SALONS: THE JOY OF CONVERSATION

From the ancient Greek symposia to Gertrude Stein's famous Paris gatherings, salons have always been the incubators of provocative, even dangerous ideas: the frontiers of cultural change. People who might have been socially ostracized were included in salons, welcomed for their wit, intelligence, charm, and insight. And passionate conversation often leads to passionate action.

In 1991 Utne Reader launched a salon renaissance all over North America when it featured a cover story on salons. The response to the article was staggering, leading Utne to organize a National Salon Association that quickly drew over 20,000 members. Conceived and written by the folks at Utne, Salons is the quintessential authority on the subject, demonstrating that joining or starting your salon is just a living room away.

Salons offer a fascinating history of the salon and supply all the tools readers need to join or start a group of their own. Variations on the salon theme are explored, from studious book clubs and book circles to creativity salons and online saloning. A closing chapter looks at salons as bedrocks for activism and institutions for keeping social consciousness alive for the long haul.

Out of print. Quantities limited. Gently used.