Hi hi, book luvers of /r/bangtan! It hasn’t been freezing where I live for all of 1.5 days and someone on the radio today said “the cherry blossoms want to say ‘we’ll see you soon’” which made me literally scream for joy because where cherry blossoms are, spring is. And where spring is, there’s Bangtan!! Until then, we have more “is this a spoiler” circus life to live, love songs to vote for(Spotify), Army-bomb presales to miss thanks to the Olympics (just me?), and a book-club discussion to keep us occupied!

If you’d like to join us next week or be tagged when the post drops, let us know in the comments!

📖 📣Discussion on ‘Ways of Seeing’ starts on February 21!

Ayy-yo, [Army] (what's up?), how you doin', you know what I'm sayin'?

Below is a discussion guide. Some book-specific questions and some sharing suggestions!

Book Specific Questions

  • What did you think of the book?
  • Have you delved into art books in the past?
  • Did any of the essays change the way you see images?
  • Which essay stood out to you the most?
  • Alongside offering new insight into how we view art, what did you think were some of the themes recurring throughout the essays?

B-Side Questions/Discussion Suggestions

  • Fan Chant: Hype/overall reviews
  • Ments: favorite quotes
  • ARMY Time: playlist/recommendations of songs you associate with the book/chapters/characters
  • Do The Wave: sentiments, feels, realizations based on the book
  • Encore/Post Club-read Depression Prevention: something the book club can do afterwards (on one’s own leisure time) to help recover from the book hangover.

Ways of Seeing by John Berger

Based on a four-part 1972 BBC documentary series of the same name, it is considered one of the most influential and accessible works of writing about art in the English language. Consisting of four textual essays and three picture essays bereft of text, this book deconstructs the dominant cultural ‘gaze’ towards art and connects it with the way we regard and ascribe meaning, both to works of art and to the world around us.

It's gon' be what it's gon' be, bro, you just gotta [get your copy]

See below for options on how to get the book

Author: John BergerPublisher: BBC, London
Original Publication Date: January 1, 1972ISBN-13: 9780140135152
Local libraries (where applicable)Amazon
Ways of Seeing WebsiteBarnes & Noble

Life is better [with some friends] I’ll prove it

We’re really looking forward to this discussion – it’s a bit different from our usual non-fiction offerings, no? Again, if you’d like to join us next week or be tagged when the post drops, let us know in the comments!

And because it’s Valentine’s Day and I’m still reliving the Benito Bowl (I was screaming the whole time but my Puerto-Rican mami cried so much🥹), wondering how I can go back in time to be a bush, I felt it appropriate to highlight his final message: “the only thing more powerful than hate is love”. So here’s to spreading more love, compassion, and understanding; not just today, but every day.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns regarding the book or the thread, feel free to tag me or any of the mods or BWL Volunteers.

…and the r/bangtan Mod Team