First 10 official state books recognized at reception

A reception was held recently in Loudon County to recognize the designation of Tennessee’s first 10 official state books.

Speaking at the Public Library at Tellico Village on July 16, State Rep. Lowell Russell, R-Vonore, said he was proud to join his colleagues in the General Assembly to pass a bill naming the books earlier this year.

“While there's been official state songs and state poems and state paintings, Tennessee never had designated any kind of works of facts or fiction as official state books. This list includes important titles that helped shape the Volunteer State as well, books written by Tennesseans that have had a significant impact on our nation,” Russell said. “By designating this group as official state books, we hope to promote the importance of reading to Tennesseans of all ages.”

Russell, who is running for reelection this year, encouraged attendees to explore all that the library has to offer — “whether it's these titles or the many others here on the shelves.”

He thanked the library’s staff, volunteers and Loudon County Mayor Rollen “Buddy” Bradshaw and District 7 Commissioner Henry Cullen for their work. The County Commissioners for District 1, Bill Geames and Chase Randolph, were also invited to attend but were not present.

The library’s new director, Gina Mucci Geremia, told the audience that books spark creativity, stimulate our intellect, serve as catalysts of change and are vessels of empowerment and of progress.

“It has been said that these 10 books were selected to represent the culture and the fabric of the Volunteer State, so I'm very honored to be able to house these very special books in our library,” she said, standing in front of the collection displayed at the front of the room.

The works designated as official state books are:

"Farewell Address to the American People" by George Washington"The Papers of Andrew Jackson""Democracy in America" by Alexis de Tocqueville"All the King's Men" by Robert Penn Warren"A Death in the Family" by James Agee"Roots" by Alex Haley"The Civil War: A Narrative" by Shelby Foote"American Lion" by Jon Meacham"Coat of Many Colors" by Dolly Parton"Aitken Bible"

The library already carried nine of the books before the legislation passed, with the “Aitken Bible” being donated afterward. It was categorized as a reference book, and will therefore live at the library instead of being available for check-out.

In 2016, a similar effort was made to make the Bible the official state book. That resolution did not specify which version of the Bible it would be.

Critics warned that making the Bible the state book raises one religion over others and doesn’t keep church and state separate. That bill failed.

This year, House Bill 1828 passed 73-18 (with four present and not voting) and Senate Bill 1822 passed 26-6 (with one present and not voting) and took effect July 1. It requires the secretary of state to list the books in the Tennessee Blue Book, which includes information about Tennessee’s government, history, national and state constitutions, most recent election results and census data.

TIMELINESS AND TIMELESSNESS

After Russell and Geremia spoke, Cullen casually called out a suggestion based on recent national news.

“I’d get a bunch of copies of ‘Hillbilly Elegy.’ It has blown up Netflix,” he said, referring to the movie based on the book.

The day prior, former President Donald Trump announced the author of that book, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, as his running mate.

Cheryl LaMaster, president of the nonprofit Friends of the Tellico Village Library, responded that the library has three copies: a large print one, a regular print one and a CD. LaMaster knew that info offhand, as someone had already called about it.

“So I'm sure they'll be checked out immediately, because people will want to know what's going on inside that brain,” LaMaster said.

Bradshaw asked if the library had copies of “Last Stand at Fork Creek” by Carolyn Ritchey, adding that he recommends it to new Villagers so they can become familiar with the area’s history. LaMaster confirmed they did, adding that it’s very popular with the many history buffs that patronize the library.

As the event wound down, attendee Edie Volk told The Connection that she learned about the event by seeing it online.

“I didn't really understand what the purpose was, so I thought, ‘Well, I guess I could call and ask them, or I could go.’ And I thought, ‘I haven't been to anything at the library in a long time,’” Volk said.

Volk, who moved to the Village from southern California 22 years ago, found the event was interesting. She wanted to learn more about the chosen books.

Reading is something that made the cut when Volk started zeroing in on what she really enjoyed the older she got. She recalls the habit-forming experience of going to the library on base when her father was in the military, and coming back with a stack of books that were “just cartoons.”

Volk remembers a time before household TVs were common. A time when after dinner, her entire family would all be reading.

“It's just been ingrained in me that that's one of your activities. That's something that you do,” she said. “It’s like, it wasn't an option.”