Autumn 2026 waitlist now open · $99 for three months
Rook&Forge
Two travelers checking a map and field notes beside a loaded estate car

A modern society for the examined life.

Autumn 2026 · The Call of the Wild

  1. 01Read a classic with weekly guidance and online member discussions.
  2. 02Complete short writing assignments that help you reflect on the book.
  3. 03Take on field assignments that get you outside and off your phone.
Join the waitlist

01 / Who Rook & Forge is for

Members talking around a long table in a rooftop gardenDinner after the season’s work.

A more deliberate way to read, write, and spend time in the world.

  • Do you miss serious reading but don’t want to go back to school?
  • Do you want to write again but need structure and a reason to finish?
  • Do you want thoughtful community without networking or performance?
  • Do you feel too online and want ideas grounded in real life?
  • Do you want to be changed by what you read, not just consume it?
Why Rook & Forge exists ↗

02 / The program

One season.
12-week program.

Each Rook & Forge season combines a shared book, a guided writing project, and outdoor field assignments.

01One shared book.

Read

Move through one classic book with weekly prompts and online discussion.

See the full program ↗02One finished reflection.

Write

Develop a piece inspired by the season’s central question.

See the full program ↗03Ideas put into practice.

Outdoors

Complete simple field assignments in the physical world.

See the full program ↗
A member walking through an autumn garden beside an old stone houseGarden walk · early autumn

03 / Autumn 2026

22 September — 20 December

This season’s theme is
Wild Within

Shared book
The Call of the Wild
Writing aim
One finished piece
Field work
A day outside
Season fee
$99 / three months
See the full season ↗
A day outsideHow field assignments work ↗
An empty farm road crossing frost-covered fields on a clear winter morning

The outdoor practice

Get outside and
leave your phone at home.

Walk, ride, or sit by the water. Carry a book. Keep a note of what you notice.

See how field assignments work ↗

04 / Shared reading

Read better books.
Ask better questions.

See how a season works ↗
  1. Autumn 2026The Call of the WildJack London
  2. Summer 2026The Sun Also RisesErnest Hemingway
  3. Spring 2026The Count of Monte CristoAlexandre Dumas
  4. Winter 2026MeditationsMarcus Aurelius
  5. Autumn 2025East of EdenJohn Steinbeck
  6. Summer 2025The OdysseyHomer
  7. Spring 2025Letters to a Young PoetRainer Maria Rilke
  8. Winter 2025SiddharthaHermann Hesse
  9. Autumn 2024WaldenHenry David Thoreau
  10. Summer 2024A Moveable FeastErnest Hemingway
  11. Spring 2024The Snow LeopardPeter Matthiessen
  12. Winter 2024The Old Man and the SeaErnest Hemingway
  13. Autumn 2023The Death of Ivan IlyichLeo Tolstoy
  14. Summer 2023The Wind in the WillowsKenneth Grahame
  15. Spring 2023Travels with CharleyJohn Steinbeck

05 / The 12-week program

What to expect
each season.

01

Welcome to the club

Meet the group. Set one reading, writing, and outdoor intention.

02

Shared reading

Read the book in three parts. Discuss each section in the online forum.

03

Writing practice

Write each week. Finish one piece before the closing date.

04

Professor session

Bring your questions to a live conversation with a local scholar.

05

Outdoor expedition

Share your reflections and writing in the field with other members.

06 / The community

Meet other members
in your city.

The online community is the core experience. Members may also organize optional coffee-shop, park, and neighborhood gatherings.

See if there’s availability in your city ↗
NYNew York2,146 members
CALos Angeles967 members
ILChicago683 members
TXHouston599 members
AZPhoenix416 members
PAPhiladelphia394 members
TXSan Antonio387 members
CASan Diego352 members
TXDallas332 members
FLJacksonville254 members
TXFort Worth257 members
CASan Jose247 members
TXAustin251 members
NCCharlotte241 members
OHColumbus235 members
INIndianapolis225 members
CASan Francisco207 members
WASeattle196 members
CODenver185 members
OKOklahoma City180 members
TNNashville180 members
DCWashington, D.C.173 members
TXEl Paso171 members
NVLas Vegas170 members
MABoston168 members
MIDetroit162 members
ORPortland159 members
KYLouisville160 members
TNMemphis152 members
MDBaltimore142 members
WIMilwaukee141 members
NMAlbuquerque139 members
AZTucson137 members
CAFresno139 members
CASacramento134 members
GAAtlanta132 members
AZMesa128 members
MOKansas City130 members
NCRaleigh127 members
COColorado Springs124 members
NEOmaha122 members
FLMiami122 members
VAVirginia Beach113 members
CALong Beach113 members
CAOakland110 members
MNMinneapolis108 members
OKTulsa104 members
FLTampa103 members
NCDurham76 members
COBoulder26 members
A shared meal in late-afternoon light with bread, greens, and a raised glass

Why join the waitlist?

See if there’s availability
in your city.

Membership is limited to keep the group fun and familiar. If space is available, we’ll reach out with season details, the book, and how to join.

See if there’s availability in your city↗Tell us where you’re based. We’ll contact you if space is available.
Join the waitlist