Register 17 Seats Remaining

Dine Out Book Discussion: OMOB No Sense Wishing

by C. Pam Zhang (at Nagoya in PF)

Join us for dinner and discussion at Nagoya in Prince Frederick. We'll discuss the new OMOB book...A personal and analytical essay collection from culture critic Lawrence Burney that is a personal and analytical look at his home city of Baltimore, music from throughout the global Black diaspora, and the traditions that raised him.

Find a copy here

What if everyone read one book at the same time? When we read a great book, we can’t wait to share the experience and talk about it with others. That’s one of the joys of reading! In that spirit, Maryland Humanities created One Maryland One Book (OMOB) to bring together diverse people in communities across the state through the shared experience of reading the same book.

No Sense in Wishing was selected by a committee of Maryland literary professionals, educators, and cultural workers under the 2026 theme of “Revolution, Reaction, Reform". On the cusp 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, they sought stories of ideas, actions, or events that inspire change—political, historical, economic, and/or social. No Sense in Wishing embodies this theme by capturing how music and culture can challenge narratives, spark dialogue, and reimagine what is possible. Through each essay, readers are invited to traverse not only Burney’s own journeys across the world but also consider their own through the music, art, and culture they’ve encountered. Maryland Humanities highlights how No Sense in Wishing shows us, through the words of a local author, how these encounters can help us tap into deeper discussions of cultural background, social histories, adolescence, family, and relationships. Readers are encouraged to see the book as a model for how creative nonfiction and cultural criticism can be a tool for self-exploration and social transformation.

One Maryland One Book is a program of Maryland Humanities and the Maryland Center for the Book, sponsored by The Institute of Museum and Library Services via the Maryland State Library Agency. Learn more and find author talks and other OMOB programs here.