In just over a month, summer will draw to a close. How do we make the most of August before the vacation days and evening sunlight run out?
We need a road trip.
After all, literary road trips have been a buzz this summer. Did you catch our Facebook post about Atlas Obscura’s literary road trip map? Or maybe you’ve seen the trailer for the “The End of the Tour,” which chronicles David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest book tour through his interviews with JHU-educated journalist David Lipsky.
The Maryland Center for the Book at the Maryland Humanities Council is excited to announce a different kind of road trip: Route 1 Reads.
Route 1 Reads is a joint reading promotion project stretching all the way form the Florida Keys to the tip of Maine. State Centers for the Book are combining forces to create a new twist on the summer reading list: a travel oriented booklist that highlights each individual state while celebrating the East Coast as a whole. The Route 1 Reads list includes regional cookbooks, travel memoirs, location-based novels, time-travel, and more.
Whether you take Route 1 to PA or to DC (whose Route 1 Reads choice, by the way, is The Big Blowout by Baltimore Sun alumni George Pelecanos), you’ll see a spectacular blend of rich history and the wonder of nature. You might cross the Susquehanna over the Conowingo Dam, stop to explore the Patapsco Valley, or visit Mary Pickersgill and H.L. Mencken at the Loudon Park National Cemetery.
Now that you know about the program, we know you’re excited to see what book is representing our state. Well, wait no longer!
Maryland’s Route 1 Reads pick is Kindred by Octavia Butler.
Kindred is the story of Dana, a modern black woman, who is snatched abruptly from her California home and transported to pre-Civil War Maryland. Against her will, Dana travels back and forth between her home and the plantation. Each trip is more strenuous and unpredictable, propelling Dana into an unfamiliar world.
Travel with us through the thrilling, thought-provoking world of Kindred or take a literary trip with another East Coast Center for the Book! By participating in Route 1 Reads, you’ll travel without a single footstep, get recommendations, and see what Centers for the Book offer across 15 states! Follow Maryland Center for the Book on Facebook and stay tuned for the full Route 1 Reads booklist.