• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Sandhenge Publications

Jim Potter, Author

  • About the Author
  • Author Blog
    • Sign Up for Jim’s Posts
  • Contact the Author
  • Read the Behind the Books Blog
    • Listen to the Audio Blog
  • Check Book Reviews
  • Sign Up to Receive Blog Posts
  • All Books

Book Club

April 16, 2019 by Jim Potter 9 Comments

https://jimpotterauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Book-Club.mp3

·  Reading Rendezvous ·

Miriam Bebe Kitson (L) and Rebecca Shetler (R), co-founders of Hutch in Harmony. Photo by Ryan Shetler.

It was good for me to get back to the monthly Reading Rendezvous Book Club at Metropolitan Coffee in Hutchinson, Kansas.

If you’ve never been a part of a group discussing books, you may not realize that success starts with amazing leaders. Miriam Bebe Kitson and Rebecca Shetler co-share that responsibility at Metropolitan http://www.metrocoffeehutch.com. They are excellent on many levels, including being prepared, welcoming, curious, flexible, interesting, and intelligent.

Thursday night we had seven people in our discussion group. It’s always fascinating to me how we never have the same group of participants two months in a row. They’re probably many reasons for this happening:

  • People are so busy that they have to make tough choices. Sometimes Book Club doesn’t make the cut.
  • If club members don’t finish the book, sometimes they believe they are unprepared to join the discussion.
  • Often the richness of the book increases the urgency to attend. A reader simply must show up to discuss it.

Book clubs are all different. The Reading Rendezvous group, (online at Facebook & Instagram), hosted by Hutch in Harmony https://hutchinharmony.wordpress.com/, focuses on injustice, so it attracts people of a particular mindset. It discusses a different book each month.

A friend told me recently that she belongs to a women’s book club where the members start with socializing and eating. After the meal each participant is invited to summarize two or three books she has read. The books can be of any genre. 

Another local book club, the one at Delos V. Smith Senior Center http://www.delossrcenter.org, meets weekly and only discusses one or two chapters at a time. I’m a slow reader, but not that slow.

Of course there are book clubs that specialize in a particular genre. The Hutchinson Public Library http://www.hutchpl.org has two book discussion groups: Science Fiction and Mystery Mavens.

The Mystery Book Club at https://bluebirdbookstore.indielite.org Bluebird Bookstore meets monthly.

Bookends http://bookendshutch.com hosts a women’s reading group called The Escape Book Club. You have to read fast to join them. They meet every two weeks.

Our Reading Rendezvous group recently discussed Kindred (1979) by Octavia E. Butler. Most of us were surprised that we hadn’t heard of this prolific author. Butler died too young in 2014. She was 58.

Often there are a few participants who haven’t completed the book but show up anyway. That’s totally understandable and acceptable. Just showing up means a person is ready to participate. After all, this ain’t school and no one gets hit with a ruler.

When we started our discussion on Kindred, we all agreed that it had been impossible to put down until we completed it! Now, that’s an endorsement.

Usually the Rendezvous Reading club only reads and reviews non-fiction books, but Kindred was an exception because Butler was superb at using fiction to examine human race issues. Set in the contemporary world of 1976, two of the main characters are married, woman and husband. Dana is African American, Kevin is Caucasian.

When I learned that Dana and Kevin unwillingly time-traveled to the antebellum South, I wondered if the fantasy or science fiction genre would make it less compelling for me. But after reading the preface, I was immediately hooked! The author was so talented that I accepted the novel’s time-travel as a natural plotting device.

When Butler put ancestors and descendants face-to-face, she forced the reader to compare and contrast the inhumane conditions of legal American slavery with our imperfect contemporary world.

One discussion question listed in the reader’s guide asks: “How does she [Butler] challenge us to consider boundaries of black/white, master/slave, husband/wife, past/present?”

We discussed how white supremacy, whether 200 years ago or today, has negative consequences for people of all races, including Caucasian.

A participant recalled a quote by James Baldwin: “Not everything that is faced can be changed…but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

The white slave holders we met in Kindred considered themselves as good and fair people. The fact that they owned African American slaves meant that legally they could do as they wished with them. Whites, not blacks, had rights. After all, the reasoning went, slaves were property, not people. A slave owner could torture, rape, and kill with impunity.

In discussion, our group tried to answer an unanswerable question: “How could a parent endure after their children were sold?” 

Characters Dana and Kevin learned about the depths of depravity during slavery, but they also learned that the longer they visited the past the easier it became for them to accept the harsh realities of that period. Just like real slaves and slave owners, our time travelers adapted to their circumstances in order to survive. Dana and Kevin surprised themselves. Something as evil as slavery wasn’t simple. It wasn’t just black and white, but it was traumatic and created contradictory emotions.

Our club members discussed the inequalities of today, especially in regards to race. Some gave examples of friends of color and others of ethnic diversity who continue to experience bias, bigotry, and/or racism.

Unfortunately but understandably, there are still huge gaps between what people of different tribes believe. Some people believe racism no longer exists. They don’t see it or feel it. So why talk about it? When they’re told by someone, especially the media, that its history and should be left in the past, they agree.

Our reading group often includes a call for action. Sometimes we discuss how to approach people who think differently than us, especially on the subject of race. We’ve agreed that our best opportunities are with people who already share some of our experiences and stories, who look or act similar to us.

When I was growing up there were three topics that were regarded as topics to avoid discussing in public: religion, politics, and sex. I don’t remember race being on the list. With most people I still prefer to avoid controversial topics, but I understand there’s a need for civil discourse because peaceful dialogue can open hearts and minds.

It’s sad and it’s complicated but sometimes racially charged discussions can lead to broken hearts. Friends, even family members, have been lost because of opposing belief systems. But, as one participant said, “If you can’t be honest with someone, then that’s not a safe relationship.”

I really enjoy the book discussions because it’s about more than the book. Our group is a safe place to question and share our beliefs. Everyone has permission to speak their truth without being judged. That’s pretty amazing, especially today.

There’s always room for more people at Reading Rendezvous. Come join us!

Until next time, happy writing and reading!

 

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Blog posts Tagged With: Bluebird Book Store, book club, Bookends Book Store, Delos V. Smith Senior Center, Hutch in Harmony, Hutchinson Public Library, James Baldwin, Jim Potter, Kindred, Metropolitan Coffee, Miriam Bebe Kitson, Octavia E Butler, Reading Rendezvous, Rebecca Shetler

Sign Up for the Blog

You will never have to check this site for the latest blog post, and you’ll get the latest and the greatest first! You will receive a confirmation email that you must respond to in order to be officially subscribed. Check Junk and Spam folders as needed!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarAlex says

    April 17, 2019 at 8:44 am

    Thanks for this!

    Reply
    • Jim PotterJim Potter says

      April 17, 2019 at 9:14 am

      Sometimes it’s fun to be a reporter!

      Reply
  2. AvatarNancy Julien Kopp says

    April 17, 2019 at 10:51 am

    I found this most interesting. I have belonged to a small book club for many years. One thing I like about it is that I have had to read some books I would never have taken of the shelf on my own. I found many that I enjoyed, and also some I did not. Even so, it was good for me to expand my horizons in my reading life.

    Reply
    • Jim PotterJim Potter says

      April 17, 2019 at 3:19 pm

      Good point. Expanding beyond what is comfortable. Positive relationships encourage safe risk taking.

      Reply
  3. AvatarSusan Alexander says

    April 18, 2019 at 1:02 am

    Jim, thanks for the links to various book clubs in the community. Joining a book club has been on my list of goals for post retirement so this gives me some options.

    I read “Parable of the Sower” by Octavia Butler in 1997. I’ll have to look to see if I still have a copy. I’ve added “Kindred” to my list of books to read. I tend to gravitate towards fiction as an escape from some of the terrible realities in our world today. But I especially enjoy fiction which involve past social issues still facing us today.

    By the way, we had the same rules in Wilmette about what topics to avoid discussing in public. So, I’m often surprised by how invasive some people come across locally as they insist upon discussing religion because it was considered such a personal and private issue growing up.

    Thanks for your book report. I’m glad you enjoyed “Kindred.”

    Reply
    • Jim PotterJim Potter says

      April 18, 2019 at 4:53 am

      Susan, thanks for the feedback! I have a copy of Kindred for you to read if you want it. Fiction has grown on me.

      Reply
  4. AvatarJim Potter says

    April 21, 2019 at 9:04 pm

    Hi Jim!
    Just finished this, and I so can’t wait to join the group! You do such a great job of both covering things and pondering them. Life a hybrid journalist/philosopher. Love it!

    Reply
    • Jim PotterJim Potter says

      April 21, 2019 at 9:05 pm

      Thanks for the positive feedback! Looking forward to you joining!

      Reply
  5. AvatarShell says

    May 2, 2019 at 5:51 pm

    Love this! Thanks for sharing. Also, the book was published in 2004.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Jim Potter, Author

author

Follow Jim on Facebook

Follow Jim on Facebook

Recent Blog Posts

  • Sheriffs of Reno County: Roy Sheppard March 3, 2021
  • Sheriffs of Reno County: Al Severson February 24, 2021
  • Sheriffs of Reno County: Victor H. Frazey February 17, 2021
  • Sheriffs of Reno County: Walter Dixon February 10, 2021
  • Sheriffs of Reno County: Steve Stapleton February 3, 2021

Post Archives

  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017

What People Are Saying

Sean McArdle

Retired police officer Potter’s novel centres on very disparate characters and through the tried and tested means of gradually introducing each one, builds a sense of anticipation about what is going to happen to them. This often used methodology is not easy to do well but is superbly handled by Potter who knows how to give enough detail to bring the characters to life, yet not too much so as to slow down the pace of the developing story. A climactic event affects the main characters and it is at this point Potter’s deep knowledge of people and police procedures really hits home; page by page we read how a seemingly simple, though terrible occurrence, can have huge consequences. To Potter’s credit the story does not have a completely conclusive or simplistic ending. Instead it leaves the reader thinking about how the events of a single minute can affect lives forever. I would whole heartedly recommend this book not as a crime novel or even as a novel about crime but as a beautiful and positive affirmation about what it is to be human and how ultimately it is relationships which matter more than events.

Sean McArdle, Winchester, England

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:24:22-06:00

Sean McArdle, Winchester, England

Retired police officer Potter’s novel centres on very disparate characters and through the tried and tested means of gradually introducing each one, builds a sense of anticipation about what is going to happen to them. This often used methodology is not easy to do well but is superbly handled by Potter who knows how to give enough detail to bring the characters to life, yet not too much so as to slow down the pace of the developing story. A climactic event affects the main characters and it is at this point Potter’s deep knowledge of people and police procedures really hits home; page by page we read how a seemingly simple, though terrible occurrence, can have huge consequences. To Potter’s credit the story does not have a completely conclusive or simplistic ending. Instead it leaves the reader thinking about how the events of a single minute can affect lives forever. I would whole heartedly recommend this book not as a crime novel or even as a novel about crime but as a beautiful and positive affirmation about what it is to be human and how ultimately it is relationships which matter more than events.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/sean-mcardle/

Rebecca

Taking Back the Bullet is an emotional, yet captivating novel. Jim Potter does a superb job of intertwining each character and putting their individual identities on display. All law enforcement storylines are a true reflection of Potter’s years as a police officer because they are realistic and relatable. This is a book I highly recommend.

Rebecca from Proud Police Wife

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T11:41:14-06:00

Rebecca from Proud Police Wife

Taking Back the Bullet is an emotional, yet captivating novel. Jim Potter does a superb job of intertwining each character and putting their individual identities on display. All law enforcement storylines are a true reflection of Potter’s years as a police officer because they are realistic and relatable. This is a book I highly recommend.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/rebecca/

Wynona Winn

Three main characters walk different paths but with the same destination – each coping with his or her self-discovery, self-identity, and self-realization. Much like their earlier counterparts – Huck Finn and Holden Caulfield – their journeys are often joyous, often tedious and often tragic.

Wynona Winn, PhD, retired school superintendent

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:18:33-06:00

Wynona Winn, PhD, retired school superintendent

Three main characters walk different paths but with the same destination – each coping with his or her self-discovery, self-identity, and self-realization. Much like their earlier counterparts – Huck Finn and Holden Caulfield – their journeys are often joyous, often tedious and often tragic.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/wynona-winn/

Denise Low

Jim Potter is a cop, retired, but he brings deep understanding of this job to his novel Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery. This layered novel has literary dimensions as characters explore crisis situations. Congratulations to this fine writer for his debut novel.

Denise Low, author of Jackalope (Red Mountain Press)

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T11:31:21-06:00

Denise Low, author of Jackalope (Red Mountain Press)

Jim Potter is a cop, retired, but he brings deep understanding of this job to his novel Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery. This layered novel has literary dimensions as characters explore crisis situations. Congratulations to this fine writer for his debut novel.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/denise-low/

Larry Kruckman

Jim Potter displays ethnographic skills in Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, creating vivid scenes and fascinating characters. The Greeks had a word for subcultures and people’s behavior: ‘ethos,’ or ‘ways of being.’ In colorful, sometimes marvelous detail, this novel captures various people and settings . . . the ethos of rural Kansas: a jail, art fair, powwow, rehab center, courtroom, albinos, and even someone in the throes of postpartum depression. So detailed are the descriptions that they must be drawn from the author’s personal experience. Besides the artfully created characters such as the struggling jailer and husband Tom Jennings, local artist Jesse Thomas, and Native American Joe Morningcloud, there is a tight story line that grabs your attention and won’t let go. Human tensions, love, conflict, joys and sorrows are all there. Magically, all the many pieces come together in a final crescendo, giving hope that even when we find ourselves in big trouble we can survive. This is a novel I highly recommend!

Larry Kruckman, Anthropologist

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:27:15-06:00

Larry Kruckman, Anthropologist

Jim Potter displays ethnographic skills in Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, creating vivid scenes and fascinating characters. The Greeks had a word for subcultures and people’s behavior: ‘ethos,’ or ‘ways of being.’ In colorful, sometimes marvelous detail, this novel captures various people and settings . . . the ethos of rural Kansas: a jail, art fair, powwow, rehab center, courtroom, albinos, and even someone in the throes of postpartum depression. So detailed are the descriptions that they must be drawn from the author’s personal experience. Besides the artfully created characters such as the struggling jailer and husband Tom Jennings, local artist Jesse Thomas, and Native American Joe Morningcloud, there is a tight story line that grabs your attention and won’t let go. Human tensions, love, conflict, joys and sorrows are all there. Magically, all the many pieces come together in a final crescendo, giving hope that even when we find ourselves in big trouble we can survive. This is a novel I highly recommend!
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/larry-kruckman/

Deb Theis

Jim Potter has done it again! After his book, Cop in the Classroom: Lessons I’ve Learned, Tales I’ve Told, Jim has written another great work. In Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, Jim Potter takes us on an insightful journey into the lives and relationships of numerous characters. Jim is such a talented storyteller that the reader quickly becomes immersed and has a ‘bonding experience’ with each of the characters, feeling their joy, fear, passion and pain. Jim’s novel speaks to the empowerment of persistence with the characters as they work through their trials. As a therapist, I appreciated the heartfelt struggles from each of the characters and their diversity. I also found value in the novel’s understanding of society’s misunderstanding of both mental health and other conditions in which people struggle. The novel contains rich exposure to various realities that many of us do not know about . . . but should. When I finished this captivating novel, I was wanting to read the sequel! It was an honor and a wonderful, mesmerizing experience reading this book. Congratulations, Jim!

Deb Theis, LSCSW, clinical therapist/hypnotherapist

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:20:29-06:00

Deb Theis, LSCSW, clinical therapist/hypnotherapist

Jim Potter has done it again! After his book, Cop in the Classroom: Lessons I’ve Learned, Tales I’ve Told, Jim has written another great work. In Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, Jim Potter takes us on an insightful journey into the lives and relationships of numerous characters. Jim is such a talented storyteller that the reader quickly becomes immersed and has a ‘bonding experience’ with each of the characters, feeling their joy, fear, passion and pain. Jim’s novel speaks to the empowerment of persistence with the characters as they work through their trials. As a therapist, I appreciated the heartfelt struggles from each of the characters and their diversity. I also found value in the novel’s understanding of society’s misunderstanding of both mental health and other conditions in which people struggle. The novel contains rich exposure to various realities that many of us do not know about . . . but should. When I finished this captivating novel, I was wanting to read the sequel! It was an honor and a wonderful, mesmerizing experience reading this book. Congratulations, Jim!
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/deb-theis/

John & Cindy Morrill

I enjoyed your book. When I am looking for a new read, I always read the first page, last page and choose a random page somewhere in the middle before I decide to buy it. You had me on all three pages. I also like reading a book where you can relate to the characters and the settings in which they live and work. It makes a story more realistic if you can say, I am familiar with the area; I know where that town is or I have traveled that street. It was easy to relate to the characters. In one way or another, I have met them all somewhere in my journeys

John & Cindy Morrill, 20 years Air Force retired, 17 years law enforcement

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:14:56-06:00

John & Cindy Morrill, 20 years Air Force retired, 17 years law enforcement

I enjoyed your book. When I am looking for a new read, I always read the first page, last page and choose a random page somewhere in the middle before I decide to buy it. You had me on all three pages. I also like reading a book where you can relate to the characters and the settings in which they live and work. It makes a story more realistic if you can say, I am familiar with the area; I know where that town is or I have traveled that street. It was easy to relate to the characters. In one way or another, I have met them all somewhere in my journeys
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/john-cindy-morrill/

Morgan Penner

Taking Back the Bullet is a novel that provides the reader with a window into the world of law enforcement. As the novel unfolds, the reader is able to see how split-second decisions alter the lives of the main characters in the story. Taking Back the Bullet also explores how humanity is impacted by mental illness. One of my favorite quotes from Taking Back the Bullet is “We’re all just a critical moment from being disabled or mentally ill, and we don’t want to think about it.” The novel also provides the reader an opportunity to gain a better understanding of how mental illness impacts the individuals, their family, friends, and society. Taking Back the Bullet is a story of forgiveness and overcoming life’s struggles and tragedies.

Morgan Penner

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:25:35-06:00

Morgan Penner

Taking Back the Bullet is a novel that provides the reader with a window into the world of law enforcement. As the novel unfolds, the reader is able to see how split-second decisions alter the lives of the main characters in the story. Taking Back the Bullet also explores how humanity is impacted by mental illness. One of my favorite quotes from Taking Back the Bullet is “We’re all just a critical moment from being disabled or mentally ill, and we don’t want to think about it.” The novel also provides the reader an opportunity to gain a better understanding of how mental illness impacts the individuals, their family, friends, and society. Taking Back the Bullet is a story of forgiveness and overcoming life’s struggles and tragedies.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/morgan-penner/

Dennis Perrin

Masterful storytelling, exquisite character development, so real as to HURT and HOPE, a real page turner. Begs for stage, screenwriters, and visual episodic development a.k.a. TV series . . . Thanks Jim Potter for telling it like it is AND providing us visions of how it could be. Well done!

Dennis Perrin, educator

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T11:44:55-06:00

Dennis Perrin, educator

Masterful storytelling, exquisite character development, so real as to HURT and HOPE, a real page turner. Begs for stage, screenwriters, and visual episodic development a.k.a. TV series . . . Thanks Jim Potter for telling it like it is AND providing us visions of how it could be. Well done!
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/dennis-perrin/

Rebecca Schillaci

As a former law enforcement officer, I found the story very relatable as it details the life of a law enforcement officer and the struggles some face throughout their careers. . . Taking Back the Bullet is a journey of understanding, respect, and forgiveness . . .

Rebecca Schillaci

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T11:46:40-06:00

Rebecca Schillaci

As a former law enforcement officer, I found the story very relatable as it details the life of a law enforcement officer and the struggles some face throughout their careers. . . Taking Back the Bullet is a journey of understanding, respect, and forgiveness . . .
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/rebecca-schillaci/

Sheryl Remar

I enjoyed the different stories of this book because Tom, James, and Suanna, the three main characters, represent in their own way the different struggles with themselves and society’s idea of what is normal.

Sheryl Remar

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T11:47:46-06:00

Sheryl Remar

I enjoyed the different stories of this book because Tom, James, and Suanna, the three main characters, represent in their own way the different struggles with themselves and society’s idea of what is normal.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/sheryl-remar/

Jane Holzrichter

I finished it last night around midnight. What a great piece of work. It kept me intrigued all the way to the end.

Jane Holzrichter

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:21:41-06:00

Jane Holzrichter

I finished it last night around midnight. What a great piece of work. It kept me intrigued all the way to the end.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/jane-holzrichter/

Steve Becker

I’m impressed. It was an excellent read. . . . I hope you continue with more projects in the future.

Steve Becker

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:26:21-06:00

Steve Becker

I’m impressed. It was an excellent read. . . . I hope you continue with more projects in the future.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/steve-becker/

Diana Dester

Good story line, building the characters along the way. Great job!

Diana Dester

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:19:23-06:00

Diana Dester

Good story line, building the characters along the way. Great job!
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/diana-dester/

Karleen Wilson-Moon

Terrific story relevant to today’s social issues . . . well written . . . likable characters . . . insightful perspective from an insider in law enforcement.

Karleen Wilson-Moon

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:44:26-06:00

Karleen Wilson-Moon

Terrific story relevant to today’s social issues . . . well written . . . likable characters . . . insightful perspective from an insider in law enforcement.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/karleen-wilson-moon/

Judy Hawk

. . . I was impressed with the Native American information as well as the depth of character development . . . .

Judy Hawk

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:15:48-06:00

Judy Hawk

. . . I was impressed with the Native American information as well as the depth of character development . . . .
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/judy-hawk/
16
Sandhenge Publications

Copyright © 2021 Sandhenge Publications · Website by Rosemary Miller

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.