tonto_goldberg:

Former Prudie Margo, 2/3/05

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Dear Prudie,
Our book club has been meeting for 10 years, and the general atmosphere has always been one of mutual sharing and respect. Recently a new member was asked to join the group. It turns out that our newest member adores the sound of his own voice and pontificates endlessly, taking us far off course in the discussion, not to mention the fact that none of us can get a word in edgewise. Because we are all Canadians, and therefore painfully polite, he mistakes our bemused muteness for rapt attention. Also, because of the inherent democracy of the group, there is no clear leader who should deal with this problem. His insensitivity to the group dynamic is pulling the group apart. People are quitting rather than spending an afternoon listening to him drone. Our solutions so far seem impracticable—involving, as they do, genteel murder plots and reconvening secretly without him present. Can you offer any more sensible ideas?

—Bored and Baffled Bibliophiles

Dear Bore,
Your nationwide trait of mannerliness will do nothing for the situation at hand. If you are all fantasizing about Murder on the Orient Express, you are but a short step away from playing Clue and still being stuck with The World's Greatest Authority. Because the windbag is breaking apart the club, Prudie believes it falls to the person who brought him in to say that it's become necessary to revoke the invitation, with regret, because his learned presence has changed the nature of everything. "Reconvening" as a new club, by the way, is not out of the question. Think of it as "reconstituted." And then close the membership.

—Prudie, collegially