One Maryland One Book

Encouraging a love of reading and a deeper sense of community, One Maryland One Book is like a statewide book club. Every Marylander is invited to participate through one of the hundreds of events happening around the state.

What if everyone read one book at the same time?

When we read a great book, we can’t wait to share the experience and talk about it with others. That’s one of the joys of reading.

In that spirit, Maryland Humanities created One Maryland One Book (OMOB) to bring together diverse people in communities across the state through the shared experience of reading the same book. We invite you to participate in book-centered discussions and related programs at public libraries, high schools, colleges, museums, bookstores, and community and senior centers around the state.

OMOB programs, including an author tour, take place each year in the fall. A calendar of free public events will be available online this summer.

2026 One Maryland One Book Selection

No Sense in Wishing: Essays on Black Music, Belonging, and Baltimore

by Lawrence Burney

Maryland Humanities is pleased to announce that the selection for the 2026 One Maryland One Book (OMOB) is No Sense in Wishing by Lawrence Burney.

Released in 2025 by Simon and Schuster (Atria Books), the book is a personal and analytical essay collection taking cue from Burney’s career as a culture writer and critic through which he looks at his home city of Baltimore, music from throughout the global Black diaspora, and the traditions that raised him.

Get Your Copy

If you’d like to buy a copy of No Sense in Wishing, we recommend using the below links for Bookshop.org! Bookshop.org forwards a portion of each purchase to Maryland Humanities, and we’d greatly appreciate your support!

Hardback

Paperback

E-Book

Sponsors and Partners

This flagship program of Maryland Humanities’ Maryland Center for the Book would not be able to reach all 23 Maryland counties and Baltimore City without the continued support of our partners and sponsors. Please join us in thanking them for their generosity!

We are also greatly thankful for the support of Frostburg State University, M&T Bank, Baltimore County Commission on the Arts and Sciences, the Nora Roberts Foundation, and Seekers Church for their support.

“A sophomore on our school’s state-champ runner-up varsity football team was so taken by Joe’s story of the sophomore year on the boat that he got his dad (the coach) and several members of his team to read the book even though they weren’t assigned it in class.

“Another student described a discussion she got into with her math teacher after school about the relevance of the English curriculum and used her experience with Brown’s work and the field trip to convince her teacher that humanities are just as important as STEM. Great stuff!”

One Maryland One Book Teacher

“Museum on Main Street helps fulfill our promise of bringing impactful humanities programs to every corner of Maryland.

What I appreciate most is the way it creates long-term and meaningful change in the diverse communities that host each tour—promoting local pride, providing resources and ensuring sustainable partnerships.”

Rob Forloney

Program Officer, Partnerships

Join us and support our cause today!

We’re a statewide, educational nonprofit organization that creates and supports bold experiences that explore and elevate our shared stories to connect people, enhance lives, and enrich communities.

Donate Here