Award-winning poet Ross Gay will visit West Kentucky Community and Technical College in March to discuss his New York Times bestseller, The Book of Delights, in support of the college's 2022-2023 One Book Read project.

The Book of Delights is a collection of short lyrical essays written daily over a tumultuous year, beginning and ending on Gay's birthday. The book reminds readers of the purpose and pleasure of celebrating ordinary wonders each day and not to overlook the small joys in life.

This collection of short essays is about noticing shared connections and reveals to readers that observing life closely can be a powerful and impactful daily practice. Among Gay's funny, poetic, profound delights, his essays also reflect his thoughts on subjects such as racism, politics and the loss of loved ones. But more than anything else, he celebrates kindness and the beauty of the natural world.

Gay said in the preface of the book, "I felt my life to be more full of delight. Not without sorrow or fear or pain or loss. But more full of delight. I also learned this year that my delight grows - much like love and joy - when I share it."

Tracy K. Smith, a Pulitzer Prize winner, American poet and educator, said, "Ross Gay's eye lands upon wonder at every turn, bolstering my belief in the countless small miracles that surround us."

One Book Read Committee chair Britton Shurley said the committee thought the book would be a perfect selection and vehicle for everyone to reflect on the hardships of the past few years while moving forward and recognizing the small, unique things which bring each of us delight. "...We wondered what it would look like, if campuswide, we each chose to focus on bringing more delight to students, faculty, staff and our community," he said.

The One Book Read project is an annual campus and communitywide effort to promote literacy and discussion of culturally relevant issues. The project encourages WKCTC, the community and area school districts to read the same book and discuss it in a variety of settings.

A schedule of ways to promote the One Book Read of The Book of Delights is planned for this fall and Spring 2023. Gay's WKCTC visit is scheduled for March 14 and 15, 2023. For more information, visit onebookread.com.