The One City, One Book community read has what may seem to be an unusual focus this fall – food.
The Greensboro Public Library, the Greensboro Public Library Foundation and a number of community partners sponsor the One City, One Book community read twice a year. For the fall of 2023, the book chosen for the community to read is The Carolina Table: North Carolina Writers on Food edited by the late Randall Kenan, an award winning novelist and food writer.
The North Carolina writers who share their thoughts and recollections on food in the book include Lee Smith, Marianne Gingher, Jill McCorkle, Daniel Wallace, Jaki Shelton Green, Wayne Caldwell, Marcie Cohen Ferris, Michael McFee, Zelda Lockhart and Nancie McDermott.
About this year’s choice, Library Director Brigitte Blanton in a press release said, “When I became Director in 2013, our system made the decision to run a public vote for our bi-annual One City, One Book Project and this year readers in the community suggested 51 titles. The selection committee narrowed that list to sixteen books and passed those on to the steering committee. The Carolina Table was chosen because we wanted a book that offered a broad range of programming opportunities that would appeal to our diverse population. Gathering for meals is a universal way to build relationships and good food brings people together, no matter the origins or ethnicity. We believe that the 2023 One City, One Book project will have a positive and lasting impact on our community.”
Blanton added, “I hope we can all come together to share a love for good cooking and all the traditions and memories to be found gathering around a table.”
One City, One Book programming will begin in the fall with discussions, readings, programs and more. Ideally the program will open new avenues of discovery for everyone who participates.
I learned to read and write pre-school. I have always had at least one book going ever since. I learned more by reading and doing than I ever learned in a classroom.