Become a Member

What Does it Mean to be a Member?

     A member of the PenRose Society is someone who is willing to contribute to the blog, or is interested in discussing/debating our latest reads/ topics. You will receive a list of our latest books/poems/anything literary related and an .epub file of our current reads so that you can read and critique and be on the same page (pun not intended) as everyone else in the society. If you have a book you think we should review, then go ahead and email us your suggestions; we'd be happy to hear them.
     You will also receive our latest discussion topics that way, if you have anything you'd like to add, you can contribute and help us write our next blog post. If you would like your personal writings to be read/peer edited by others who love literature and/or writing as much as you do, we'd be more than happy to read them and tell you what is brilliant and what needs work. Likewise, you would receive some of our writings and you'd be able to collaborate on those as well and help us edit them. If we really like something you've written, it might even be posted on our next blog post or - even better - published in our latest book (of course, we'd ask your permission first, you'd sign a waiver, and you would get full credit for your writings).
     That is essentially what it means to be a member. You would get to make some great friendships with fellow intellectuals, and you would get to improve, not only your writing and/or reading habits/materials, you would also be challenged in your faith and in your Biblical worldview - and you would get to challenge ours. "Iron sharpens iron", after all.

Do I Have to Be a Writer?

     Certainly not! We have quite a few people in the society that, while they enjoy reading, they dislike/are terrible at writing. We simply want opinionated people concerned about the philosophical/spiritual welfare of our generation.
     Now, if you dislike deep thinking or challenging conversations or controversial topics, or even if you become easily offended, this really isn't the place for you. We don't say this to be rude; we say this to give you a "channel turning" chance before you jump in. We aren't looking for the next Edgar Allan Poe or the next John Piper or even the next Albert Einstein (although, if found, we wouldn't mind saying we knew you way back when). We are looking for intellectual individuals who will help us sharpen our character and our faith and promote literature worth reading.
     In short, we are looking for friends who embrace being nerdy/geeky/absolutely-totally-weird.
     If you fit in this category, then I'd say you've come to the right place...or people...or whatever.

How Do I Become a Member?

     So, you have captured glimpses of our prestigious syndicate of intellectual creatures - more modernly known as 'nerds' and 'geeks' - and have decided that you desire to become a member of such an enormously fun group of individuals?

     Brilliant!

     There are three simple steps, really:

1.  Email Us.

     Go to the top of the page and you'll find our contact information. Email us the basics: name, age. But, also tell us what you desire to get out of the PenRose Society and how you plan on contributing, whether that be through your discussions, your book recommendations, your writings, or all of the aforementioned. We want to have a clear idea of what you expect to get out of the society and what you would like to be helping with. 

     Also, tell us a little about yourself. What are your hobbies? What do you like to do in your free time? Favorite books? Favorite music? Favorite food? Who do you want to be like and why? The society is about building relationships as much as it is about challenging the status quo. 

2. Sign 

     Of course, if you're going to be receiving all our hard work, and we, yours, there has to be some sort of privacy policy, correct? When you email us, you will receive a Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy and you simply have to confirm that you agree with the terms. Plagiarizing is unacceptable. This isn't copy class, this is a collaborative group of scholars.

     And, no. Contrary to popular belief, true scholars do not copy; they are the originals who learn from other originals.

3. Enjoy!

     Nothing is worse than someone who does something because they have to, but not because they love it. You are joining the PRS because this is something you'd genuinely enjoy. The minute you realize you want out, just let us know and you won't get any of the members' benefits - no hard feelings. You'll still have the friendships you've created, but you've just decided to move on. And that's okay. That's what life is all about. But, while you're with us, enjoy yourself. Enjoy the opportunity God has given you. And, yeah, you might not agree with everyone in the Society, but that's perfectly okay. It's to be expected. We can't be challenged if there are no challenges, right? So, enjoy yourself. You are choosing to do this. This isn't a school assignment. This is an opportunity. Embrace it. And maybe, you'll find people embracing you back.

     Figuratively, of course.