Reading Groups

In Short: Ray Bradbury’s "The Whole Town’s Sleeping" and “At Midnight, in the Month of June” with Art Taylor

$35

1 Session

Out of stock

Wednesday, 7:00 pm EDT - 8:30 pm EDT August 6, 2025

Online via Zoom

While better celebrated as a science fiction writer, Ray Bradbury was also a master of mystery and suspense, particularly in the short story format. His early fiction was published in pulp magazines, and across a seven-decade career, he continued to pen tales mixing crime, noir, and the supernatural to fascinating ends. Two linked stories about a serial killer in a small town provide a unique opportunity to examine Bradbury’s work in these genres: “The Whole Town’s Sleeping,” published in McCall’s in 1950, and its supremely darker companion, “At Midnight, in the Month of June” (1954), written specifically at the behest of the editor of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine.

What to read in advance of the first meeting: Please read “The Whole Town’s Sleeping” and “At Midnight, in the Month of June” by Ray Bradbury. The stories will be emailed upon registration.

What to expect from this reading group: Our session will begin with a brief survey of Bradbury’s work in the mystery and suspense genre and the specific history of the two stories under discussion. We will then closely analyze how Bradbury pursues suspense in these stories and how the two texts speak to one another.

Reading List:

“The Whole Town’s Sleeping” by Ray Bradbury
“At Midnight, in the Month of June” by Ray Bradbury

Please note: All virtual classes are recorded. Please click here for information about our recording policy.

Led by

Art Taylor

Art Taylor

Art Taylor is the Edgar Award-winning author of two short story collections: The Adventure of the Castle Thief and Other Expeditions and Indiscretions and The Boy Detective and the Summer of ’74 and Other Tales of Suspense. He’s a professor of English and Creative Writing at George Mason University, where he teaches courses in “Writing Suspense” and “Crossing Genres.”

About this series

Reading Groups

Whether you’re looking to catch up on great novels or you’re interested in exploring a new writer or literary period, our reading groups offer high-level literary discussion led by experts in the field.

Groups+Workshops

More Groups+Workshops

Groups+Workshops