TONIGHT: One Book, One Philadelphia Launches [EVENT POSTPONED]
Kevin Powers, author of this year’s One Book, One Philadelphia selection, “Yellow Birds,” is scheduled to attend tonight’s kickoff at the Central Branch of the Free Library.
Weather permitting, the Free Library of Philadelphia (FLP) is kicking off its 12th annual One Book, One Philadelphia (OBOP) event tonight at its Central Branch location. Here’s what FLP has scheduled for the launch:
- An appearance by Kevin Powers, author of this year’s OBOP book selection, The Yellow Birds (and a George Clooney look-alike if I ever saw one)
- A screening of vignettes inspired by former Philly journalist Yvonne Latty’s In Conflict
- Curtis Institute of Music cellist Tim Petrin will perform a musical piece inspired by The Yellow Birds
Whether the event is cancelled or not, what better day to launch OBOP than when everyone in the city is stuck inside. So grab your copy (it’s available on Kindle if you haven’t already purchased a tangible one) of The Yellow Birds and read along with the rest of your snowed-in brethren. A little background: This is Powers’ first novel. In it, he draws on his experience in the Iraq War to tell the story of a young solider trying to come to terms with the tragedy he experienced while on duty, and struggling to fit back into life as-is when he returns home. It won a ton of awards, including the National Book Award, and the New York Times raved over it, saying that, “Kevin Powers has something to say, something deeply moving about the frailty of man and the brutality of war, and we should all lean closer and listen.”
The kickoff event is scheduled to take place tonight, Jan. 21, at 7:30 p.m. at the Central Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia (1901 Vine St.)
UPDATE [1/22/2014, 10:12 a.m.]: The event has been postponed. Stay tuned to Ticket for info on rescheduling.
