Meeting 5: ...And Now Miguel & Onion John

March 14, 2009

8:37pm: Sarah calls meeting to order

8:38pm: Roll taken--intros--reading completions announced

PRESENT: Eric, Sarah (read both); An (read Onion John); Andrea (read OJ & 1/2 ANM)
ABSENT: Adam C (work; valid); Finkler (home/pleasure); A.Todd (chilling)

8:39pm: E.Todd calls for TV to be turned off

8:40pm: CF's bobby pins placed on table in her honor

8:41pm: Andrea caught texting by Eric--vote was requested and passed to have Andrea forfeit her phone-she hid it in her shirt

8:42pm: Sarah offers summaries/comparison/thoughts
--both of childhood maturation

8:43pm: Andrea interrupted to call O. John a rapist--Eric asked that this false accusation be limited, though debate on perviness of John is legit

--Questions included (on ANM)
---How did Miguel grow, what did he give up, how did you like ending-symbolism?

8:48pm: Gears shift to Onion John...

--Sarah lightens mood by suggesting O.J. is a veiled social commentary on insurance being a scam

--Andrea hates Onion John

--Sarah and Eric defend O.J. saying Andrea should have finished book to get more complete picture

--Andrea counters with images--described--of Onion John's "ding dong" bouncing around

--Let record show that Sarah is VERY prepared

--Sarah reads excerpt--pg. 6--to set up question...What is the town like? (good Q)

8:53pm: Sarah busts Andrea texting again--she doesn't stop--Eric's phone beeps--Andrea has texted him "I Win!" For the record, she loses, and so does the integerity of the book club

--consensus-small town, surprisingly tolerant of werid Onion John

--significance/symbolism of General Magneto

--Sarah reads excerpt, p. 216, Oedipus complex?

9:00pm: Sarah asks to pee, does it, An's phone rings...Andrea checks it

9:01pm: Andrea mentions her fucking yellow jacket that she's obsessed with

9:03pm: Andrea is disruptive; Eric suggests that Andy's mom is gettins some on the side from the Oniony one

9:04pm: Time had to be taken to council Andrea on why she is being so disruptive--she seems to have learned her lesson

9:06pm: Andrea threatens to start her own bookclub in Plainfield, to which Eric cleverly and humorously replies, "Can people read in Plainfield?"

--Andy's dad-good balance of limiting/allowing interaction with Onion John?

--Andrea makes Elizabeth Smart: kidnapper::Andy:Onion John analogy

--Poll: Did John's oniony fingers ever touch an underage boy's penis?
---YES: Andrea; NO: Sarah, An, Eric

--Where was Onion John from?
---Sarah/Eric: Eastern Europe; Andrea: Mexico Land

9:14pm: Andrea busted with phone AGAIN

9:15pm: Eric is the bigger man and apologizes if he's hurt her feelings tonight. She fails to reciprocate the gesture and shifts convo back to ANM-she liked when Miguel got lost in wool-points out a symbolism

9:18pm: Eric poses interesting, check that, highly interesting question-where are they now?

...Approximately 50 years later...

MIGUEL: Sarah: grandfatherly figure of ranch; Andrea: still on farm with family of own; An: n/a; Eric: political figure fighting for farmer benefits

MIGUELS BROTHER: Sarah: he's dead, killed in combat; Andrea: survived, disconnected from family, wife beater; An: n/a; Eric: killed in combat, he's dead

ANDY: Sarah: MIT, smoked pot, flower child, away from family, CEO General Magneto; Andrea: n/a; An: became wrestler, he's dead; Eric: children's author

ONION JOHN: Sarah: dead, died during cold winter 1963; Andrea: dead, brought AIDS to America; An: died, testicular cancer; Eric: dead, long happy life, kept to himself, friendly, but left alone

--During activity Andrea texted and expressed preference to see Royal Rumble over WrestleMania

STARS
OJ: Sarah-4; Andrea-2; An-3.5; Eric-4 (discussion upped appreciation)
ANM: Sarah-Cuatro (4); Andrea-3.3333333; An-n/a; Eric-3

--Next chooser--pick together? continue with member choice?
---Eric defends rotating member choice, nominates Memer Coppinger-nomination approved
---ambition goals for title selection and next meeting discussed

9:33pm: Meeting adjourned

POST MEETING COMMENTARY:

Sarah: organized, insightful leader, discussant
Andrea: generally, consistently, unabashedly disruptive
An: quiet, polite, input when requested
Eric: great contributor to discussion and question generator

***Courtney later read notes after haveing missed the meeding--commendable