HCUND Clubs

HCUND Book Club

The HCUND Book Club membership meets monthly with guest writers, translators, editors, publishers, historians to discuss both works of fiction and non-fiction. We read widely and across every genre. 

Our selections are both classics and new releases. Each summer, we embark on a more ambitious reading assignment.  Proust’s In Search of Lost Time, Thomas Mann’s Buddenbrooks, and Hilary Mantel’s Cromwell trilogy were all summer projects.

Among past and recent annual sessions, Tara Westover has come with her memoir, Educated. Elena Ferrante’s translator and publisher joined us for the Neapolitan tetralogy beginning with My Brilliant Friend. Ann Patchett and Sigrid Nunez discussed their latest acclaimed novels and Becky Cooper arrived with We Keep the Dead Close, a deeply affecting work Joyce Carol Oates described as a “brilliantly idiosyncratic variant of generic true crime.”

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HCUND Film Club

The HCUND Film Club attends exclusive film previews several times a year. 

Before or after the screening, guest filmmakers, film critics, cast members or other film industry figures share a cocktail or dinner with the members. 

Since its inception, the club has begun its cultural calendar at the NY Film Festival and then samples a variety of different film series or events at venues around New York. 

Our programming includes feature and documentary film with an emphasis on international filmmakers. 

French Discussion Group

Led by Annie Heminway, a literature and writing professor at NYU, our monthly meetings discuss contemporary issues, film and literature.

This year several sessions have been devoted to the French television series , Dix Pour-cent (Call my Agent) and Lupin. Each month, participants read excerpts of news articles or literature or view film with the aid of a questionnaire which guides the discussion. 

The sessions are lively, and participation is encouraged. Members of the group have an intermediate knowledge or above of the French language.  Many fluent speakers enjoy our meetings to keep up with current events and converse with others in French.

Parent Child Play Group

18 Months – 4 Years

The Play Group is an opportunity for mothers of children 18 months to 4 years to meet and socialize while their children are engaged in art activities, working with puzzles and age-appropriate toys. 

The children are introduced to songs and stories from all over the world and everyone comes together for a nutritious snack. The Play Group is lead by two early childhood teachers who are happy to help with questions about parenting. 

The Play Group meets once a month in an attractive playroom at the International Preschools in Manhattan.

During the pandemic we are continuing to meet one another on Zoom. To join the parent/toddler play group you can email the office and sign up in advance.  

Quilting Club & Embroidery

HCUND quilting club is composed of delegate spouses who enjoy fibre arts or want to learn how to quilt. Recently, we have added embroidery and beading into the array of activities that we do.  We have made many group quilts using traditional and modern quilting methods. 

Our activities also include making items to sell at the annual international Bazaar which takes place at the UN. The proceeds go to charities around the world.

We have made New York themed bags, place mats and napkins, oven mitts, potholders and embroidered keyrings, New York skyline hangings, baby quilts, etc. 

This spring we are making a 2020 memory quilt with images of our pandemic experience in NYC. We meet monthly, and, especially this year on Zoom, we discuss not only our projects, but our daily lives as well.

Art Studio Tours

New York is blessed with many brilliant artists who have allowed us unique opportunities to visit their studios. As an example, this was our visit to Abby Leigh’s studio. 

Abby’s  work has been described as recalling Yayoi Kusama and the visionary distraction of Arthur Dove.  It is displayed in public collections all over the world including the Whitney, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Guggenheim.

The Culinary Club explores food in multiple ways.

We meet both in homes and in restaurants to explore the world through food. Among the places we have “visited” are Algeria, Bulgaria, Ethiopia, India, Iran/Persia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine. We have experienced unique New York venues, such as the Lamb’s Club and Porter House, and have learned to make family holiday favorites.

A shared meal creates community, nourishing spirits as well as bodies – and what better way to foster international understanding (while having fun)?