Have you ever wanted a chance to ask the author of your favorite book questions? How about given the author feedback on it? East Stroudsburg University’s One Book, One Campus program will allow you to do just that. The program which was established in 2013 has decided on their next read: Beartown by Frederik Backman. 

The book Beartown touches upon tough issues that many students in today’s society face, such as sexual assault, sexuality, and masculinity. The novel that follows the lives of a high school hockey team trying to win a championship game and how this challenge can unite a town as well as divide it.  The themes in the book are relevant to the lives of teenagers.

This event is a very rare and exciting experience for the lives of readers. It involves a large book club in which the author will attend and interacts with the readers. This event is open only to ESU incoming freshmen at this time, but is working on being open to more people. 

“Books that regard sensitive topics affect their readers because it puts the person reading it into a different point of view,” said junior Ritika  Mamidela. “This results in the reader being put in a situation or perspective that they are not familiar with, and also accustoms them.”

The One Book, One Campus committee is very hopeful that this book will be more incorporated into more courses.

“While the book is a text used in the First Year Experience course, the hope is that more faculty will incorporate this novel into their upper-level courses as well to expand engagement in robust conversation about the book’s themes and their impact on today’s society,” said Ms. Brooke Langan, a member of the One Book, One Campus committee.

The event will take place on Sunday, Aug. 25 at 4:00 p.m. at East Stroudsburg University, and it will include incoming students. 

For students, meeting an author and asking questions about the novel will allow them to get a better understanding of why the book was written, and it may also help students gain unique insights into the reading, as well.

“It gives the reader a better understanding of the author’s vision and point of view,” said junior Ashley Echevarria. “The reader can also maybe see the influence that went into the making of the book by meeting the author.”

Reading has the ability to take a reader into a different world, a world that the author creates. It increases creativity and imagination, allowing the reader to venture on a journey that the author creates.

“I think reading is important because reading not only helps with understanding and putting pieces together but it also allows people to escape to another place,” said Nyla Estafany. “People read so much because they like being in that world of their own, creating connections in their brain and just enjoying a great book.” 

This event is available to all incoming East Stroudsburg University freshmen students for the 2019-2020 school year. The One Book, One Campus committee is also working with high school teachers to make this event open to their students as well. This amazing opportunity may not happen again, so don’t miss it.