News
In the Room and on Zoom
We're bringing a Zoom option together with our live events, so you can join the conversation from the room or from wherever you are.
Building on our October 5 pilot at Four-Eyed Frog Books, and with new equipment on the way, expect a lively, interactive experience.
Stay tuned as it all comes together.
For Zoom information, email writeupthecoast@gmail.com
A Write Up the Coast Community Read
In collaboration with The Sea Ranch Lodge and Four-Eyed Frog Books
One book, read together — and the conversation around it belongs to all of us. You don't have to live here, or even be nearby, to join. Wherever you're reading from, you're part of our little corner of the coast.
- Read at your own pace
- The Chatbox — open 24/7
- Zoom conversations
- In-person gatherings, if you’re close by
Now Reading
The Professor and the Madman
Simon Winchester
“Elegant and scrupulous.”— The New York Times Book Review
A book that has stayed near the top of my own shelf for more than twenty years — and a story that has stayed with me just as long.
Because really: have you ever wondered how you make a dictionary?
Who chooses the words? Who defines them? Who decides what belongs? And what would our lives look like without one?
The Chatbox · Open 24/7
Meet Us in the Chatbox
Let's talk about The Professor and the Madman — and the book club itself. Comments, questions, informal meetups. No registration required.
This week: What retronym have you lived through?
Jump Into the ChatboxSchedule at a Glance
- Now
- Acquire your copy. Start reading. Check the chatbox. Participate with questions.
- Oct 2 – Nov 9
- Reading span — read at your own pace
- Tue, Oct 20
- Informal Midway Meet · Four-Eyed Frog Books · 4 PM · Bring a snack to share if you like
- In planning · Week of November 2
- In Discussion with Dr. Stephen Turton, lexicographer, joining us from Oxford, England, via Zoom. Stay tuned for the date and details.
- Mon, Nov 9
- Reflection & closing discussion · The Professor and the Madman · announcement of the December selection · The Sea Ranch Lodge · 4–6 PM (time being firmed up, coming soon)
Everything is optional, and a few details may still shift — see the notes below.
Ways to Take Part
Most of these are open to everyone, wherever you are — with a few for those close by.
Why This One?
The Professor and the Madman has stayed near the top of my own bookshelf for years — and the story has stayed with me just as long.
I first came to it more than twenty years ago through someone else’s recommendation. I’m not even sure I understood then why it mattered so much. Now it feels more relevant than ever.
Because when was the last time you stopped to wonder:
How do you make a dictionary?
Read at Your Own Pace
We’ll offer suggested page counts along the way, but they are only a guide. It never makes much sense to ask someone to stop reading when a book has your attention — or to push ahead when it doesn’t.
So follow your own pace.
Because we announced this first selection early, we have eight weeks before our Monday, November 9 reflection and discussion. The Professor and the Madman is about 230 pages, including the postscript.
That works out to roughly 29 pages a week — about four pages a day. Manageable. But we have a feeling you may not stop there.
On Monday, November 9, we’ll gather to reflect on the book together and announce the next selection.
Midway Meet
Tuesday, October 20 · 4:00 PM · Four-Eyed Frog Books
Halfway through the book, we pause and get together.
Pull up a chair in the room or join us on Zoom for an informal conversation. Share what’s caught your attention, ask what’s puzzling you, and hear what others are noticing — whether you’re halfway through, ahead, behind, or reading at your own pace.
Before we meet, we’ll share a few things to notice as you read.
No preparation required. Come wherever you are in the book.
Feel free to bring a snack to share for an informal afternoon potluck at Four-Eyed Frog Books.
For the Zoom link, email writeupthecoast@gmail.com.
In Conversation With…
Dr. Stephen Turton joins us from Oxford University in England
Date to be announced
A special part of Why This One? will be our In Conversation With… series.
During each reading, we may invite a scholar, writer, expert — or someone you might not expect — to join us for a live Zoom conversation inspired by the book.
Our guest for The Professor and the Madman is Dr. Stephen Turton, a lexicographer and historian of the English language at the University of Oxford.
His work looks at how dictionaries are made — and who and what they leave in or out. He is the author of Before the Word Was Queer: Sexuality and the English Dictionary, 1600–1930, and he is co-editing the letters of Sir James Murray, the first editor of the Oxford English Dictionary — the very professor at the heart of our book.
Dr. Turton will join us live on Zoom from Oxford. The conversation will also become an episode of the Write Up the Coast podcast, so if you can’t make it live, you can listen afterward.
The exact date and time will depend on Dr. Turton’s availability and will be announced in advance.
Where to Get the Book
The Professor and the Madman is available through Four-Eyed Frog Books — copies are on order now.
A limited number of copies are also available at The Sea Ranch Lodge gift shop. Their first batch sold out.
Or, of course, get the book wherever you usually buy or borrow your books.
Stay Tuned
Dates, gatherings, and guests will be announced as we go — and a few details may shift along the way. Check back here for updates, or reach out anytime.
At the end of the day, it's about people coming together.
Thank you for reading this one with us.
��� mark sanford gross