Creatively Cool Fundraiser Idea

Literature, Food & Friends At JJML’s One for the Books
The Sag Harbor Express
02 October 2008

Supporters of the John Jermain Memorial Library may not know where they are going to dinner, who their host is or what they will eat, but they can rest assured they are supporting their local library and that a book they have chosen will help guide their way.

On October 11 and October 18 the fundraising committee for the John Jermain Memorial Library Capital Fund will host the third annual One for the Books fundraising event. Billed as a dinner party extravaganza, guests sign up by choosing a book from a diverse list of titles. That choice determines where one will dine that evening, with whom, and sometimes will even dictate the menu.

“The books are chosen by each host, and the idea is that the book you choose says something about you,” explained One for the Books coordinator Gail Slevin. “When I pick a title it should be safe to assume that I am going to like the group I am dining with and it is indicative of the person who is giving the dinner.”

For example, participants on October 11 who have chosen Barack Obama’s “The Audacity Of Hope: Thoughts On Reclaiming The American Dream,” may find they are in for an evening of rousing political discussions in a heated election year, whereas guests who choose Claudia Roden’s “Arabesque: A Taste Of Morocco, Turkey, And Lebanon,” may be in for a Middle Eastern dining treat. On October 18, those who choose “Sway: A Novel,” by Zachary Lazar may find themselves rocking out to the tunes of the Rolling Stones, while others may find themselves discussing the selected poems of Frank O’Hara. But with over a dozen titles available for each evening, it is unlikely guests won’t find one that syncs with their taste… [read the rest here]