San Diego Decameron Project to Release a Collection of 100 Stories
The book launch is set for March 21st at 6pm.
By: Marissa Tomeo Mar. 12, 2022
In February 2021, four partner organizations, La Jolla Historical Society San Diego Public Library, San Diego Writers, Ink and Write Out Loud presented the San Diego Decameron Project. Members of our San Diego community were invited to submit previously-unpublished fiction or nonfiction narratives of 1,000 words or less based loosely around the theme of the current pandemic.
Twenty-five judges read all submissions and chose the best 100. Winners of the San Diego Decameron Project had their stories posted on one of the above partner websites and the top 10 most compelling stories were read by Write Out Loud actors and presented in a Virtual Presentation. The 100 stories have since been compiled into a book - and there will be a celebratory book launch on Monday, March 21st at 6:30pm at the Neil Morgan Auditorium at the San Diego Central Library. Authors will be in attendance, the public is welcome and books will be available for sale. A sample of authors will do short readings from their individual pieces and refreshments will be served. Register for the event here. For a list of authors included in the San Diego Decameron Project Anthology please visit: https://writeoutloudeducation.weebly.com/san-diego-decameron-project.html
The San Diego Decameron Project was inspired by Giovanni Boccaccio's The Decameron, written shortly after the Black Death hit Florence, Italy in 1348. In the book, ten young Florentines, seven women and three men, retreat into quarantine for two weeks in a hillside villa and pass the time by telling stories, one each per day, except for one day a week for chores and one for religious observance, resulting in 100 stories. Prior to the March 21 book launch, a talk on The Decameron itself will be presented on Monday, March 14 by University of San Diego professor Brittany Asaro who wrote the introduction to the book.
During the COVID Pandemic, new Decameron projects emerged. Most notably, the New York Times Magazine tapped 29 authors to write works of new fiction to "help us unpack and understand this moment." All the stories submitted to the San Diego Decameron Project, including those that did not make it into the top 100, have also been archived in the digital collections of both the San Diego Public Library and the La Jolla Historical Society for posterity, thus becoming a permanent part of the collective memory of this period of San Diego history.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria shared "The Decameron Project is an important archive to capture our city's stories during the pandemic. As a history major myself, I deeply appreciate that these pieces feature events both big and small as a permanent record of San Diegans' tragic and uplifting moments during this unprecedented time."
La Jolla Historical Society
The La Jolla Historical Society inspires and empowers the community to make La Jolla's diverse past a relevant part of contemporary life. Through exhibitions, educational programs, archival collections, preservation advocacy, and community events, the Society serves as a resource and gathering place where residents and visitors explore history, art, ideas, and culture.
https://lajollahistory.org/education/san-diego-decameron-project/
San Diego Public Library
San Diego Public Library is the largest library system in the region and serves a population of more than 1.3 million people. Its mission is to inspire lifelong learning through connections to knowledge and each other. Learn about other events at the New San Diego Central Library @ Joan Λ Irwin Jacobs Common and 35 branches, find links to numerous additional resources, or search for materials in the Library's online catalog at www.sandiegolibrary.org. It is the place for opportunity, discovery, and inspiration. https://www.sandiego.gov/public-library/decameron-project
San Diego Writers, Ink
San Diego Writers, Ink nurtures writers and fosters a literary community by serving as a hub for the literary community, promoting literature, providing artistic development for writers at all levels and facilitating artistic collaboration.
http://www.sandiegowriters.org/the-san-diego-decameron-project/
Write Out Loud
Write Out Loud was founded in 2007 with a commitment to inspire, challenge and entertain by reading literature aloud for audiences of all ages. Core programs include a six show Story Concert season, Twainfest, PoeFest, Listen To This, Poetry Out Loud, Read Imagine Create and World Kamishibai Forum. The following programs are on hiatus until gatherings are allowed - StoryBox Theatre (kamishibai) for elementary students, Ripples From Walden Pond - a one-man play about Henry David Thoreau and Stories for Seniors.
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