I know most of you probably have gripes with the "dispenser of pithy wisdom" model of literature, but putting them aside, what lessons have you learned from works of fiction or poetry? They can be from reading in general or from a particular work.

Let's talk about literary analysis and criticism. How much of it do you do when you read a novel/story/poem for leisure?

does anyone want to make a group to read and discuss the canterbury tales, the faerie queene, or paradise lost? ideally, we would eventually read all three, but i'm open to making a group for just one book/poem.

meta-point about the website: would it be helpful to have a section or stickied thread to share and critique writing? it would be nice to share some writing, but i don't want to make a new thread for every dumb story i write. (also post ur writing here and i will read it)

how do you think about taste? what do you think the works that appeal most to you have in common?

what novels capture what it's like to be online? i feel like a day spent melting your brain on your phone is such an essential part of 21st century existence, and i can't really think of any novels that capture the unique horror of this feeling.

Any Chinese learners here? I've been thinking about trying to read How to Read Chinese Poetry: A Guided Anthology, but I think it's beyond my skill level. Would be nice to form a group to read together.