Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Greenwich Reads Together 2021: Deacon King Kong, by James McBride

Deacon King Kong, by James McBride, has been chosen as the Greenwich Reads Together selection for 2021. Greenwich Reads Together is a community-wide reading experience which engages all of Greenwich in exploring a single book, culminating in a series of special events and programs in the fall.

About the Book:

In September 1969, a fumbling, cranky old church deacon known as Sportcoat shuffles into the courtyard of the Cause Houses housing project in south Brooklyn, pulls a .38 from his pocket, and in front of everybody shoots the project’s drug dealer at point-blank range. 

The reasons for this desperate burst of violence and the consequences that spring from it lie at the heart of Deacon King Kong, James McBride’s funny, moving novel and his first since his National Book Award-winning The Good Lord Bird. In Deacon King Kong, McBride brings to vivid life the people affected by the shooting: the victim, the African-American and Latinx residents who witnessed it, the white neighbors, the local cops assigned to investigate, the members of the Five Ends Baptist Church where Sportcoat was deacon, the neighborhood’s Italian mobsters, and Sportcoat himself.  

As the story deepens, it becomes clear that the lives of the characters–caught in the tumultuous swirl of 1960s New York–overlap in unexpected ways. When the truth does emerge, McBride shows us that not all secrets are meant to be hidden, that the best way to grow is to face change without fear, and that the seeds of love lie in hope and compassion. 

About the Author:

James McBride is an award-winning author, musician, and screenwriter. His landmark memoir, The Color of Water, published in 1996, has sold millions of copies and spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list. Considered an American classic, it is read in schools and universities across the United States. 

McBride has been a staff writer for The Boston Globe, People Magazine, and The Washington Post, and his work has appeared in Essence, Rolling Stone, and The New York Times. His 2007 National Geographic story “Hip Hop Planet” is considered an important examination of African American music and culture. 

A noted musician and composer, McBride has toured as a saxophonist sideman with jazz legend Jimmy Scott, among other musicians. He has written songs for Anita Baker, Grover Washington Jr., Pura Fé, Gary Burton, and even for the PBS television character “Barney.” (He did not write the “I Love You” song for Barney, but he wishes he did.) He received the Stephen Sondheim Award and the Richard Rodgers Foundation Horizon Award for his musical Bobos, co-written with playwright Ed Shockley. His 2003 Riffin’ and Pontificatin’ musical tour was filmed for a nationally televised Comcast documentary. He has been featured on national radio and television in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. 

Check out a copy of the book

View a list of companion selections for Grades K-5 and Young Adults

Click here for more info on Greenwich Reads Together

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Upcoming Event: Virtual Book Discussion on Night. Sleep. Death. The Stars., by Joyce Carol Oates

Perrot Memorial Library & Greenwich Pen Women

present a Virtual Book Discussion on

Night. Sleep. Death. The Stars., by Joyce Carol Oates

Facilitated by Barbara Ehrentreu of Greenwich Pen Women

Monday, September 20th, 2021 at 7 PM via Zoom

This novel provides an examination of contemporary America through the prism of a family tragedy: when a powerful parent dies, each of his adult children reacts in startling and unexpected ways, and his grieving widow in the most surprising way of all. Stark and penetrating, it's an exploration of psychological trauma, class warfare, grief, and eventual healing.

Borrow a copy of the book here

Register for this event today via Zoom

For more information, contact lending@perrotlibrary.org

Masks Required for All Library Visitors

Effective August 9th, masks are required for all library visitors and staff, regardless of vaccination status. If you need an adult or child mask, please ask at any of our public service desks. 

Masks are also required at all other Town of Greenwich facilities.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.