What I Saw in America Summer Reading Plan

Our Edition

This summer, the Society will be reading through the new Chesterton Society edition of G.K. Chesterton's What I Saw in America, featuring essays by Dale Ahlquist, Dan Kerr, Joseph Pearce, William Fahey, and Christopher Check, and some explanatory annotations by your humble webmaster.

Purchase your copy today at the Society of GK Chesterton's website!

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See below the jump for our meeting schedule and the plan of reading! 

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Our Schedule

We will meet on the following dates to discuss the indicated sections. I have also noted chapters from the original for those who will be using other editions (be advised, the supplementary content will be fair game for the discussion, so you may be missing out!). For those using our chosen edition, follow the page numbers, as these include the commentary.

• May 17, 2026: Up to page 61:
  • "Introduction" by Dale Ahlquist.
  • "What Chesterton Saw and What We See" by Joseph Pearce.
  • Chapters 1 - 4, "What is America?," "A Meditation in a New York Hotel," "A Meditation in Broadway," and "Irish and Other Interviewers."
  • RSVP FOR THE MAY MEETING.
• June 14, 2026: Pages 63-148:
  • "The Good Traveler" by Dan Kerr.
  • Chapters 5-9, "Some American Cities," "In the American Country," "The American Business Man," "Presidents and Problems," and "Prohibition in Fact and Fancy."
  • RSVP COMING SOON.
• July 19, 2026: Pages 149-212:
  • ​"Creeds and Chaos" by Christopher Check.
  • ​Chapters 10-14, "Fads and Public Opinion," "The Extraordinary American," "The Republic in the Ruins," "Is the Atlantic Narrowing?," and "Lincoln and Lost Causes."
  • RSVP COMING SOON.
    
• August 16, 2026: Pages 213-end:
  • ​"A Little Fugue in GKC Major" by William Edmund Fahey.
  • ​Chapters 15-19, "Wells and the World State," "A New Martin Chuzzlewit," "The Spirit of America," The Spirit of England," and "The Future of Democracy."
  • "G.K.C. on the U.S.A." (pp. 281-294).
  • "Chesterton's Second Trip to America" by Dale Ahlquist.
  • "A Closing Thought" from G.K. Chesterton.
  • RSVP COMING SOON.
    

Questions? Concerns? Contact us or leave a comment below!