Rescheduled from Feb 16.

Empty as the man's mind was of thoughts, he was keenly observant, and he noticed the changes in the creek, the curves and bends and timber- jams, and always he sharply noted where he placed his feet. Once, coming around a bend, he shied abruptly, like a startled horse, curved away from the place where he had been walking, and retreated several paces back along the trail. The creek he knew was frozen clear to the bottom--no creek could contain water in that arctic winter--but he knew also that there were springs that bubbled out from the hillsides and ran along under the snow and on top the ice of the creek. He knew that the coldest snaps never froze these springs, and he knew likewise their danger. They were traps.

What do you think you noticed after reading "The Machine Stops," "The River," "Everyman," and "To Build a Fire" all in succession -- something that you wouldn't have noticed if you had read the works separately?

I would welcome agenda items or reflection papers that try to make connections between the assigned readings.