One Book, One Community hosts their final event

One Book, One Community wrapped up another year and another book with An Evening With Michael Gunther on Monday, Nov. 6 at Kent State Tuscarawas Founders Hall. Gunther spoke of his life, mentors and motivation to a full auditorium.

One Book, One Community is a collaboration between area libraries and book sellers and the Tuscarawas County Literacy Coalition. The group brings readers together in the shared experience of reading and talking about the same book. This year’s focus was Gunther’s book, “Views From the Hot Seat,” a memoir of the author’s life and reflections on his many experiences.

The Tuscarawas County Writers Guild also announced two winners in its writing contest, conducted in conjunction with the literacy coalition. Maggie Smith of Newcomerstown High School wrote about her eighth-grade ELA teacher Mr. Kiner.

“I wrote about how his class impacted me and how he helped me become a better writer, how he actually helped get me into writing. Writing is something I want to take along into my career as a teacher,” Smith said.

Fellow winner, Dover writer Lee Elliott, wrote of a professor she had when she went back to school to become a coach. “Because of her, I ended up being one of the first female coaches in the state of Ohio,” she said.

“I want to say that in all my life,” Gunther said at the outset of an hour-long presentation, “I have been surrounded by good people who have made me look better than I actually am. Whether that be in teaching or coaching or my family, I’ve been truly fortunate.”

Gunther spoke of the germination of “Views From the Hot Seat” as he faced changes in his life.

“The whole idea for the book started when I retired, which has now been a year ago, when a friend asked me what I planned to do,” Gunther said. “‘Why don’t you write a book?’ she said. So I started out and began to write the book. I got some feedback, some negative but mostly positive.

“About the same time, we now have three grandchildren. That was really it. Two of them live in South Carolina; one lives in Florida. We spend a lot of time on (video chat), but that’s not the same as being together in person. I thought at that time, when these kids are out of school, I’ll be in my mid-80s. I thought, ‘You know what? I want them to know who I was.’ If you’re looking for the big reason for writing the book, it’s because I wanted to leave something for my grandchildren, to give something back to them.”

Gunther talked of his early education, his success in college at Kent State University, and career as a teacher and coach in Newcomerstown, Strasburg and Dover schools while threading his passion for writing throughout.

“I’ve always loved writing. I’ve always been writing in one way or another,” he said.

Gunther wound up his career as writing adjunct professor of English at Walsh University, retiring in 2022.

“I think we get wrapped up, those of us in or beyond middle age,” Gunther said, “in criticizing the younger generations today. I’ll tell you they’re far smarter than we ever were at that age. They’re just living in a very different world, and we have to be able to adapt and grow with that. Maybe, just maybe, we need to recognize that we have a lot to learn from them.”

The author closed by reading excerpts from “Views From the Hot Seat” and personal journals he has kept through the years. Following the presentation, Gunther found himself facing a long line of well-wishers with copies of the book in hand for him to autograph.

More information about the Tuscarawas County Literacy Coalition is at www.tuscliteracy.org.