Library to host One Book, One Community
COSHOCTON – Coshocton Public Library will host One Book, One Community this spring for the Coshocton community. One Book, One Community is a county-wide reading and discussion program that encourages all residents to read the same book at the same time to create a county-wide book club. For One Book, One Community, the book selected is “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
Nelle Harper Lee is known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “To Kill a Mockingbird,” her only major work. In 1999, it was voted Best Novel of the Century in a poll by “Library Journal.” Lee was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her contribution to literature in 2007. Her death was announced in February 2016 shortly after the release of “Go Set a Watchman,” an early version of “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
Set in the small Southern town of Maycomb, Ala. during the Depression, “To Kill a Mockingbird” follows three years in the life of 8-year-old Scout Finch, her brother, Jem, and their father, Atticus – three years punctuated by the arrest and eventual trial of a young black man accused of raping a white woman. Though her story explores big themes, Lee chooses to tell it through the eyes of a child. The result is a tough and tender novel of race, class, justice, and the pain of growing up.
All community members are invited to join their neighbors and friends for special events presented during March and April. One Book, One Community begins with guest speaker William Theodore McDaniel, Professor of African-American Studies at The Ohio State University. McDaniel will present Understanding Black History through Black Music, an exploration of black music through history, from slavery to modern urban recordings. Understanding Black History through Black Music will be presented on Thursday, March 17, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Coshocton Public Library. One Book, One Community culminates with a program by author Jack Shuler, the John and Christine Warner professor and associate professor of English at Denison University. He will present What Could Have Happened to Tom Robinson? on Thursday, April 14, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Coshocton Public Library.
Other scheduled events include:
- Monday, March 21, 6:30 p.m. – The Life and Times of Harper Lee
- Thursday, March 24, 5:30 p.m. – The Life and Times of Harper Lee and A Taste of the South (at West Lafayette Branch)
- Friday, March 25, 3:30 to 5 p.m. – Abyssinia! A 1930s Inspired Program for Teens
- Monday, March 28, 6:30 to 9 p.m. – Screening of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” the 1962 film
In addition, both Coshocton and West Lafayette Branch Libraries will discuss “To Kill a Mockingbird” in their April book discussion groups. The book can be borrowed at either library.
For information, call 740-622-0956, 740-545-6672 or visit www.coshoctonlibrary.org. All programs are free and open to the public, although registration is required.
One Book, One Community is presented by Coshocton Public Library with support from Ohio Humanities Council, The William and Mary Erich Library Fund, Coshocton Friends of the Library, and Write-On Writers Guild.
Category: People & Places
