Books, dinner and thoughtful dialogue at literary salon at Swyft

The act of sitting down with like-minded individuals to share food, and talk with each other is at once calming.

Fiction is a funny thing. There are so many ways to interpret how an author built a story, or what the meanings are behind characters, events and specific word choices. Even a novel’s title and dust jacket can garner pages of comments in online forums and book clubs.

If you’re lucky, every once in a while, you might get the opportunity to sit in on a discussion between an author and a scholar about a specific book, or even a body of work. The House of Books in Kent hosts author events on a regular basis, but the store manager Benjamin Rybeck finds value in more intimate conversations so in 2022, he started the Salon Series at Swyft.

The series is based on the 19th-century tradition of the artistic and academic salons, which were seen as cultural hubs for the upper echelons of society. There, writers, artists, dancers, musicians and actors would gather in intimate settings, often the parlors of the wealthy and aristocratic patrons. While House of Books isn’t exactly equipped for such an event, the restaurant it is affiliated with, Swyft, certainly is. Known throughout the region as being one of the most consistently delicious and innovative restaurants, Swyft shares a common owner with House of Books, making for some seamless collaborations.

The menu for cocktails and family-style dinner at Swyft.D.H. Callahan

After pausing for a few years, Rybeck believed the time was right to revive the series, so he invited Hannah Lillith Assadi, author of the new novel “Paradiso 17,” for the first Salon of the season. The novel is based on the story of her late father’s life, beginning with his family’s expulsion after the Nakba of 1948.

Israeli-Palestinian relations are a particularly sensitive subject these days, often leading to passionate arguments between opposing sides. But the well-read literature enthusiasts at the salon weren’t interested in the politics of the book so much as they were the art of it. Over a family-style dinner of fresh salads, pizza and specialty cocktails, the conversation was surprisingly civil and curious. The group discussed structure and narrative, sense of place and the feeling of transience.

The whole evening was a wonderfully refreshing departure from the vitriolic divisiveness of today’s online discourse. While the anonymity of the internet can frequently lead to heated rhetoric, the act of sitting down with like-minded individuals to share food, and talk with each other seems to do the exact opposite. It’s at once calming, intellectually satisfying and culinarily enriching.

The next Salon on Aug. 27 will feature Natasha Stagg, author of the new novel “Grand Rapids,” and painter Sam McKinniss, whose art is featured on the book’s cover.