Tour brings award-winning author to Chesapeake

The Maryland Humanities Council (MHC) will welcome 2015 One Maryland One Bookauthor Daniel James Brown to Maryland from September 27–30 for statewide tour, including a stop at Chesapeake College, to speak about his New York Times bestselling book, The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Brown will appear at Chesapeake College on Monday, Sept.  28 at 7 p.m.

One Maryland One Book (OMOB), a program of the Maryland Center for the Book at the Maryland Humanities Council, brings diverse groups of Marylanders together in libraries, schools, and communities across the state to share a common reading experience through book discussions and companion programming each September and October.  The 2015 book was chosen by a committee of librarians, educators, authors, and bibliophiles in January from a list of over 100 titles suggested last fall by readers across the state and inspired by a sports theme. To find discussions and other OMOB programming near you, visit www.onemarylandonebook.org.

“We are proud to offer for the eighth year One Maryland One Book, Maryland’s only statewide reading and discussion program,” said Phoebe Stein, MHC Executive Director. “This year’s inspiring selection will surely spur thoughtful and engaging discussion among Marylanders of all ages.”

Bestselling author Laura Lippman will serve as Honorary Chair of One Maryland One Book this year, and will introduce Daniel James Brown at the Baltimore Book Festival on September 27.  She had this to say about this year’s selection: “The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown is inevitably a favorite of mine, centering as it does on the sport of rowing. But the book would not have become such a runaway success if it appealed only to rowing fans. It is the kind of story that we like to think is quintessentially American, in which under-estimated people work hard and succeed. It is utterly irresistible.”

One Maryland One Book is proudly supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Division of Library Development and Services at the Maryland State Department of Education, BGE, and the Nora Roberts Foundation, with additional support from Wells Fargo and M&T Bank.

About the Book: The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
The Boys in the Boat is the dramatic true story of the American rowing team that stunned the world at Hitler’s 1936 Berlin Olympics. Daniel James Brown shares the improbable journey of nine working-class American boys who embodied determination and optimism. The team’s friendship, shared adversity, and trust in each other helped them become the legendary team that defeated the most elite rivals, including the German crew rowing for Adolf Hitler.

About the Author: Daniel James Brown
Daniel James Brown grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and attended Diablo Valley College, the University of California at Berkeley, and UCLA. Brown taught writing at San Jose State University and Stanford before becoming a technical writer and editor. He now writes narrative nonfiction books full time. Brown’s primary interest as a writer is in bringing compelling historical events to life as vividly and accurately as possible.

Brown lives in the country outside of Seattle, Washington with his wife, two daughters, and an assortment of cats, dogs, chickens, and honeybees. When he is not writing, he is likely to be birding, gardening, fly fishing, reading American history, or chasing bears away from the bee hives. Learn more at www.danieljamesbrown.com.

 “Wandering Books”: The Boys in the Boat Wanders Maryland
Copies of the 2015 One Maryland One Book selection have been released to the public in six counties around the state as part of “Wandering Books,” a fun campaign to include readers across the state in the One Maryland One Book program. Anyone can receive clues about where to find books via Wandering Books page at http://mdhc.org/programs/one-maryland-one-book/wandering-books/

The Maryland Humanities Council is a statewide, educational nonprofit organization. The Maryland Humanities Council creates and supports educational experiences in the humanities that inspire all Marylanders to embrace lifelong learning, exchange ideas openly, and enrich their communities. For more information, visit www.mdhc.org. The Maryland Humanities Council is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the State of Maryland, and the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation.

2015 One Maryland One Book Author Tour