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Longform Article Reading Club
Like a book club, but less commitment
 
Next Saturday April 25 we will meet at the North Beach Branch Library (850 Columbus Ave - map) to discuss a philosophic piece from Harper's Magazine in where the journalist interviews many different professionals in the death and dying business in search of an answer to the question: how does one have "a good death"? 
 
After our meeting at North Beach, we will meet exclusively on Zoom going forward.
 
In preparation for SFPL's summer reading program called Summer Stride, our article selections through August have been published! See the article PDFs or view the event announcements.  
 
Read the articles, formulate some thoughts, and join us for a "shared inquiry" into a deeper meaning of each article. 
 
If a friend forwarded this to you, sign up for this newsletter on the SFPL website.  
 
See you at North Beach on the 25th! - Kelci
  
Upcoming Meetings and Selections

April Selection:
"A Good Death"
by William Vollmann
It seems both rational and possible to minimize the likelihood of an unpleasant end. What then about a “good death?”
Harper’s, November 2010
  • Read on ProQuest, a library database that provides access to Harper's Magazine (SFPL card required) (this is a text-only version) 
  • Download the PDF
North Beach Branch Library
Saturday, April 25, 2026
10 - 11:30 a.m.
850 Columbus Ave
San Francisco, CA 94133 (map)
 
 

May Selection:
 " Clouds and Rain over Three Gorges"
by Xujun Eberlein
The man I’m now married to was a foreigner in 1987, when he and I took a heretical hike along the Yangtze. We went to the mountains of Wushan through which the renowned Three Gorges are carved. According to a Tang Dynasty poem, Water is hardly water after experiencing oceans / Clouds are no longer clouds apart from Wushan’s mountains. Until a dam—said to be the world’s largest—cut the Yangtze into two halves at the waist, those damned words were so poignant that they could make the stoic sentimental. 
American Literary Review, March 2014
  • Read on the American Literary Review website 
  • Download the PDF
Virtual Library
Saturday, May 30, 2026
10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Register on Zoom

June 2026 Selection: 

“The Fisherman’s Secret: A Modern-day Treasure Hunt”

By Tara Duggan and Jason Fagone; Photos by Santiago Mejia 
 
Giuseppe Pennisi: Do you want to see something that I found on the bottom of the ocean with my camera? 
It’s a really big secret. 
You have to promise. 
Not to show anyone. 
      -- Tara Duggan, reporter: OK. You are making me nervous. 
Can you guess what this is? 
     -- Drugs? 
It’s not drugs. What color is it? 
     -- Yellow? 
     -- Treasure. 
This is something big so we should talk about it at the dock. 
 
San Francisco Chronicle, Nov. 3, 2019  
 
  • Read on the San Francisco Chronicle website 
  • Read in digital replica on NewsBank, a library database (SFPL card required) 
  • Download a PDF 
 
Virtual Library
Saturday, June 27, 2026
10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Register on Zoom

Follow-Up From Last Month's Meeting
We discussed 
"The Dementia Paradox"
by Katie Engelhart

Some of us were team Kris and Juli (the daughters), some of us had very strong feelings against Diane's boyfriend Denzil, and some of us had more compassion for Denzil and what he was trying to accomplish with Diane despite being the poor man out. Almost all of us could agree the only winners were the lawyers and the court-appointed caregiver, all of whom helped drain Diane's bank account. All in all we were divided on whether Diane's changing wishes should have been honored, slightly leaning towards letting her daughters make the call on what was the best for her, although we felt sad about the way Diane ultimately lived the last months of her life, dying alone in the nursing home.
 
Our views and our biases stem from our experiences in the world, so it's only natural that we had different reactions to Diane's story depending on our unique experiences with caregiving and dementia. Each situation will vary, and while similarities will run through many dementia caregiving experiences, it's difficult to know what you would do until the moment you are faced with the decision yourself. 
 
You may be interested in these related articles from the New York Times website, especially those of us for whom the story of a loved one having dementia hits close to home. 
 

When Dementia Changes a Loved One’s Personality

Shifts in behavior can be challenging to manage. Experts have five strategies that can help.
Read on the New York Times website 
 

Dementia Comes in Many Forms. Alzheimer’s Is Just One.

Here’s what to know about the other main types and how they affect the brain.
Read on the New York Times website

Opinion Guest Essay: The Devastating Legacy of Lies in Alzheimer’s Science

By Charles Piller
Mr. Piller is an investigative journalist for Science. This essay is adapted from his upcoming book, “Doctored: Fraud, Arrogance, and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimer’s.”
Read on the New York Times website

Thanks for reading!
Selections are curated by librarians in the Magazines and Newspapers Center. See all 2026 selections. 
 
We welcome your suggestions!
Guidelines:
- Around 10,000 words in length
- Strong sense of plot driving the narrative
- Any topic or genre
- Preference given to articles from periodicals the library subscribes to   
 
Have questions? 
Contact us by phone at (415) 557-4453 or email at mnc@sfpl.org
 
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Magazines and Newspapers Center
San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-557-4400 https://sfpl.org/magsnews
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