Happy New Year!
If you are like me, you may have been almost certain that the tide would turn when 2021 ended. You may have thought that we surely would be well past the age of COVID-19, and thing one and thing two, also known as the Delta and Omicron variants.
However, kicking them to the curb may take a bit longer. We must persevere and look forward to things improving.
It is my thought that we have the fortitude, inspiration, and determination to keep going, and not lose our stride. You stuck with the Library System during the pandemic and helped us to reach record levels of virtual program attendance; and you did not let business by curbside service keep you away from the Library. The services were reduced for a time; yet, you stayed with us and for that we continue to say, thank you.
The year of 2022 can be a landmark year for all of us; although it may be that we have to continue to pivot, as we find ourselves doing most days. Some of us may decide to take up new hobbies; call and talk to family and friends more often; and just sit awhile, quietly contemplating our next move.
Whatever you decide, the Fulton County Library System will be here for you.
We are starting the year off with our One Book, One Read program, which is a County-wide book club, of sorts. You are invited, starting now, to read Caste, The Origins of Our Discontents by Pulitzer Prize winning and bestselling author, Isabel Wilkerson.
The countdown is on, because Ms. Wilkerson will join us at the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History on Sunday, March, 27, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. to discuss her book.
It will be the inaugural One Book, One Read program for Fulton County and the Library System, and is open to all interested participants as a way to share thoughts and discuss subjects and opinions. So, hurry and place it on your calendar. There will be opportunities to discuss the book at your favorite branch. Look for updates on the website, www.fulcolibrary.org .
You may find that in addition to reading Caste you have some free time to revisit some of the classics, such as Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte; The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin; Tolstoy’s War and Peace; or Jazz by Toni Morrison. Do it. The sky is the limit.
Also, in keeping with the suggestion that you may want to take another turn at reading the classics, or start anew with some of them, the works of one of the giants among American novelists, F. Scott Fitzgerald, may help you pass the time on a lazy Sunday afternoon. His works, Tender is the Night; The Last Tycoon; and the inimitable The Great Gatsby will be worth your time.
In other words, pass the time reading a good book. As you chart your course and write this year’s chapter of your life, the quote below sums up my wish for everyone at the start of this year. Look below. I think the great novelist said it best.
Take care.
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