2021 One Book One Community Book Selection
Have you read this summer’s ONE BOOK selection? If not, it is time to start!
This year’s One Book One Community selection, The Book of Delights by Ross Gay, was selected by librarians from the Park City Library and Summit County Library in partnership with Dolly’s Bookstore and Utah Humanities.
Summit County Library Director, Dan Compton was on the selection committee and definitely approves of the choice. “Ross Gay is an award-winning poet and author. His collection Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude won the 2016 National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry and was a 2015 National Book Award finalist for Poetry.”
The Book of Delights is a year’s worth of daily essays about things that delighted Gay from one birthday to the next. “We selected this book at the beginning of 2021 when the pandemic was greatly affecting our daily lives, before many were given the opportunity to receive the vaccine in this community,” explains Compton. “We wanted to find a book that would have a positive, upbeat tone, not something heavy and depressing. We felt the pandemic gave most of us great cause for reflection, and it also helped us appreciate many of the blessings in our lives even more. Gay’s writing is poetic, and it focuses largely on the beauty of the natural world. We thought it would resonate with the community, especially at this time.”
Even though Gay was looking for ‘delights’ to write about each day, he doesn’t shy away from difficult topics such as racism. Issues of race and equity were a big part of the headlines in 2020, and some of Gay’s essays allow us to reflect on the racism he has experienced as a black man in the United States.
From the human experience to our connection with nature, life is richer when it is closely observed and Gay demonstrates how to observe and appreciate the delights around us.
Everyone in Summit County is encouraged to read The Book of Delights and then attend a virtual event with author Ross Gay on Wednesday, October 6th at 7:00 p.m. (more details coming soon).
In addition to the virtual author presentation there are several supporting events.
Community Book Discussion - Park City Library Reading Garden (1255 Park Ave) Saturday, September 18 at 10am
Journal Making Class - Create your own Book of Delights - Kimball Junction Branch Library - Thursday, September 23 from 6:30-7:30 pm
Journaling Workshop - Writing & Radical Joy: Claiming Space for What Delights You - Kimball Junction Branch Library - Thursday, September 30 from 6:30-8 pm
This program is supported by Utah Humanities.