Every year since 2012, on April 23, which is William Shakespeare’s birthday, volunteers across the country spread out and give away special editions of books to unsuspecting citizens. It’s a campaign to promote literacy and the importance of people having access to books, no matter their circumstances.

This year, I gave away copies of Peter Geye’s The Lighthouse Road, which is a novel set in early 20th-century Duluth and on the North Shore. I figured it would resonate with anyone who lives here or would like to live here. As I’ve done since this initiative was launched, I blogged about my experiences for Publishers Weekly magazine. Did anyone else give out books on World Book Night this year? If so, I’d love to hear your stories!

Hey PDDers, the East High School Key Club is organizing a plant sale to help out the First Witness Child Advocacy Center. The Plant Sale is Saturday, May 25, starting at 8 a.m. And they need some donations of plants ASAP! Got any extra perennials? Hand them over! You can either email funds4roots @ gmail.com or you can drop off any donations of plants tomorrow morning from 6:30 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. at the Leif Erickson Rose Garden parking lot. Every penny raised will go to First Witness’ Roots of Hope emergency fund. Thanks and sorry for the last-minute plea.

The Key Club plant sale is part of the Duluth Flower and Garden Society’s 2013 plant sale at the Rose Garden.

The second annual U.S./World Book Night is taking place on, appropriately enough, William Shakespeare’s birthday. On World Book Night, volunteers across the country give out free copies of a book they’ve selected from a list to complete strangers. It’s all part of an effort to promote literacy and book lust.

I participated in WBN last year, and gave away free copies of A Reliable Wife (set in northern Wisconsin) by Robert Goolrick to strangers imbibing at Thirsty Pagan Brewing and at the Anchor Bar. It was a lot of fun, and I urge anyone who loves books and loves to talk about books to apply.

The books are supplied by the participating publishers and if you are selected as a book giver, the books will be shipped to a local pick-up point for you to pick up that day. Each giver gets 20 books. Last year’s local pick-up point was Fitger’s Bookstore.

The list of books for this year’s World Book Night is on worldbooknight.org, as is the application form. The deadline to apply to be a book giver is Jan. 23. UPDATE: The deadline to apply to be a book giver is January 25, 2013.

I’m giving away copies of Population:485 by Michael Perry this year, and intend to, once again, hit bars in Supetown to give away Perry’s memoir about living and working in a small Wisconsin town.

News release:

Lyric Opera of the North cordially invites you to a new production of Amahl and the Night Visitors by Gian Carlo Menotti.

December 17 & 18 at 7:30 p.m., and December 19 at 2 pm
Scottish Rite Masonic Temple, 4 W. Second St., Duluth.