"One Book, One Stratford"

Sunday, Jan. 10, 2 pm: Author Jennifer Baszile visits the Stratford Library to kick-off "One Book, One Stratford"

Did you see the great article this week in the Connecticut Post about our program, "One Book, One Stratford" ? The idea of the “One Book” program is that everyone in town reads the same book at the same time, much like a town-wide book club. The library has chosen Jennifer Baszile’s acclaimed memoir, The Black Girl Next Door, as the town selection. From now until March, the library has scheduled a number of talks, film showings, lectures, and discussions that touch on the themes explored in Baszile's book. At the “One Book, One Stratford” kick-off event on January 10 author Jennifer Baszile will be in attendance to discuss and read from her memoir. The Black Girl Next Door is the true story of Baszile’s growing up black in a white section of Los Angeles in the 1970s and ‘80s. Professor Baszile commented to the Post that although her particular story is set in previous decades, her theme of how families struggle to achieve the American dream and become part of the cultural landscape of the US is still vitally relevent today. Jennifer Baszile received her B.A. from Columbia and her Ph.D. in American history from Princeton. She was the first black female professor to join Yale University's history department and has been named one of the "Thirty Leaders of the Future" by Ebony magazine. She currently lives in Connecticut. Copies of The Black Girl Next Door will be available for purchase at the event – autographed by the author. The library also multiple copies for loan. The “One Book” event is co-sponsored in part by Simon & Schuster. Light refreshments will be served.

For the complete schedule of events for "One Book, One Stratford," see the calendar at the library's webpage.