passages of writerly anxiety and ambition alongside their fictional manifestation--to see what was sought and the imaginative cloud of possibility that exists between that and what was written (the totality of which might be termed the creation itself). To this end, we will look at excerpts from the following essays in relationship to the works above:
- "On Being Ill" by Virginia Woolf (the following links to a collection of essays; scroll down for this particular one): http://www.gutenberg.net.au/ebooks15/1500221h.html#ch3
- "Evening over Sussex: Reflections in a Motor Car": pdf will be e-mailed
- "A Letter to a Young Poet": https://www.fadedpage.com/books/20120709/html.php
2/6/2021
One of the veins in which we will discuss the creation of character(s) through presence and absence in Jacob's Room, Mrs. Dalloway, and "Luzanky" is through their relative expressions in letter-writing. We'll consider the following excerpt, in Woolf's words, particularly with reference to the many 'letters' exchanged in Jacob's Room (including how Jacob judges the writing of other women, his friend Bonamy, and himself). What is revealed in the letters and not in the prose, and vice versa? How does this interact with Woolf's conception of poetry vs. prose as a mode of character-building?
From Woolf's "A Letter to a Young Poet":
"The art of letter-writing has only just come into existence. It is the child of the penny post. And there is some truth in that remark, I think. Naturally when a letter cost half a crown to send, it had to prove itself a document of some importance; it was read aloud; it was tied up with green silk; after a certain number of years it was published for the infinite delectation of posterity. But your letter, on the contrary, will have to be burnt. It only cost three-halfpence to send. Therefore you could afford to be intimate, irreticent, indiscreet in the extreme. What you tell me about poor dear C. and his adventure on the Channel boat is deadly private; your ribald jests at the expense of M. would certainly ruin your friendship if they got about; I doubt, too, that posterity, unless it is much quicker in the wit than I expect, could follow the line of your thought from the roof which leaks ("splash, splash, splash into the soap dish") past Mrs. Gape, the charwoman, whose retort to the greengrocer gives me the keenest pleasure, via Miss Curtis and her odd confidence on the steps of the omnibus; to Siamese cats ("Wrap their noses in an old stocking my Aunt says if they howl"); so to the value of criticism to a writer; so to Donne; so to Gerard Hopkins; so to tombstones; so to gold-fish; and so with a sudden alarming swoop to "Do write and tell me where poetry's going, or if it's dead?" No, your letter, because it is a true letter—one that can neither be read aloud now, nor printed in time to come—will have to be burnt. Posterity must live upon Walpole and Madame de Sévigné. The great age of letter-writing, which is, of course, the present, will leave no letters behind it. And in making my reply there is only one question that I can answer or attempt to answer in public; about poetry and its death."
From Woolf's "A Letter to a Young Poet":
"The art of letter-writing has only just come into existence. It is the child of the penny post. And there is some truth in that remark, I think. Naturally when a letter cost half a crown to send, it had to prove itself a document of some importance; it was read aloud; it was tied up with green silk; after a certain number of years it was published for the infinite delectation of posterity. But your letter, on the contrary, will have to be burnt. It only cost three-halfpence to send. Therefore you could afford to be intimate, irreticent, indiscreet in the extreme. What you tell me about poor dear C. and his adventure on the Channel boat is deadly private; your ribald jests at the expense of M. would certainly ruin your friendship if they got about; I doubt, too, that posterity, unless it is much quicker in the wit than I expect, could follow the line of your thought from the roof which leaks ("splash, splash, splash into the soap dish") past Mrs. Gape, the charwoman, whose retort to the greengrocer gives me the keenest pleasure, via Miss Curtis and her odd confidence on the steps of the omnibus; to Siamese cats ("Wrap their noses in an old stocking my Aunt says if they howl"); so to the value of criticism to a writer; so to Donne; so to Gerard Hopkins; so to tombstones; so to gold-fish; and so with a sudden alarming swoop to "Do write and tell me where poetry's going, or if it's dead?" No, your letter, because it is a true letter—one that can neither be read aloud now, nor printed in time to come—will have to be burnt. Posterity must live upon Walpole and Madame de Sévigné. The great age of letter-writing, which is, of course, the present, will leave no letters behind it. And in making my reply there is only one question that I can answer or attempt to answer in public; about poetry and its death."
1/31/2021
Some words by Woolf to consider as you read both novels (a sentiment which I would suggest reaches its apotheosis in The Waves but leaves its developmental traces everywhere in her body of work):
“Suppose one thing should open out of another—as in an unwritten novel—only not for 10 pages but 200 or so—doesn’t that give the looseness and lightness I want; doesn’t that get closer and yet keep form and speed, and enclose everything, everything? My doubt is how far it will enclose the human heart—Am I sufficiently mistress of my dialogue to net it there? For I figure that the approach will be entirely different this time: no scaffolding; scarcely a brick to be seen; all crepuscular, but the heart, the passion, the humour, everything as bright as fire in the mist.”
Jacob's Room is particularly interesting in this regard, as it can--in some sense--be seen as ALL scaffolding, and in another, none.
“Suppose one thing should open out of another—as in an unwritten novel—only not for 10 pages but 200 or so—doesn’t that give the looseness and lightness I want; doesn’t that get closer and yet keep form and speed, and enclose everything, everything? My doubt is how far it will enclose the human heart—Am I sufficiently mistress of my dialogue to net it there? For I figure that the approach will be entirely different this time: no scaffolding; scarcely a brick to be seen; all crepuscular, but the heart, the passion, the humour, everything as bright as fire in the mist.”
Jacob's Room is particularly interesting in this regard, as it can--in some sense--be seen as ALL scaffolding, and in another, none.
Lazuli Reading Series: General Format
Each of our discussion groups involves several components. Over the course of a month (sometimes a bit less and sometimes a bit more, depending on the relative hefts of the texts at hand), we will hold weekly optional, drop-in "Reading Rooms" on Zoom, culminating in one formal discussion of the featured works.
Main Discussion: Literary Analysis (online)
We will engage in a guided discussion of one AZURE work in conversation with works of classic literature and any associated theoretical texts. These may include other writings by the authors (diaries, reflections), artifacts of the work's historical reception, or analytical work by scholars in the field. Sessions will be led by scholars well-versed in the topics under discussion. Whether you have read these works in the past or have delved into them specifically for this discussion, we hope to engage you in a fruitful and insightful experience!
Author Reading (online)
In addition to our literary analyses of the texts, some (but not all) main discussion sessions will feature a reading of select passages of the AZURE work by the author. In many cases, the author will stay to lead, participate, or answer questions.
Reading Room (online)
These are drop-in sessions of dedicated, individual reading time that we will host online during the weeks leading up to your session. Our aim is to provide you with a virtual coffeehouse--you are welcome to drop in when you like, keep your camera on or off, and use the chat or the voice/speaking features on Zoom to discuss your ongoing experience with the reading material. The idea is to provide you with a time and space in which you can focus on the act of reading as an end in itself; to immerse yourself in a world of literature amongst a group. If you come across a beautiful line or a breathtaking insight and look up and hope for someone to share it with... well, you will have that. Some friendly guidelines will be in place, of course, to guard against literary spoilers (no one wants to accidentally overhear or flit across a mention of the ending of Bleak House 400 pages too early, after all!). You are welcome to mute the group when you need privacy or to come in and leave as you wish (there is no obligation to stay until the end and no requirement to arrive on time). If you're having trouble finding the time to commit to reading as much as you often wish you could, here is your space to do it!
Main Discussion: Literary Analysis (online)
We will engage in a guided discussion of one AZURE work in conversation with works of classic literature and any associated theoretical texts. These may include other writings by the authors (diaries, reflections), artifacts of the work's historical reception, or analytical work by scholars in the field. Sessions will be led by scholars well-versed in the topics under discussion. Whether you have read these works in the past or have delved into them specifically for this discussion, we hope to engage you in a fruitful and insightful experience!
Author Reading (online)
In addition to our literary analyses of the texts, some (but not all) main discussion sessions will feature a reading of select passages of the AZURE work by the author. In many cases, the author will stay to lead, participate, or answer questions.
Reading Room (online)
These are drop-in sessions of dedicated, individual reading time that we will host online during the weeks leading up to your session. Our aim is to provide you with a virtual coffeehouse--you are welcome to drop in when you like, keep your camera on or off, and use the chat or the voice/speaking features on Zoom to discuss your ongoing experience with the reading material. The idea is to provide you with a time and space in which you can focus on the act of reading as an end in itself; to immerse yourself in a world of literature amongst a group. If you come across a beautiful line or a breathtaking insight and look up and hope for someone to share it with... well, you will have that. Some friendly guidelines will be in place, of course, to guard against literary spoilers (no one wants to accidentally overhear or flit across a mention of the ending of Bleak House 400 pages too early, after all!). You are welcome to mute the group when you need privacy or to come in and leave as you wish (there is no obligation to stay until the end and no requirement to arrive on time). If you're having trouble finding the time to commit to reading as much as you often wish you could, here is your space to do it!