One City One Story is the Boston Book Festival’s first citywide read. It is a project to encourage people around Boston to read the same short story and thereby create some community around the shared reading. Great stuff, and it happens in lots of others cities... Boston behind the curve on this one but never too late for a good idea.
The pick is a short story by Tom Perrotta titled The Smile on Happy Chang’s Face; more info and laser show excerpt below;
The Superior Wallcoverings Wildcats were playing in the Little League championship game, and I wanted them to lose. I wanted the Town Pizza Ravens and their star pitcher, Lori Chang, to humiliate them, to run up the score and taunt them mercilessly from the first-base dugout. I know this isn't an admirable thing for a grown man to admit—especially a grown man who has agreed to serve as home-plate umpire—but there are feelings you can't hide from yourself, even if you'd just as soon chop off your hand as admit them to anyone else.Starting this Sunday September 26th, copies will be made available at SOWA Sundays in the morning and Pops in the Park in the afternoon.
Then starting Monday September 27th the story will be available at all Boston Public Library branches plus several cafes, famers markets and bookstores from Charlestown to Mattapan. Details below.
Monday September 27
City Hall Plaza Farmers Market
The Boston Public Market at Dewey Square
South Boston Farmers Market
Copley T Station (7-9am)
Tuesday September 28
Copley Square Farmers Market
Dudley Town Common Farmers Market
Boylston T Station (7-9am)
Wednesday September 29
City Hall Plaza Farmers Market
Charles/MGH T (7-9am)
Thursday September 30
Mission Hill Farmers Market at Brigham Circle
Jamaica Plain Farmers Market (Loring Greenough House, 12 South Street, 2pm - 6pm)
Bowdoin Geneva Farmers Market
Hynes/ICA T (7-9am)
Friday October 1
Arts Friday at Downtown Crossing
Boston Medical Center Farmers Market
Allston Farmers Market
State Street T (7-9am)
Saturday October 2
Mattapan Farmers Market
Citywide Friends Book Sale (Copley Square Library 10am - 4pm)
Hyde Park Farmers Market
