One Book, One Springfield Overview
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The first-ever "One Book, One Springfield" celebration, which gives everyone in the community a chance to come together to read and discuss the same book, kicks off on March 29 with a proclamation from Charles V. Ryan, Mayor of Springfield. The Springfield City Library, in partnership with numerous community agencies and with generous grant support, is encouraging everyone to read or listen to this year's "One Book" selection, James McBride's The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother. Following the March 29 kick-off, numerous discussion sessions will be held around the city, in libraries, community agencies, educational institutions, neighborhood book groups, and work places. In addition, there will be lectures and panel discussions on themes from the book, showings of films with related themes, and a series of jazz concerts by the Community Music School of Springfield.
Springfield's first ever One Book project starts in 2005 with the book The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother, by James McBride.
The book is a memoir about McBride's mother's early years in an Orthodox Jewish family and his own childhood as part of a large bi-racial family in New York City. The Color of Water deals with family, racial identity, religion, education, and culture. It is a story that raises many questions and sparks deep discussions.
James McBride is both an accomplished author and an award-winning composer/musician. The Color of Water won the 1997 Annisfield-Wolf Book Award for Literary Excellence, and has been used by many communities for their One Book projects.
We are extremely lucky to be able to present a final celebration of the One Book project that will feature Mr. McBride discussing his book and performing his music on May 17, 2005. Like all One Book offerings, the lecture and performance are free of charge.
Funding for "One Book, One Springfield" comes from the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provision of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the state of Massachusetts; the Eugene A. Dexter Charitable Fund administered by Bank of America, Trustee; the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts; the Springfield Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Additional funding provided by Joseph and Mary Napolitan and anonymous private donors.
"My parents were nonmaterialistic. They believed that money without knowledge was worthless, that education tempered with religion was the way to climb out of poverty in America, and over the years they were proven right."
-James McBride
Agree? Disagree? Read the book and voice your opinion.
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Springfield City Library
http://www.springfieldlibrary.org
220 State Street
Springfield MA 01103
413-263-6828
This page last updated: May 2, 2007