“The Yellow Birds” covers the fictional story of two young soldiers fighting in the Iraq War. The book was chosen by city and MSU officials as the basis for events and discussions in this year’s One Book, One Community program. PHOTO COURTESY / CITY OF EAST LANSING
The 2013 One Book, One Community novel selection is one East Lansing and MSU officials hope will get students and city residents talking about an often difficult subject: war.
The program, which has been in place for the past 12 years, is designed to connect students and permanent residents through an often controversial novel. This year’s selection was “The Yellow Birds,” a piece by debut novelist and Iraq War veteran Kevin Powers.
Powers visited East Lansing to kick off the series of events with a presentation Sunday at Hannah Community Center. He also attended the MSU Academic Welcome and a coffee hour in the city Monday.
Several events based on topics and themes in the novel will take place in various locations next month throughout MSU and East Lansing.
In his novel, Powers tells a story of two young soldiers, Bartle and Murphy, who are fighting to stay alive during the war and struggle to adjust to civilian life after coming back home.
East Lansing Public Library Director Kristin Shelley said “The Yellow Birds” covers controversial subjects that affect many Americans today. The young age of many of the book’s main characters could instill emotions in many college-age readers, she said.
“This country has not been good about talking about war and especially about what war does to people, so we knew we were kind of entering a new territory with discussions,” Shelley said.
“These young men are being led by men that aren’t that much older than them in horrific conditions of war, and having to make these really life-altering choices (can) affect them for better or for worse.”
The 2013 One Book, One Community book selection was ideal because it contains themes that impact just about everyone, MSU Director of Community Relations Ginny Haas said.
“Everyone, whether students or community members, (have) been living through the last 10 years with war in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Haas said. “And, it has been part of the backdrop of our society.”
“We thought it would be very interesting for students because it’s about a 21-year-old man and how he felt as a solider in Iraq… not an experience most students have had, but it’s definitely an experience others their same age have had.”
Ami Van Antwerp, East Lansing’s communications coordinator, said the mission of One Book, One Community is to get everyone in the community reading a book and talking about it together.
“I think there are a lot of people who are interested in the topic,” Van Antwerp said. “There were people who never had a family member or didn’t know anyone who had been to war and were intrigued, and there were people who said, ‘The novel really helped me understand what my brother went through when he went to war.’”
“We try to find books that are relatable, and after bringing the author here this past weekend, it definitely has proven to be a successful choice.”
Van Antwerp said the program encourages those involved to unite through literature and share relatable experiences. Since it began, it has grown immensely and evolved into a unifying component of East Lansing culture.
“In the last 10 years, I would say it has become the culture of the community, the incoming freshmen read it their first year, as do other members of the community,” Van Antwerp said.
“I know people look forward to it, and that shows the program’s success.”
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