The first lady in the city of New York, Chirlane McCray, is launching the Gracie Mansion book club.
In her home, McCray will be hosting guests to have literary discussions directly related to the personal experiences of the New York immigrant.
Starting May 17th, the Gracie Mansion book club will feature fiction and nonfiction by authors such as James Hannaham, Jacqueline Woodson and A.M. Homes. The first book on the list, “Bright Lines,” by Tanwi Nandini Islam, is a fictional work about a family from Bangladesh that move to Brooklyn. The author’s hope from the reading of her book is to create more connectivity among neighbors because,“In New York we are always rubbing against people but we never know who they are”
Senior advisor to the mayor, Gabrielle Fialkoff made a statement about the project, saying, “We wanted to invite people in and… use the house as a tool for conversation on issues and shared experiences.”
The Gracie Mansion book club is accepting applications for tickets to their meetings. Those who can’t get tickets will be able to participate in the live stream of each event which will include interactive components on several social media platforms, as reported by the mayor’s office.