Ah, Memorial Day Weekend, the unofficial yet popular kickoff for the summer reading season.
Newspapers are full of summer lists, an orgy of books that for readers like me evince a sense of both excitement for the worlds I’ve yet to enter, and absolute despondency that I won’t get to many of them. So many books, so little time.
As if the new summer lists weren’t enough to make you feel guilty about the tall pile of must reads you’ve already accumulated, I’ve noticed a few lists that go beyond the new summer batch and are asking you to contemplate 100 books.
The renowned Hay Festival in Britain is commemorating the centenary of the women’s vote in Britain by focusing on books by women writers from “the last 100 years that you felt deserved recognition and celebration.” You can vote for this one.
The BBC “asked writers around the globe to pick stories that have endured across generations and continents – and changed society.”
And this week, PBS launched its own The Great American Read. The goal of this participatory project is to find America’s best-loved novel, whittled down from 100. Where did that list of 100 come from? You can read the details of the polling in this FAQ, but essentially a statistically representative survey asked Americans to name their most-loved novel, with a few other rules to get to that 100.
As with any endeavor to “pick” a favorite something, people always have issues and after watching the launch of this project on PBS you, the viewers, have things to say.
Suzanne Sayer of Kittery, Maine, complains:
“I keep hearing about 'the great American' read or novel. But then I looked at the list. Since when is Dostoevsky an American and since when is Jane Austen an American and there are French, and other British and French authors included in the list…I also love tom Clancy (sic), but is he literature of a populist author?
Anne Brubaker from San Francisco, Calif., asks:
“To whom do I comment on the rotten choice of books on 'The Great American Read?' I was very excited, but find not one of my favorite books listed.”
B. Videki from Orlando, Fla., adds:
“Was excited by the concept of the Great American Read. However, the demographic chosen to vote on the 100 books seems too narrow…I have read over 80% of the books listed and can not believe you included E.L. James’ Fifty Shades of Grey or Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight. Both of these sold a lot of copies and made millions but are barely written in English…Your Contest is a sham.”
The best way to get people engaged is to put together a "best of" list or some variation thereof and watch them go at it.
I’m a big reader, an advocate for books, a lover of books and any project that does anything to encourage people to read and react is probably a good thing in my book.
I’m also not a literary snob and that is one of the reasons I really like this project. The launch show managed to do the impossible, go through 100 books in two hours and get me interested.
I love that the list includes J.K. Rowling and Jane Austen, James Baldwin and Margaret Mitchell. I was surprised that Sarah Jessica Parker picked "Things Fall Apart." I was moved by the story of Eliyannah Amirah Yisrael and how much she was inspired by the Harry Potter books and charmed by the Dickens lovers in Galveston, Texas. Hearing how "The Color Purple" saved the life of actress Gabrielle Union after her own rape is a stark reminder of the extraordinary power of books.
The creators of this project were very specific in their language – they are not looking for the greatest American novel. The project is about the power of, and love for, books, hence the search is for America’s best-loved novel. Note that sleight of hand/language.
What does America love to read?
In an email exchange, I asked Bill Gardner, PBS vice president of programming and development, about that decision: "We're interested in what Americans are passionate about and the perspectives that are presented in books. An academic argument about craft and making a judgement on 'greatness' isn't of interest to us and doesn't fit with what our goals are, which are to support and amplify a love of reading, a commitment to literacy and exposure to different perspectives and experiences."
The project has a big engagement component with local bookstores and public television stations, libraries, Facebook book groups, and, of course, the ability to vote early and often. You don't have to pick one book, you can vote for more than one!
To me this project represents the best of the "public" in public media. It is an opportunity to have the audience be a part of something that is a shared experience and takes advantage of newer tools and technologies to allow for greater involvement. As Gardner points out, "The project allows us to leverage partnerships within the system and with major cultural institutions like the Library of Congress, and it's also an opportunity to explore and develop innovative storytelling approaches across media platforms."
There will be a series of programs exploring the different genres in the fall, followed by the big reveal of "America's best-loved novel."
So get involved, open yourself to something you'd never have thought to read before, pick a book for the family and have your own book group. It's Memorial Day weekend, there's a tote bag waiting to be filled with books that will get dog eared, perhaps a little wet and sandy, but hopefully, above all, extremely well read.
And remember, you can vote early and often.
