If you’ve read this year’s One Maryland One Book selection, A Hope in the Unseen, you’re familiar with the engrossing story of Cedric Jennings’ journey from the inner city to the Ivy League. But do you know the story behind the story? You do if you were one of the 2008 Baltimore Book Festival attendees who crowded under the tent to hear Hope author Ron Suskind! (more…)
I was privileged to hear Cedric Jennings speak at Montgomery College on the evening of August 19, 2008. Prior to the event there was some talk about turnout. The college was on summer break—would there still be students to fill the auditorium? Would anyone else come? Having arrived early, I sat in my car working a crossword puzzle. At fifteen minutes before the start time I decided 
to wander over to the auditorium. To my surprise, it was packed! I barely found a seat! There were some students there, but the majority of the audience seemed to be made up of interested people from all over the county and beyond, all sparked by enthusiasm for Cedric’s book, A Hope in the Unseen.
Sometimes the best stories have no easy endings.
It can be surprising how often people have high expectations of other people–sometimes their expectations for others is higher than those they have for themselves. For example, at my post-college graduation party, one of my aunts appeared shocked to discover that I, a Political Science major, was not going to continue on to law school. Not that she’s a lawyer, mind you; just that she assumed that was the way I was heading. I suppose for some of the people with whom I graduated my staying in Baltimore and working for the library proves me to be an underachiever. (more…)
