A WORD ON WORDS KICKS OFF WITH KRISTIN GORE; Plus, More Thoughts on Reading

This Sunday, August 26 at 10:30 a.m. marks the start of the 36th season of our popular show A Word on Words with John Seigenthaler. Seigenthaler’s first guest is Kristin Gore, who’ll be discussing her latest book Sammy’s House. It’s the follow-up to 2004’s Sammy’s Hill. Coincidentally, Gore will also be on the Late Show with David Letterman this coming Friday.

Gore has a lot going on. She was a writer and story editor for the animated series Futurama, Charlie Lawrence and Saturday Night Live. She was nominated for an EMMY for her work on SNL.

She came by last month to tape the interview, and we snapped a shot for the Media Update.

In other book news, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll released Tuesday, one in four American adults say they read no books at all in the past year. If you’re in that 25% that did not read a book, you probably have plenty of reasons. You might be too busy with work and family. You might spend more time on the internet these days or have given a majority of your leisure time over to television and movies. An avid reader and book collector myself, I can’t imagine NOT having a book going at all times.

(steps up on soapbox…unapologetically)

If you’ve lost the wonder and joy that comes with reading, it’s never too late to get it back. Give yourself a half-hour on Sunday mornings to absorb some of Seigenthaler’s passion for reading. If you can’t watch, you can always download the podcast of the show (for free) on iTunes or on the AWOW website. Start using that library card, or get one if you don’t have one. It’ll be the most rewarding card in your wallet — second to none (although those Citypass cards with restaurant discounts can be pretty rewarding, too). Spend your lunch hour perusing the racks at your local library branch, and I guarantee you’ll find something that interests you.

I had a teacher in high school whose method of encouraging his students to read was to ask them what interested them. They could pick any book, several times a year, on any subject. Music fans picked biographies of rock bands; sports fans picked books about star athletes; sci-fi fans chose books about the future; and so on. What’s your thing? Dreaming of Europe? Fascinated with history? Obsessed with politics? You get the idea. Take advantage of these warm-weather days and decide to start reading again. You’ll be glad you did.

(steps down off soapbox…triumphantly)

While I’m on the topic of books, don’t forget that The Southern Festival of Books: A Celebration of the Written Word® returns to Nashville this year, October 12-14 at the Legislative Plaza in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. It’s a free event, and a great way to quench your renewed thirst for books.