Book Discussion (Asbury)

"No Sense in Wishing" by Lawrence Burney

Join us to discuss the Maryland Humanities 2026 One Maryland One Book (OMOB): "No Sense in Wishing" by culture critic Lawrence Burney. This collection of essays explores a personal and analytical look at Burney's home city of Baltimore, music from throughout the global Black diaspora and the traditions that raised him.

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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.

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