On June 28, the Poetry to the People tour wrapped up its 4,000-mile round-trip journey from Brooklyn to New Orleans and back. It was exhausting and exhilarating. There’s nothing like putting a free book into the hands of someone who will obviously love it.
The enthusiasm for story was palpable everywhere we went. We had a lot of help along the way, receiving donations from local publishers and from Ingram, with the House of SpeakEasy’s Bookmobile making stops at the Ingram warehouses in Nashville and Jackson, Tennessee, to receive dozens of boxes of new books. We definitely needed them. At the Boys and Girls Club in Jackson, Mississippi, we gave out over 1,500 books to 400 kids, plus teachers, custodians, and staff.
We hardly noticed that it was 95 degrees with a heat index of 110.
We had so much fun on the way down, and so many people reached out to us along the way, that we added stops in Montgomery, Atlanta, Spartanburg, Durham, Salisbury, Richmond, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. In the end we gave away books in 18 cities, held readings in 16 of those, and met hundreds of inspiring individuals from local organizations.
There are so many people doing great work in their communities, and it was an honor to make those connections and help spotlight their efforts. In the end, we gave out over 5,000 books and easily received twice that many hugs in return, and also received tips to the best pies all along the way. We were already planning the next trip.
Originally published by Literary Hub · lithub.com