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So my turn for a question: in the collaborative reading experience that you're describing, one that increases inquiry ... what is the role of shared experience? Can a group discuss Moby Dick without having read Moby Dick ... or only having read it a decade ago in college? Does that change the nature of the experience?

Interesting question. I think in lit classes, the text is often used as a club to stop group exploration. "Bringing it back to the text" is the gesture literature professors frequently use when the conversation gets too...

random, or out of hand, or politically dice-y. Insisting on "shared experience" (i.e. you can't participate in the conversation unless you've done your homework/your reading) can be a very effective way of limiting exploration.

The sort of layers and grain that Ron talks about might come into play only if the various players have not shared experience, but rather bring different experiences into the game...

Why do you ask?