By Kysa Anderson Daniels

 

A small band of Georgia Perimeter College retirees cluster inside a Sunday school classroom at a downtown Decatur church for their monthly literary ritual.

 

This particular meeting drew 10 people, mostly former English and science professors who also share a great deal of college administrative experience between them. Initially, they exchange greetings and nosh on snacks located near the room’s entrance.

 

After settling on one side of three rectangular tables, angled so that everyone is facing each other, the former educators dive quickly into rich dialogue about the book “And the Mountains Echoed” by Khaled Hosseini, the same author who wrote “A Thousand Splendid Suns” and “Kite Runner.” A list of discussion questions guides the conversation, which—at one point—centers on two of the book’s major themes: loss and decision-making.

 

“There were big decisions, and they were life-changing for everyone,” remarks Dr. Laura Breedlove, an energetic talker who uses her hands liberally when communicating. Breedlove spent 15 years at Georgia Perimeter as an English professor and department chair. Today, she is among the 10 former college employees attending the March GPC Retiree Book Club meeting.

 

The club’s been around for about five years, with participants getting together to discuss a good read all but a couple of months a year. Sometimes they gather at a restaurant, other times in a member’s home. The book club helps them stay connected to each other—and the college.

 

“It’s really a lot of joy,” says former English professor and humanities department chair Sarah Larson, who worked at Georgia Perimeter 30 years. She goes to book club meetings regularly and brings along her husband Alan, the only non-GPC retiree in attendance.

 

“I’m a scientist, and I tell my friends the best way to learn humanity is to come to one of these meetings,” says Alan Larson, a retired Georgia Tech professor, who reads books on his electronic tablet.

 

“And the Mountains Echoed,” set in Afghanistan, is about the relationship between a 10-year-old boy and his younger sister, and their father’s decision to sell the sister to a childless couple in Kabul. The characters developed throughout the book allow for plenty of interesting talk.

 

The gatherings are a way for former humanities professor Margo Camann to stay engaged with previous colleagues and good literature.

 

“I like hearing the diverse perspectives of the books,” she says.

 

At times the conversation goes on related tangents, even sounding like a history lesson. “The Mideast and even the Far East are very difficult places to deal with,” comments Carl Griffin, who retired as a humanities professor 11 years ago.

 

Ron Swafford and Sandra Waller worked jointly to bring the GPC Retiree Book Club to life after Swafford polled former employees asking them what types of activities they’d like as part of the GPC Retiree Association. The initial meeting was held on Clarkston Campus, but quickly moved off site.

 

“The premise was to go to restaurants,” recalls Waller, while noting that the first book that was read as a group was “The Help.”

 

Swafford spent 30 years at Georgia Perimeter before retiring. These days he devotes a lot of time to riding bikes with his wife on trails throughout the United States. Biking gives him a physical outlet, while the book club gives him connection and a mental boost.

 

“At least it makes me read a book a month,” he quips.

 

To learn more about or to join the GPC Retiree Book Club, email Suzanne Murdock at susan7782@att.net.