NYT Best Selling Author Clint Smith to Headline Community Panel Discussion on September 10

DOWNLOAD PRESS RELEASE PDF

     

GLOUCESTER READS 2024

NYT Best Selling Author Clint Smith to Headline Community Panel Discussion on September 10

Free books and subsidized childcare available 

Get ready, Gloucester! Together in partnership, the Sawyer Free Library, Gloucester's Racial Justice Team, the Gloucester Health Department and sixteen additional community co-sponsors, announce the launch of Gloucester Reads 2024, a citywide, intergenerational summer reading initiative. This community-wide book club aims to spark conversation, inspire new ideas, and encourage introspection about race equity in our country and in our community.
Gloucester Reads’ main selection is How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith. This acclaimed book, which has won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction, the Hillman Prize for Book Journalism, the Stowe Prize, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, focuses on the history and present impact of slavery in the United States. Through his visits to eight sites, including New Orleans, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, New York City, and Angola Prison, Smith uses archival research and interviews to offer an intergenerational story of how slavery has shaped our nation's history and memory.

There are three ways to participate: read the book, join a structured discussion group, and/or attend the virtual author’s talk.

"We are honored to spearhead this important citywide reading initiative," said Sawyer Free Library's Director Jenny Benedict. "Gloucester Reads 2024 highlights the power of books to ignite empathy and inspire big ideas that promote communication, equity, collaboration, and learning. Bringing our community together to learn about race helps to create a welcoming Gloucester for everyone."

“The Gloucester Racial Justice Team is made up of individuals dedicated to fostering an inclusive and thriving city. Our mission—to create a safe and welcoming city where people from all races, ethnicities, and cultures can flourish—sets the stage for this exploration,” added Gloucester Racial Justice Co-Chair Nancy Goodman. “Gloucester Reads 2024 invites the entire community to join this collective endeavor, one that promises not only to enlighten us, but also to spur us to action.”

Moderated discussion groups on How the Word Is Passed will be hosted by community partners throughout Gloucester between July 28 and August 11. Those interested in participating are asked to pre-register at www.sawyerfreelibrary.org/gloucester-reads/ or by visiting the Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main Street.

Gloucester Reads 2024 will culminate on Tuesday, September 10 at the Gloucester Stage Company from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. with a free, live-stream panel discussion with Clint Smith who will share details of How the Word is Passed and take pre-submitted questions from a panel of local community members. Following Mr. Smith's appearance, there will be a conversation about how we as a community can apply what we have learned. Those interested in participating are asked to pre-register at www.sawyerfreelibrary.org/gloucester-reads/ or by visiting the Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main Street.

The Sawyer Free Library and the Gloucester Racial Justice Team will distribute free copies of How the Word Is Passed at select community events. The books are also available to check-out at the Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main Street. eBooks and audiobooks are available instantly to anyone with a library card and the Libby app. Books are also available for purchase at The Gloucester Bookstore and Suzie’s Stories in Rockport.

To ensure everyone can participate, Gloucester Reads is offering to cover childcare expenses for those attending discussion groups, the author’s talk, or both. Participants can request funds on the discussion group registration form.

For additional details and a complete list of Gloucester Reads 2024 programs, book suggestions, and learning resources on racial equity, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org/gloucester-reads/.