The Things I Carry
by Susan McBeth, Adventures by the Book
I was pleased and honored to participate in the first ever
World Book Night USA on April 23, 2012.
The purpose of WBN was to give away half a million books across the US
on one day, inspiring under-represented readers to give a book a chance. Publishers printed out and donated special
edition WBN books (25 different titles selected by a panel of book experts) and
courtesy of UPS, mailed them to bookstores across the nation, where 25,000
volunteers like me picked up the books and delivered them to a pre-determined
destination of our choice.
I chose to give away copies of Tim O’Brien’s “The Things
They Carried,” a collection of inter-related short stories inspired by the
author’s service in the Vietnam War, which had a monumental impact on me when I
read it many years ago. The book, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and
the National Book Award, catalogs a litany of “things” that O’Brien’s fellow
soldiers carried with them on their missions, both tangible (grenades, guns) and intangible
(guilt, fear, anger).
When deciding where I should donate my books, I was struck
by the notion that the young men who served in the Vietnam War (women weren’t
serving in combat at that time) shared something in common with the young men
(and women) currently incarcerated in Juvenile Detention: they all carried “things” with them that
profoundly affected their lives. My hope
was that by reading about the sacrifices our brave soldiers make every day to
protect our freedom, the Juvenile Detention detainees would perhaps realize they could take The Things They
Carry and make better choices with their lives when they are released.
So now that I have delivered my books and fulfilled my
duties as a World Book Night volunteer, what are The Things I Carry from this
experience?
I carry the thrill of the pickup party hosted by my favorite
children’s bookstore in San Diego, Yellow Book Road, where we were encouraged
to share our book choices and giving destinations with other volunteers.
I carry the elation of knowing I have the power to affect
the lives of up to 20 people who may have never had the opportunity to read an
author like Tim O’Brien.
I carry the gratitude of all World Book Night organizers,
from Carl Lennertz, Executive Director, to the publishers who printed and
donated half a million books, to UPS who donated delivery services around the
country, to the WBN committee who put such meticulous thought into choosing
representative titles, to the bookstores and libraries that distributed the
books locally, to the thousands of volunteers who participated, and everybody
in between who played a role in this amazing program.
I carry the humility to know that there but for the grace of
god, I could have been an under-represented reader had I not been fortunate enough to
have been exposed to books at an early age.
I carry the passion that drives me every day in my personal and
professional life to spread the joy of reading.
I carry the knowledge that books can and do change lives
every day.
And last but not least, I carry the anticipation of
participating in World Book Night USA 2013.
If you missed the train this year, make sure to sign up now to receive
updates for next year at: http://www.us.worldbooknight.org/about-world-book-night
I’d like to hear from you.
What things did you carry from your experience with World Book Night?
4 comments:
I carried "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" and as a bonus "The Ender's Game" to an inner-city middle school in the heart of San Diego, shaking hands with sixth graders. Loved it!
Susan, I didn't do it, but it sounds like such a rewarding experience. You must feel so good about all the work you put in to make it happen. I'd be curious to know what other books were on the list. I'm going to check out the site, so thanks for including the link!
I also chose "The Things They Carried" and contacted my friend Rick Ochocki who works at Veteran's Village to arrange a time to bring my 20 copies. Friends were in town and they went with me to deliver the books. Veteran's Village is a residential treatment center for homeless veterans who suffer from alcoholism or drug addiction. Currently, there are 160 residents, many of whom are Vietnam Vets. Rick introduced us to three residents who represented the center to receive the books. Two were Vietnam Vets and their excitement at receiving the book matched mine in being able to give it (there I was grinning and crying).
Kris and Mary at Bluestocking Books in Hillcrest, where I picked up my box of books, hosted a reception for us on Friday evening. They created great displays of all the books in the WBN roster and toasted us (and themselves) with sparkling wine. I wore my WORLD BOOK NIGHT button proudly to a poetry reading later that evening and got to talk about the project and spread the word.
I'm so grateful I got to be a part of this wonderful project.
I loved hearing about your book giving experiences Marjorie and Judy. It really is amazing how much we receive by giving! I'm so thrilled you both participated. Monica, definitely get on the list for next year. It's such a worthwhile project, and I know they will be looking for additional volunteers next year. Thanks for sharing all of you.
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