WKCTC selects its 2021-2022 One Book Read

Paducah, KY (10/06/2021) — Tales of Two Americas: Stories of Inequality in a Divided Nation is the One Book Read at West Kentucky Community and Technical College for 2021-2022.

Edited by American writer and literary critic, John Freeman, Tales of Two Americas: Stories of Inequality in a Divided Nation is unique from previous One Book Read selections. The book is a compilation of poetry, essays and short stories from 36 major contemporary writers, who address timely, cultural issues such as racism and social injustice, the war on drugs, and immigration policies.

"In Tales of Two Americas, Freeman has collected work that encourages critical thinking and empathy," said One Book Planning Committee co-chair Amelia Martens. "There is much work to do in our divided nation, but these writers illuminate the many paths forward we might take in our efforts. We are excited by the varied perspectives and potential for greater understanding, which will benefit both our college and community at large."

Authors in the book include Anthony Doerr, Ann Patchett, Roxane Gay, Rebecca Solnit, Hector Tobar, Joyce Carol Oates, Edwidge Danticat, Richard Russo, Eula Biss, Karen Russell, and many more.

Freeman's credits include serving as the editor of the literary magazine Granta and as the former president of the National Book Critics Circle. He is currently an executive editor at Knopf. His writings have appeared in almost 200 English-language publications, including The New York Times Book Review, the Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, and The Wall Street Journal. Between 2014-2020, Freeman edited a trilogy of anthologies about inequality, including this year's One Book Read, Tales of Two Cities: Stories of Inequality in a Divided New York and Tales of Two Planets: Stories of Climate Change and Inequality in a Divided World.

The One Book Read project is an annual community-wide effort to promote literacy and discussion of culturally relevant issues. The project encourages the community and area school districts to read the same book and discuss it in a variety of settings.

A schedule of ways to promote the One Book Read of Tales of Two Americas: Stories of Inequality in a Divided Nation is being planned for this fall and Spring 2022. To view a "Meet John Freeman" video and for more information about the book, visit onebookread.com..

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