One Maryland One Book

2026 Selection: No Sense in Wishing

The One Maryland One Book selection for 2025 is No Sense in Wishing: Essays on Black Music, Belonging, and Baltimore, by Lawrence Burney.

Released in 2025 by Simon and Schuster, the book is a personal and analytical essay collection taking cue from Burney’s career as a culture writer and critic through which he looks at his home city of Baltimore, music from throughout the global Black diaspora, and the traditions that raised him. The book was selected under the 2026 theme of “REVOLUTION, REACTION, REFORM,” seeking stories that highlight moments of change and transformation.

Visit the Maryland Humanities website for more information, including frequently asked questions. One Maryland One Book is a program of the Maryland Center for the Book at Maryland Humanities.

How To Participate

All Marylanders can participate in One Maryland One Book!

Get involved by checking out a copy of No Sense in Wishing from the Pratt Library.

Each year, more than 10,000 Marylanders read the One Maryland One Book. How many of those people are your friends or family members? How many are perfect strangers you sit next to on the train or stand in line with at the grocery store? Use the book to jump-start a meaningful conversation with an old friend or make a new one.

Check back this fall for Pratt Library's One Maryland One Book community events including book discussions, themed events, and more.