One Book One Northwestern will begin selecting its book for the 2012-13 school year when the open submission process closes Nov. 11.
Started in 2005, OBON chooses one book annually for NU community members to read and discuss. The Office of the President sends free copies of the book to all incoming freshmen.
According to its website, OBON “aims to engage the campus in a common conversation centered on a carefully chosen, thought-provoking book.” According to Eugene Lowe, assistant to NU President Morton Schapiro and OBON’s planning committee chair, any book the planning committee chooses should appeal to a variety of groups in order to facilitate discussion.
For next year’s book, Lowe and the entire planning committee said they are hoping to find a book related to the city of Chicago. The idea for a Chicago-related book, he said, came from an NU student who worked with the project last year. Both Lowe and Nancy Cunniff, OBON project coordinator, cited Chicago’s diversity and historical significance as possible discussion topics.
“I think Chicago is such a cool city, and there’s so many things that could be done (for event programming),” Cunniff said.
Cunniff said this year’s book, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” has successfully brought many different groups together on campus through events such as the book’s dramatic reading held Oct. 19.
Weinberg senior Emily Gao, a OBON fellow and planning committee member, said this year’s book and related events created an unexpected interest from other members of the NU community, such as food service workers and maintenance staff. Gao said some of them wanted to participate in the Immortal Art Project, which asks all NU community members to place their thumbprint and initials on a large canvas for display in the spring, but didn’t know if they were allowed. She said their participation is always welcome.
In order to find the next book, the OBON planning committee is asking for proposals from the NU community. The proposals must include a book title, the name of a faculty member to head the program and an NU department to sponsor the project.
The committee prefers that recommended books be available in both paperback and e-book versions. Gao added the ideal book for OBON should interest readers, cover a variety of issues and spark discussion.
Lowe said so far, they have received more proposals this year than usual. Sometimes, he said, the committee receives only two or three.
After narrowing the list to three or four books, the committee will ask the applicants to turn in more detailed proposals. Once it makes its final evaluations, the committee will offer recommendations to Schapiro, who will make the final decision. Cunniff said the book should be chosen in February.
“I hope we can come up with a title and a program that’s as good as the one we have,” Lowe said.
