NC Center for the Book News
North Carolina Reads Explores State’s History and Culture
March 2023
Statewide Book Club Features Five Books and Discussions with Authors
(March 20, 2023) CHARLOTTE, N.C.– Building on the successes of the inaugural 2022 program series, North Carolina Humanities has brought back its popular statewide book club, North Carolina Reads! This year, North Carolina Reads features five new books that explore issues of racial, social, and gender equality and the history and culture of North Carolina. The people, places, and events in the books pose critical questions about how North Carolinians view their role in helping to form a more just and inclusive society.
From February through June, NC Humanities is hosting virtual, monthly book club discussion events where participants can hear from guest speakers, including book authors and topic experts. Libraries, community groups, and individuals across North Carolina are encouraged to read along with NC Humanities and host community programs of their own to accompany NC Humanities’ events.
On February 22, NC Humanities hosted its first North Carolina Reads event of 2023. Author Kianna Alexander was joined by Dr. Hilary Green of Davidson College to discuss Alexander’s book “Carolina Built”, a story based on the life and legacy of Josephine N. Leary, an African American entrepreneur and businesswoman who lived in North Carolina during the Reconstruction Era. The discussion, held on Josephine N. Leary Day, was attended by hundreds of North Carolinians from across the state.
The next North Carolina Reads book discussion takes place on March 27. Author Art Chansky and Dr. Matt Andrews will discuss “Game Changers: Dean Smith, Charlie Scott, and the Era that Transformed a Southern College Town”. The two will discuss the relationship and overall cultural impact of men’s basketball coach Dean Smith, and Charlie Scott, the first African American scholarship athlete at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Learn more and register to attend the remaining North Carolina Reads book discussion events:
- April 25 at 7:00 PM – “Money Rock: A Family’s Story of Cocaine, Race, and Ambition in the New South” in-person conversation at the Charlotte Museum of History with author Pam Kelley, Dr. Seth Kotch, and Dr. Barbara Lash. A livestream will be available on NC Humanities’ YouTube channel.
- May 23 at 6:30 PM – “Under a Gilded Moon”online conversation with author Joy Jordan-Lake and Dr. Jennifer Le Zotte.
- June 27 at 6:30 PM – “Step It Up and Go: The Story of North Carolina Popular Music”online conversation with author David Menconi and Dolphus Ramseur.
“North Carolina Reads is a unique book club. Not only is it one of the only statewide book clubs in North Carolina, but it is also an essential program resource for local, community-based book club groups and regional libraries,” said Sherry Paula Watkins, Executive Director of North Carolina Humanities.
At the heart of North Carolina Reads is NC Humanities’ desire to connect communities through shared reading experiences. Reading is important because it helps develop critical thinking skills; strengthens minds, vocabulary, and mental health; and creates opportunities to empathize with others’ stories and experiences. North Carolina Reads uses books as a way to create space for talking about important, timely issues.
NC Humanities encourages everyone to check with their local library or bookstore for assistance in finding book copies. Readers can also download NC Humanities’ curated Reading Schedule and Discussion Questions Guide and Program Guide for free, both of which are designed to help fuel local, community discussions. All North Carolina Reads book club discussions will be recorded and available on YouTube.
Please direct all North Carolina Reads-related questions to Melissa Giblin, Director of the North Carolina Center for the Book, at mgiblin@nchumanities.org or (704) 687-1526. Please note that selected North Carolina Reads books are intended for readers 18 and over and may not be suitable for some audiences.
About North Carolina Humanities: Through grantmaking and public humanities programs, North Carolina Humanities connects North Carolinians with cultural experiences that spur dialogue, deepen human connections, and inspire community. North Carolina Humanities is a statewide nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The North Carolina Center for the Book, the state affiliate of the Center for the Book in the Library Congress, is a program of North Carolina Humanities that promotes books, libraries, literacy, and reading around the state. To learn more visit www.nchumanities.org.
Press Contact: Melanie Moore Richeson, mmoore@nchumanities.org, 704-687-1520