I agree with you completely on that last point. I miss having an academic setting precisely because of that reason. I really feel like something was lost when s

I agree with you completely on that last point. I miss having an academic setting precisely because of that reason. I really feel like something was lost when salons and such closed, even though I realize it was mainly an educated leisure class that could frequent them. If you'd be willing to try to generate small discussion groups about books, I'm definitely interested. Might be worth putting out a call here on HN, though who knows how many will stick with it. It helps for me that my interests are all over the place. But sadly, most people just aren't academically bent in that sense.