NEWBERRY COUNTY — Grab a book Newberry! But not just any book: The World Made Straight by South Carolina author Ron Rash and become part of Newberry County’s Big Read.
Rash’s sixth novel was chosen to begin the community-wide book club project, a concept started in Seattle in the 1990s, according to Joe McDonald, a member of the group.
“The concept is one book for the whole community to read,” McDonald said.
A committee was formed in May with the goal of encouraging reading and reading together, in turn building the idea of community.
McDonald said hundreds of communities including Spartanburg, Columbia and Greenville are already doing something similar.
From talking with others in the community, McDonald said a number of people were interested in a Newberry reading group.
“We have local government, business people, people from public schools, Newberry College, Newberry Opera House and non-profit groups,” McDonald said about the group’s members.
McDonald said they wanted Newberry County’s Big Read to have as much diversity as possible.
The Process
Several committee members met with authors to gather ideas about what book would be the first chosen and a sub-committee talked about actually choosing a book.
“The full committee decided we wanted a work of fiction,” McDonald said. “We thought it would be more attractive for our first read and wanted something by a current author so we could invite them to visit.”
After speaking with Rash at the 2015 South Carolina Book Festival in Columbia, the committee felt choosing him would be a good first selection, McDonald said.
Rash was selected by the committee in August. McDonald said Rash had just finished his sixth novel so they had several options to choose from, which led them to The World Made Straight.
“We picked a book that was less known so that more people would be picking it up for the first time,” McDonald said.
The novel is set in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina where a 17-year-old boy steals from a field of marijuana and is caught in a bear trap set by a farmer, having to deal with what he unleashed. The boy does not get along with his father which leads him to move into a trailer with a disgraced school teacher who helps him deal with his difficulties and helps to get his life on track.
McDonald said they hope Rash will visit Newberry in February or March to sign copies.
Get involved
The group will have a table set at this year’s Oktoberfest event, said Barbara Chapman, director. The goal is to encourage people to join or create book clubs to start reading Rash’s book and for there to be community forums for discussions of the book.
Books on Main is ordering copies of the book.
The committee’s current members include Chapman, McDonald, Robert Summer, Nikki Hunter, Foster Senn, Audrey Henry, Sam Ziady, Randy Berry, Pat Caldwell, Heather Hawkins, Andrew Wigger, Amanda Hodges and Sandy Scherrens.
Hodges plans to write a reader’s guide for the book so that when book clubs do form, each can discuss similar themes and questions related to the book.
McDonald said the community forums will start in January and the reading guides will help focus the discussion.
“Reading builds a better communication with the community and puts everyone on the same level,” Chapman said.
For those interested in joining the group’s effort, Chapman can be contacted through the Newberry County Literacy Council at 276-8086.
“There will be work to do, but it will be fun work,” Chapman said. “I think it will be a fun project to bring to the community.”
McDonald said they are hopeful that this first effort will be successful and can become a yearly event.
A local foundation provided a $5,000 grant and they will continue to do more fundraising, McDonald said.
“This is a good start to build on,” McDonald said.
Mayor Foster Senn said this will give the community a chance to hear from a well-known author, which he thinks will be a treat.
“Many cities around the country have community book reads, and I’m excited we’ll have one in Newberry County,” Senn said. “This effort will celebrate and promote reading.”