Pittsburgh Gay Book Club: ‘Open Minds Opening Books’

by Kate Opalewski

We all know that being social is important. It’s a good way to make friends and keeps the mind sharp. But finding the right social environment can be a challenge for some.

Take avid readers, for example—they may read more than they can keep up with, but at the same time feel frustrated because nobody they know finds lively conversation about a book their idea of a stimulating evening. So where do they go to unload about their favorite best sellers?

Try the Pittsburgh Gay Book Club, co-founded by Pittsburgh natives Jason Ward and Tim Lehner in November 2009.

“We met on a social network sight and discussed that there aren’t really any organizations for gay people to do something social without involving some sort of bar,” says Ward, 38, a flooring specialist for a home improvement center. “We understand a book club may sound boring, but we’re really fun.”

He adds, “And we don’t limit our club to just gay men. Everyone who is free-spirited and loves to read is welcome.”

The club meets once a month at a local Borders bookstore (one of the most gay-friendly facilities according to Ward). No application is necessary to join; it’s free of charge with the exception of having to purchase the books if they cannot be borrowed from the library.

The goal is for members to experience authors or genres that they are interested in.

“We encourage members to explore outside their comfort zone,” says Ward, adding that the books do not have to be gay-themed.

“Each member proposes a title that they would like to read and we vote. The selection which receives the most votes is read for the following month.”

If at all possible, the club will choose a local author of interest, such as Ralph Ashworth, the winner of the October 2007 Borders fiction writing contest for his book Killer of Orchids. Ashworth, who also won Out Publications’ then-annual fiction writing contest in November 1992, started attending meetings regularly just a few months ago.

“I love the book club, and I was honored to be selected as the first author,” says Ashworth. “It’s not a snooty group at all. We’re friendly, discussions are courteous and there are no off-limit topics. A gay book club should be fun, and because we’re all interested in different types of writing, who knows what we’ll do in the future.”

Recent selections include: The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (July), The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx (June), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (May) and A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood (April).

Around 23 members, ranging wildly in age and profession, have joined. Like 60-year-old Craig Melichar, a Pittsburgh resident who loves to read, but because of his schedule, had trouble getting through the entire book.

“This club has forced me to finish a book every month,” says Melichar. “You don’t have to be a book worm to join. It’s a nice sense of accomplishment and a reason to get together with a great group of people. It’s easy for me to blow through 600 pages now.”

Melichar finds that the well-chosen selections have inspired “a lot of great conversation.”

“We get lots of different opinions and perspectives on the same book, which increases your appreciation for the book and the author,” Melichar says. “It’s also a fun way to finish something you start.”

The Pittsburgh Gay Book Club meets the third Wednesday of each month at 7pm; meeting locations change to different book stores in different areas around Pittsburgh so that members will have at a few meetings a year near where they live.

August’s selection for the Pittsburgh Gay Book Club is The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentlemen Farmers: An Unconventional Memoir by Josh Kilmer-Purcell.

This month’s meeting is the third Wednesday, Aug. 18, which is tentatively scheduled at Joseph Beth Booksellers in the South Side Works.

For more information about the club, visit www.pittsburghgaybookclub.blogspot.com/.