About

Background—This club began in the Autumn of 2004 when my brother Josh and I wanted to get like minded individuals together to talk about great literature. Our first meeting consisted of four individuals—my brother and I and two former students, and our first book was The Song of Roland. After that first meeting we knew we were onto something good.

At most of our meetings we ended up reading favorite poetry to each other and that tradition has continued. Members of the club have come and gone over the years. We even held club meetings in China one Autumn when I and most of our members were there doing a Study Abroad.

This blog is an attempt to connect with former members who have moved away but would like to keep in touch and participate in our discussions. I hope it will also be a venue to share our thoughts about the literature we are reading.

Statement—We read for the pleasure of reading. We talk about literature because it enriches our lives by expanding our minds, broadening our perspectives, and increasing our understanding of the human condition. We are not a group of literary critics. We do not subscribe to any specific literary theory.

We seek out, read, and discuss all good literature including fiction, poetry, religious texts, non-fiction and anything else we deem worthy of our attention, regardless of historical time period. We welcome those who love literature and desire to share their ideas and reactions to great literary works. This is not a social club but a society of like-minded individuals passionate about the written word and how it affects our lives.

A note on the name— Rocinante, of course, was Don Quixote’s faithful steed. It carried him on all his adventures. Likewise literature carries us into the adventures of the written word. Rocinante then is the vehicle that takes us to the imaginary worlds of great literary minds.

About me—My name is Matthew Christensen and I live in Provo, UT, but am originally from San Jose, CA.  I am a professor of Chinese at Brigham Young University where I have been for the past 19 years. I have loved books and reading since I was a child. My parents were avid readers and I cannot remember a night where they were not reading in bed. I wouldn’t say I am a voracious reader, but I cannot image a life without literature and being literally surrounded by books. Most of my reading for pleasure has nothing to do with the discipline I teach.

See my other blogs at:

intothemiddlekingdom.com

intotheoutdoors.wordpress.com

fatbikebrigade.wordpress.com