Book Club
The HoMA Book Club brings together museum community members interested in exploring the intersection of literature and art. Currently held virtually via an online platform, Book Club meetings are centered around docent-led conversations that weave together themes from books selected for their ties to the museum’s galleries, specific works of art, or related cultures.
Online meetings take place on the last Wednesday and Saturday of each month at 1pm. Pick up one of the book selections below, and join the group to enjoy an hour of lively discussion and personal connection to members of the museum community—everyone is welcome!
Free to join. Register here to receive Zoom link.
2022 HoMA Book Club Reading List
Sea People: The Puzzle of Polynesia by Christina Thompson
May 25 & 28
Discussion led by HoMA Docent: Marcia Morse
How did the earliest Polynesians—widely acknowledged as the world’s greatest navigators—reach the far-flung islands they inhabited? How did they conquer the largest ocean on the planet? Diving deep into the history of the Pacific, author Christina Thompson explores this epic migration, following the trail of the many sailors, linguists, archaeologists, and geographers who seek to discover who these ancient voyagers were, where they came from, and how they managed to colonize every habitable island in the vast region of remote Oceania.

The Bohemians by Jasmin Darznik
June 25 & 29
Discussion led by HoMA Docent: Sue Francis
“A portrait is a lesson on how one human being should approach another.” Dorothea Lange, 1965
In this work of historical fiction, we enter the early years of Dorothea Lange’s career. Best known for her photographs of migrant workers during the Dust Bowl, she started out as a portrait photographer of wealthy families in San Francisco. However, her experience there from 1918 to 1935 led to her later work as a documentary photographer, social activist, and visual artist. Lange did not document those early years in journals or letters. Taking the cues from Lange’s biographers and research on the social context of San Francisco at the time, Darznik imagines the forces that shaped the person and the art of photography that is Dorothea Lange’s legacy.
Registration coming soon.
