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 Contact:         Brenda Miller
                       860-695-6342
                       bmiller@hartfordpl.lib.ct.us                      

The Color of One Book 2003

One Book for Greater Hartford Unveiled at the Hartford Public Library

June 13…. The Color of Water by James McBride, a black man’s tribute to his white mother, is this year’s One Book for Greater Hartford selection, announced Louise Blalock, chief librarian of the Hartford Public Library.

The One Book project is a program aimed at unifying the Greater Hartford community around the shared experience of people reading and talking about a book. This is the second year for the Greater Hartford One Book project, a project that has reverberated around the country. From Seattle to New York, in large cities and rural centers, people are talking about books they might not have picked up otherwise. 

“When we embark on a regional conversation, we discover our similarities transcend gender, ethnicity and social standing,” said Blalock. “One Book initiates that kind of conversation.”

The novel was chosen to provide a challenging yet satisfying read for the region with characters and themes the community can identify with and one that provides cultural understanding.

The Color of Water is the memoir of a black man growing up in the housing projects of Red Hook, Brooklyn, with his 11 siblings. He is the son of black minister and a white mother, the daughter of an Orthodox rabbi. It is a powerful portrait suffused with issues of race, religion and identity. It is the story of a family’s love and a mother’s will and her unshakable insistence that only two things matter, school and church.

The One Book Selection Committee included: the Hartford Public Library, the Greater Hartford Literacy Council, the Greater Hartford Arts Council, University of Hartford and Hartford College for Women, Hartford Public Schools, the Welles-Turner Library in Glastonbury, Fleet Bank, Lincoln Financial, Barnes and Noble booksellers and Eden Books.

Author James McBride is an award-winning writer and composer. His critically acclaimed memoir, The Color of Water, won the 1997 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Literacy Excellence, was an ALA Notable Book of the Year, and spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list.

“It means a lot to me to have my book chosen as “The” book that any community reads. I’m honored,” said McBride in a recent interview with the Hartford Public Library’s Readings newsletter editor. “In terms of what readers get out of my book, it’s simple: we are all connected. Our commonalties are far greater than our differences.”

McBride is a former staff writer for The Washington Post, People Magazine and the Boston Globe. Also a musician, he has received several awards for his work as a composer in musical theatre, including the American Arts and Letters Richard Rodgers Award, The ASCAP Richard Rodgers Horizons Award and the American Music Theatre Festival’s Stephen Sondheim Award.

This year’s honorary chairs for One Book are Rabbi Donna Berman, executive director of Hartford’s Charter Oak Cultural Center and the Reverend Gary Miller, senior minister of the Asylum Hill Congregational Church in Hartford.

Built in 1876, the Charter Oak Cultural Center is the state's first synagogue. Restored by a group of Hartford-area residents, Charter Oak Cultural Center is now a non-profit arts resource for the exploration of the world's cultures, especially those strongly represented in the Hartford region.

The Asylum Hill Congregational Church has been a Hartford landmark since its founding in 1865. Its first pastor, Rev. Joseph H. Twichell enjoyed a 42 year ministry and was a close friend with the local luminary, Samuel B. Clemens, known as "Mark Twain." Twain's family pew is marked in the sanctuary. The church has nearly 1,800 members who reside in Hartford and in more than 20 surrounding towns.

One Book will officially kickoff Saturday, September 13 at the Hartford Public Library, 500 Main Street. It will be held in conjunction with the library’s Festival of African American Literature. From 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., the festival will offer workshops on leading a book discussion group, writing and reading critically, as well as musical performances, and booksellers.

The library’s One Book resource guides, a tool to further enhance community involvement; stickers; bookmarks; and, book discussion schedule will be available at the kickoff. The Hartford Public Library will hold book discussions on The Color of Water at its Central Library and  branches September through October.

The author James McBride will visit Hartford on Thursday, Oct. 9 at 7:00 p.m. in the sanctuary of the Asylum Hill Congregational Church, 814 Asylum Ave. for an author talk and Q&A and will then be joined by his jazz quartet for a musical performance. The author talk is free and open to the public. Prior to this event, there will be a ticketed reception for the author in Drew Hall at the church from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. Tickets will go on sale starting September 13 at the library’s Festival of African American Literature.

Everyone is encouraged to read the book over the summer and join in one of the many discussions at their library, school, bookstore or in their home. To list your own One Book book discussion or an activity built around the One Book project, you can log onto www.onebookforgreaterhartford.org. An online form is available for you to submit your event for the online One Book community calendar.

For more information on the One Book project, call the library at 860/695-6324 or 860/695-6342 or visit www.onebookforgreaterhartford.org.

The Hartford Public Library, 2002 recipient of the National Award for Library Service by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, has over 500,000 volumes and 700 periodicals in its collection. The library offers a number of programs that respond to citizens real interests and needs – programs for parenting, literacy and competency; and programs for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Additionally, the Hartford Public Library provides a cultural and artistic forum that reflects the diverse and vibrant community of the state’s capital.