 
About Two Towns: One Book!
Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man, by NBA legend and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, is the featured selection of this year's Two Towns, One Book series sponsored by the South Orange Maplewood Community Coalition on Race in partnership with the South Orange and Maplewood Public Libraries. "For our annual Two Towns, One Book event, the South Orange Maplewood Community Coalition on Race is delighted to present a book that delivers an honest and at times a humorous examination of the reality of race and racism in America today", said Robin Burns Saunders, executive director of the Coalition. "Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man will be an excellent launching point for a thoughtful and engaging discussion." In writing Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man, Charles Barkley traveled across America to investigate a wide range of issues with an even wider range of Americans: from celebrities to college students to the Grand Dragon of the Alabama Ku Klux Klan. Throughout, he weaves personal stories of his own experiences with race in America. The book, appropriate for adults as well as high school students, was selected by this yearâ??s Two Towns, One Book Committee, including Karen Hartshorn Hilton, Nancy Janow, and Melissa Kopecky of the South Orange Public Library as well as Joanne Beckerich, Karen Freeman-Pettis, and Jane Kennedy of the Maplewood Public Library. To encourage all residents to participate in the Two Towns, One Book Event, Goldfinch Books, on Baker Street in Maplewood, is offering a 10% discount on the Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man. The books also are available in both the South Orange and Maplewood Public Libraries. Coming up this spring, the South Orange Maplewood Community Coalition on Race will be sponsoring a Two Towns, One Book event for children featuring Billie of Fish House Lane, by local author Meredith Sue Willis. If you would like to volunteer to help organize this event or the 2008 event, please contact the Coalition at 973-761-6116 x 6. Two Towns: One Book includes scheduled events such as book discussions, the author's reading and community forum. Click on the links below to see the archive for prior year books, the list of books suggested and considered by the selection committee, and to view the criteria established for the selection of the book. Contact Us! Contact the sponsors for more information: South Orange/Maplewood Community Coalition on Race email : info@twotowns.org voice: 973-761-6116 EXT. 8 Maplewood Memorial Library 973/762-1622 South Orange Public Library 973/762-0230 Seton Hall University call or email librarian@sopl.org
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