Episode 2: The Art of Gathering (with Josh Blue)
In Episode 2 of Doug Reads With Friends, Doug calls up his friend Josh Blue—Grinnell alum, Hong Kong–based educator, and one of Doug’s daily companions thanks to a remarkably committed New York Times puzzle Facebook group.
Josh chose The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker, a book about why so many meetings, dinners, and events feel flat—and how intentionality, belonging, and what Parker calls generous authority can transform the way we bring people together. Doug and Josh talk about building community abroad, why Hong Kong became home, reading and book clubs, translanguaging and bilingual parenting, cultural differences in how people gather, and the risks (and rewards) of asking people to step outside their comfort zones.
For the next episode on February 6, I will be discussing Lost in Oaxaca with Alicia Hayes.
As always: the book is the excuse, the friendship is the reason.
Email Doug with comments or suggestions: [email protected]
Music by Eiren Caffall (follow her on Spotify)
Chapters
00:00 Welcome to Doug Reads With Friends
01:16 The Daily Puzzle Friendship
03:53 Nanjing, 2002, and the World Getting Real
06:42 How Hong Kong Became Home
12:08 Josh the Reader
14:58 Language, Bilingual Parenting, and Translanguaging
18:12 The Book Choice and Why This Fits the Podcast
20:03 Back-Cover Blurb and “Could Have Been an Email”
21:25 Thanksgiving as a Case Study: Who Belongs, Rules, and Bob
22:53 Culture and Language: What the Book Assumes
24:59 Gatherings at Work: Designing Workshops Across Contexts
28:20 Generous Authority and Being Human as a Leader
31:10 What Didn’t Land: Putting People on the Spot
32:17 Challenge by Choice and Posse Retreats
34:07 Japanese Communication Norms and Authority Across Cultures
36:46 Wrapping It in a Bow: Appreciation and the Next Gathering
41:01 Outro: What We’re Reading for Episode 3
