Dear SSAWW folks,
The next meeting of the Northeast 19th Century Women Writers Study Group will be in Washington, DC on Saturday, October 28, in person. The organizers have put together a stimulating set of readings. All are welcome. If you want to be added to the email list for the group, write to Julia Dauer <jdauer@saintmarys.edu> — that way you’ll be sure to get updates.
As always, participants read the materials ahead of time, and come and enjoy a day of discussion and good conversation over a meal or two together.
Passing this along from Julia: Brianna Thompson and the other reading list organizers for this fall’s meeting. Brianna shares the following: Here the folder containing the readings for our upcoming 19thC Women Writers group meeting, and here is our cover letter.
I am pasting in below meeting host Marianne Noble’s letter with details about the fall meeting and the reminder that RSVPs should be emailed to Marianne Noble and Elizabeth Young (mnoble@american.edu and eyoung@mtholyoke.edu) by October 1st if possible.
(That said, last-minute attendees are always welcome.). If you’d like to attend virtually, please let them know that too. When you RSVP, please indicate if you plan to attend the Saturday night dinner.
Saturday Meeting: Our meeting will take place on October 28 from 10AM-4PM. The discussion will take place on the American University campus in the Mary Graydon Center, Room 200.
Parking and Campus Maps. Parkin the Katzen Arts Center Garage or the School of International Service Garage. It is free on weekends. Attached are a parking map and a campus map. You’ll see the Mary Graydon center right in the center of the map, right on the main quad. If you’re on campus, you can’t miss it. We’re on the second floor (stairs opposite the main entrance).
Saturday Lunch: For lunch, we’ll order from Chipotle and ask participants to split the cost. (AU’s budget is tight this year, and they cannot offset any costs for us.) The cost will not exceed $15 per person.
Saturday Dinner: For dinner, I’ve picked a great restaurant near the Churchill Hotel, Bistrot du Coin. https://www.bistrotducoin.com/ It’s a very popular, very authentic French bistrot. It’s a going-rate restaurant in downtown DC, which is to say not especially cheap (steak & fries is $32, ravioli is $26). If folks would prefer a cheaper restaurant, please let me know. There’s a really nice pizzeria (Pizzeria Paradiso, where pizzas are around $16. https://www.eatyourpizza.com/lunch-dinner). There are also nice Greek and Turkish restaurants close by. Feel free to browse Dupont Circle restaurants and make an alternative suggestion.
Hotel: There’s a discounted room block for the Reading Group at The Churchill Hotel near Embassy Row. Address:1914 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC, 20009.Their phone number is 844-823-4697 and their website is www.thechurchillhotel.com. The rooms are $189/night, which is quite a significant discount. Based on spring attendance, I reserved 20 rooms. If they run out, let me know, and I will reach out for additional rooms. If folks want a roommate, contact Marianne at mnoble@american.edu; I can help organize that. The cutoff date for reserving a room at the Churchill Hotel is Wednesday September 27th. At that time, the rooms will be released for general sale.
To reserve a room, use this link: 19th Century American Women Writers Reading Group or call Hotel Reservations at 202-909-2129 and identify yourself as a member of the 19th Century American Women Writers Reading Group. In addition to a significant discount, the hotel is providing complimentary breakfast and WiFi. The rooms are standard King; two upgraded suites are available at my discretion (!?!). Please ask if you’d like one of them. Parking is $55 at the hotel, but free at AU.
Travel to The Churchill Hotel. The hotel is easily accessible via public transportation at the Dupont Circle Metro Station. It’s a short (10 minute) walk up Connecticut Avenue. Here’s more information: Location page.
Map: Walk from the Dupont Circle Metro to the Churchill Hotel:
Bus to AU: To get to AU from the Churchill Hotel via bus, walk down Connecticut Ave and take the N4 bus at Massachusetts Ave & 20th Street. The N4 which will take you to AU (Massachusetts Ave & Ward Circle). It takes around 30-40 minutes. (If you don’t want to walk at all, you can take the 42, 43, or L2 bus from the hotel (at Columbia Rd & California St) and then transfer to the N4 bus.)
Map: Bus from the Churchill Hotel to American University:
Walk to AU: It’s a lovely 3-mile walk!
Friday night: The meeting hotel is in Dupont Circle, which is a very hip part of town with many great restaurants, bars, and open-mike music venues. We can touch base later about fun things to do Friday night. Check out: https://washington.org/find-dc-listings/dc-events