Celebrating Portable Magic
Jesup Memorial Library Brings Kevin Wilson and Big Read to Bar Harbor
BAR HARBOR— Maine novelist Stephen King said, “Books are a uniquely portable magic.” That magic can inspire, join, create, and develop a reader and a community.
If you imagine a community where everyone celebrates books, or at least one book, even if it’s just for a little while, you might be imagining a community where magic happens, not just between the pages, but in the readers’ hearts. You also might be imagining Bar Harbor.
That community magic is part of what the Jesup Memorial Library staff hopes will happen this winter, beginning this weekend, with the Big Read.
Jesup Memorial Library has been awarded an NEA Big Read grant for 2024 to celebrate the book Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson and other companion books for young readers. The goal of the NEA Big Read is to broaden our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the power of a shared reading experience.
“Have you ever read a book that's so good that you can't wait to recommend it to everyone you meet?” Youth Services Librarian Abby Morrow asked. “For me, Nothing to See Here is one of those books! Kevin Wilson has crafted a beautiful, hilarious book about parenting, non-traditional families, and education, and the role that social class and privilege plays in friendships.”
The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest (people) of the past centuries.” - Descartes
According to a BBC article by Claudia Hammond, “At the Princeton Social Neuroscience Lab, psychologist Diana Tamir has demonstrated that people who often read fiction have better social cognition. In other words, they’re more skilled at working out what other people are thinking and feeling. Using brain scans, she has found that while reading fiction, there is more activity in parts of the default mode network of the brain that are involved in simulating what other people are thinking.”
Building empathy and social cognition is a bit part of the magic of community.
“The books we've chosen dive into many themes including non-traditional parenting, homeschooling, the importance of self-care and emotional regulation, and women's basketball. From January-June 2024, we'll work with community partners on MDI and across the state to host book discussions, a self-care fair, activities for kids, a visit from the author, and much more,” a Library press release reads.
According to the NEA website, '“The goals of the NEA Big Read are to inspire meaningful conversations, celebrate local creativity, elevate a wide variety of voices and perspectives, and build stronger connections in each community.”
The Big Read kicks off on Saturday, January 6, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Jesup with a self-care fair.
The Big Read title explores different avenues for emotional regulation, including yoga, breathwork, and meditation. Heather Murray will lead a guided meditation at 12:30 p.m. and beginners are welcome. The library staff will also be showcasing other ways to practice self-care including learning more about organic vegetables with Bar Harbor Farm and finding out more about local services from MDI Hospital and Healthy Acadia. Liz Cutler from ArtWaves will join us with an art project that will help with self-expression and self-care.
As the French writer Stendahl said, “A good book is an event in my life.”
The library recognizes that concept and is creating multiple events around Wilson’s novel.
“We're excited for the Big Read because it gives our community a chance to celebrate Nothing to See Here through book discussions, a 90s dance party, a visit from the author, and so much more,” Morrow said. “We're so lucky to work with so many amazing partner organizations, libraries, and presenters to make it happen. We hope you'll join us!”
OTHER EVENTS
Continuing on a theme of self-care for January, the library invites adults to join on Saturday, January 20 at 1 p.m. for "Declutter Your Stress Away" with professional organizer Melissa Keyser. Keyser trained with Marie Kondo (author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up) and has lots of tips for how to tackle home organization challenges. She'll also show attendees how to fold a t-shirt and welcomes people to bring their handbags to clean out if they're feeling brave.
On January 24, drop by from 4-6 p.m. for a book discussion of our Big Read title. This will be led by Kendra Rand. There are free copies of Nothing to See Here available at the Jesup Memorial Library. The library will provide childcare in the youth room upon request so the adults can chat while the kids can play while being supervised.
Please sign up here: https://forms.gle/tvXFzosTNRWb2Jor6
ABOUT THE BOOK
According to an interview with the New York Times’ Elisabeth Egan, Wilson wrote Nothing to See Here during a 10-day writing sojourn where he imagined romantic walks in the woods, contemplating character and narrative, but was instead surrounded by residences with BEWARE OF THE DOG signs. Also, walking required traversing a highway. Stuck inside, he wrote.
Via the author’s website:
”Lillian and Madison were unlikely roommates and yet inseparable friends at their elite boarding school. But then Lillian had to leave the school unexpectedly in the wake of a scandal and they’ve barely spoken since. Until now, when Lillian gets a letter from Madison pleading for her help.“Madison’s twin stepkids are moving in with her family and she wants Lillian to be their caretaker. However, there’s a catch: the twins spontaneously combust when they get agitated, flames igniting from their skin in a startling but beautiful way. Lillian is convinced Madison is pulling her leg, but it’s the truth.
”Thinking of her dead-end life at home, the life that has consistently disappointed her, Lillian figures she has nothing to lose. Over the course of one humid, demanding summer, Lillian and the twins learn to trust each other—and stay cool—while also staying out of the way of Madison’s buttoned-up politician husband. Surprised by her own ingenuity yet unused to the intense feelings of protectiveness she feels for them, Lillian ultimately begins to accept that she needs these strange children as much as they need her—urgently and fiercely. Couldn’t this be the start of the amazing life she’d always hoped for?“With white-hot wit and a big, tender heart, Kevin Wilson has written his best book yet—a most unusual story of parental love
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
“Kevin Wilson is the author of two collections, Tunneling to the Center of the Earth (Ecco/Harper Perennial, 2009), which received an Alex Award from the American Library Association and the Shirley Jackson Award, and Baby You’re Gonna Be Mine (Ecco, 2018), and three novels, The Family Fang (Ecco, 2011), Perfect Little World (Ecco, 2017) and Nothing to See Here (Ecco, 2019), a New York Times bestseller and a Read with Jenna book club selection. His fiction has appeared in Ploughshares, Southern Review, One Story, A Public Space, and elsewhere, and has appeared in Best American Short Stories 2020 and 2021, as well as The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories 2012. He has received fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, and the KHN Center for the Arts,” according to his website.
”He lives in Sewanee, Tennessee, with his wife, the poet Leigh Anne Couch, and his sons, Griff and Patch, where he is an associate professor in the English department at Sewanee: The University of the South,” the website continues.
To learn more about our NEA Big Read: MDI, please visit www.jesuplibrary.org/big