Let the Great World Spin
by Colum McCann

Hosted by Winston Tabb
Sheridan Dean of University Libraries and Museums

"This is one of the most wonderfully written books I’ve read in a long time. With a crispness of language that is intense and at times startling, McCann has rebuilt a New York City that has long since passed into history. The novel is beautiful, lyrical, and ultimately haunting."

— Winston Tabb,
Sheridan Dean of University
Libraries and Museums,
Faculty host

How to Participate

Listen to the audio introduction with the faculty host
Read the transcription of the recording
Join the online discussion through JHU inCircle

About this Month's Selection

"Winner of the 2009 National Book Award, Let the Great World Spin takes place in the summer of 1974, when Philippe Petit, a French high wire artist, walked between the two towers of the World Trade Center. In the streets and neighborhoods below, on the days before and after this feat, life unfolds as we follow more than a dozen characters living their lives in and around the city. The novel is a sweeping tale of New York in the bad old days, an examination of the ties that bind, and a reminder, even in today’s hyper-saturated media environment, of the mesmerizing power of a good story well told."