If We Build It, Will They Come?

We made our way towards Bryant Park yesterday, weighed down with signs, scotch tape, markers, laptops, and that giddy excitement that comes with starting any new adventure that contains the possibility of failure. We wanted to talk to people in the park about their favorite books, but would they want to talk to us? Ignoring strange people is a necessity, raised to an art form in New York, so we had no clue if people would slow down, venture over and reveal a little about the literature/poetry/non-fiction that has touched their lives.

We are grateful to report that after five hours of standing around, beckoning onlookers forward, we had the opportunity to meet over fifty fine people from as far away as New Zealand and as close as the HBO headquarters. Some people strode forward confidently, eager to report their favorite book or author, insisting that more of the world read the book that changed their lives. Others had to be drawn forward, unsure what to make of us and our signs. As soon as they got within an arm's length, we shoved a notebook and pen in their hand. Many people insisted that it is hard to identify just one book, and we had to agree on that. Still, given some time to think, everyone came up with at least one.

So far, leading the list of favorite books is, no surprise, the Bible. It is tied for first place with a more recent bestseller, The Kite Runner. Many of the books we had not heard about before, so we hope this blog will do a service of introducing these authors and titles to a larger audience. Thank you to all who participated and generously shared your time and thoughts with us. Hope to see you again soon!