Article Club
Article Club
It’s March! Let’s read and discuss CJ Hauser’s “The Crane Wife”
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It’s March! Let’s read and discuss CJ Hauser’s “The Crane Wife”

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February’s Article Club was a big success, so let’s build on this momentum! I’m very excited to announce that March’s article will be “The Crane Wife,” by CJ Hauser, author of Family of Origin: A Novel. You’re going to like it.

“The Crane Wife” came out last summer and immediately went viral. My friend and Article Clubber Anne texted me and wrote, “This is perfect for The Highlighter.” And it was. Tons of loyal readers loved the piece, and it was selected as one of the best articles of 2019.

Here’s my blurb for “The Crane Wife” when it appeared in The Highlighter:

Ten days after calling off her wedding, author CJ Hauser travels to the gulf coast of Texas to study whooping cranes for an upcoming novel. On the trip, Ms. Hauser reflects on her failed relationship, realizes painful personal truths, and begins the healing process. Ms. Hauser writes, “It’s easy to say that I left my fiancé because he cheated on me. It’s harder to explain the truth.” This is a beautiful, raw, heart-wrenching essay.

The essay is very worthy of our deep read and discussion. I look forward to re-reading it and talking about it with you. Are you in? Hope so!

If you’re in, here’s what’s next:

  1. Announce that you’re in. To do so: Click on the title above or the play button, which will lead you to an online version of this post. Then head down to the comments. In the comments, say hi, who you are, and why you’re interested in this article. Feel free to banter. Then write, “I’m in!”

  2. Then read the article — if possible, by next Sunday. (It’ll take 15-20 minutes.) Go ahead and annotate it, too, if you like. Last month we found that our group annotation was very helpful.

  3. Get your questions and first impressions ready for next Sunday. That’s when we’ll share our first thoughts about the article.

  4. Optional: Watch Ms. Hauser on Late Night with Seth Meyers.

I can’t wait to see who’s in!


Coming up this month at Article Club:

  • Next Sunday, 3/8: We share our first thoughts, impressions, and questions

  • Sunday, 3/15: Ms. Hauser answers our questions!

  • Saturday, 3/21: We discuss the article in person (1-2:30 pm in Oakland) or online (4-5 pm PT anywhere in the world)


Article Club is a new experiment in community reading. We read and discuss one outstanding article a month, both online and in person. We invite the author to join our conversation, too. If you’re interested, please sign up and check us out! Article Club is part of The Highlighter, a weekly newsletter featuring the best articles on race, education, and culture.

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Article Club
Article Club
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