If you’re the type of person who fantasizes about being trapped in a library overnight, Zinzendorf Literary Society might just be the perfect club for you!
The Zinzendorf Literary Society aims to promote literacy on campus and within the Bethlehem community. The student run club meets once a week in the Afterwords Cafe on the bottom level of Reeve’s Library. They welcome English majors, minors, and literature enthusiasts to enjoy a relaxed evening revolving around literature and baked goods.
If you’re thinking that this is going to be just a simple book club, you’d be wrong. Instead of assigning a book and having weekly discussions on readings, ZLS focuses more on themes in literature and how they apply to our current world and way of life, as well as allowing members to share their own academic and creative writing pieces in a safe and judgment free environment.
As though the lure of literature wouldn’t be enough to have bibliophiles jumping at joining, ZLS also offers Pizza and Poetry nights when you can enjoy listening to others recite their original or favorite poems within arm’s reach of pizza, or maybe even brave the stage and recite one of your own.
Zinzendorf Literary Society hosts two major campus-wide trips on alternating years: Dodge Poetry Festival and Poe Evermore. The Dodge Poetry Festival is the county’s largest poetry festival attracting 14,000-17,000 people biennially. Poe Evermore is an immersion experience in the world of Edgar Allen Poe and his written works through stage readings performed by actors.
Last Spring, the ZLS collaborated with fellow clubs; the Manuscript, Latino Student Union, Black Student Union, and Artist Unleashed to create MoCo Speaks, an evening of spoken word, poetry, and performances including one from guest group Basement Poems.
As President of the Zinzendorf Literary Society, Julia George, says, “We are the club to join to enjoy the company of other lovers of literature.”