LitClub: BookWorm Mafia
San Antonio, Texas
BECAUSE THEY'RE "thuggish, ruggish" and highly irreverent when it comes to books. This self-anointed Texas "mob" is deadly serious about reading —they do two books & two meetings a month.
Two faces are rubbed out in the top photo. Is that like a Mafia death threat?
One of them is someone's ex; she left on her own. And the other we gave the boot to.
You mean like a cement boot?
No, but not a bad idea.
How did you get started?
Our mob boss, Mari "Munchy" Relue, had been working at a bookstore for several years and was let go. Starting the mob was a way for her to keep books in her life while being able to discuss literature with like minded ruffians.
So how many ruffians are there?
17—including 5 administrators: "Munchy" Relue, "Tommy Atomic" Scialpi, "Mumpo" Valdez, "Pocket" Garces, and Sarah "The Googler" Lewis.
It's hard not to notice your cool logo and T-shirts.
We have lots of swag (T-shirts, tote bags, aprons). Also, check us out on Facebook if you like inappropriate posts relating to books.....sorta.
Where do you meet?
Typically, at a member's house. Sometimes at local businesses—anywhere we can drink alcohol and get belligerent.
Well...okay. Any special activities, themed meals? Things like that?
Ding Dongs, food and alcohol... are those special activities?
Just the Ding Dongs. So what about outside of regular club meetings?
We support our local stand-up comedy scene, play video games, eat, party, etc.
Almost afraid to ask...do you do any community volunteer work?
We talk about it. And that's enough to get us feeling pretty good about ourselves. [Right...shouldn't have asked. —Ed.]
What about club rules?
First rule of book club is don't talk about book club.... Damn you for making us break our only rule.
Whoa...is that a threat?
Not sure...
On safer ground... You have a distinctive method of selecting books. How does it work?
We pick a theme out of a bag of criteria—books beginning with certain letters, gay authors, sci fi, etc. Members bring book suggestions that meet the criteria. A book is then drawn at random from those selections.
So let's talk about what you've read over the past year.
We meet twice a month, so it adds up. But here goes:
Domestic Violets (Matthew Norman) ♦ The Mist (Stephen King) ♦ The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty (Anne Rice) ♦ Rabbit, Run (John Updike) ♦ Persuasion (Jane Austen) ♦ The Adoration of Jenna Fox (Mary E. Pearson) ♦ Big Sur (Jack Kerouac) ♦ Eating The Dinosaur (Chuck Klosterman) ♦ Ready Player One (Ernest Cline) ♦ Story Of O (Pauline Reage) ♦ Where'd You Go, Bernadette (Maria Semple) ♦ Things My Girlfriend And I Have Argued About (Mil Millington) ♦ Fool (Christopher Moore ) ♦ Instructions For A Heatwave (Maggie O'Farrell) ♦ Breathers: A Zombie's Lament (S.G. Browne) ♦ It's Kind Of A Funny Story (Ned Vizzini) ♦ The Humans: A Novel (Matt Haig) ♦ You Might Be A Zombie And Other Bad News (Cracked.com) ♦ Geek Love (Katherine Dunn) ♦ Snuff (Chuck Palahniuk) ♦ Taken By The T-Rex (Christie Sims) ♦ A Clockwork Orange (Anthony Burgess).
Any all-time favorites?
Ready Player One (Cline) ♦ Where'd You Go, Bernadette (Semple) ♦ The Humans: A Novel (Haig) ♦ Geek Love (Dunn) ♦ Sex and Sunsets (Tim Sandlin).
Any disappointments?
Room (Emma Donoghue) — We were annoyed with the poorly written dialogue and most of us ended up hating the child and his mother.
Big Sur (Kerouac) — We just found it incredibly boring.
Generally, how would you describe your club and its members?
We are a group of young, drunk, literary lovers. We're a bit nasty, but we're generally good people.