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Chevy Chase Book Club - One Maryland One Book - OMOB

"No Sense in Wishing" by Lawrence Burney

Join us for the 2026 OMOB selection, "No Sense in Wishing: Essays on Black Music, Belonging, and Baltimore". Author Lawrence Burney blends music and memoir to share his personal transformation.

"There are moments in our lives when we discover an artist, an album, a film, or a cultural artifact that leaves a lasting impression. These moments inform how we understand the world, and ourselves, moving forward.

In a time when music is spurring Black Americans’ connection with Africans on the Continent, culture critic Lawrence Burney takes us on a journey from the streets of Baltimore to the concert halls of Lagos, reminisces on seeing his mother perform as the opening act of a Gil Scott-Heron show when he was a child, and sits at a Maryland crab feast with family, assessing how the Black people in his home state have historically improvised paths for their liberation. Burney explores these profound interactions with incisive and energizing prose, offering us a personal and critical perspective on the people, places, music, and art that transformed him.

No Sense in Wishing is a kaleidoscopic exploration of Burney’s search for self. With its gutsy and uncompromising criticism alongside intimate personal storytelling, this “powerful collection of essays” (Rolling Stone) is like an album that hits all the right notes, from a promising writer on the rise." - Publisher

Lawrence Burney is a writer, critic, and the founder of True Laurels, an independent magazine covering Baltimore’s music and culture scene. His work has appeared in publications such as New York Magazine, GQ, and Pitchfork. He has also worked at The Fader, VICE, and The Baltimore Banner. No Sense in Wishing is his first book.

Explore the OMOB discussion page, which features a link to the Spotify playlist that accompanies the book.

Learn more about the OMOB program, and visit the author's website. 

Please sign up to be able to check out a copy. Contact the branch to find out when library copies will be available. 

Electronic or audio versions may be available on our MCPL online catalog.

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Questions about this program? Contact the branch at 240-773-9590.

Accommodation Requests

People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing should request English-language captioning or sign-language interpretation at least five days before the library-sponsored program they plan to attend. Contact the Assistant Facilities and Accessibility Program Manager at 240-777-0002 with all other accommodation requests.

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