16 / matters magazine / school 2017 I n the early 1990s, just as the book club trend was beginning to take off, three African-Amer- ican co-workers in New York had a different idea: Wouldn’t it be nice to read books that re- flected their cultural heritage? And better yet, what if they could let publishers and authors know that there was indeed an audience for these books? This seed of a notion soon gave rise to the Go on Girl! Book Club, a 26-year-old nonprofit that has fos- tered 29 book clubs with 300 members in 15 states. “It’s about recognizing our writers so our stories don’t disappear,” explains Lynda Johnson, one of the found- ers of Go on Girl! and now the organization’s chief. For Monique Bostic of Maplewood, that senti- ment one was one of the things that appealed to her when she read about the organization in Essence magazine 20 years ago. “So many of our books are by international authors that I probably wouldn’t read because they’re not getting the exposure,” says Bostic. “It really expands your horizons.” The premise behind Go on Girl! (GOG) is simple, yet profound. Every six months, GOG publishes a reading list for the regional clubs with selections ranging from novels to anthologies, More than Oprah’s Book Club From Maplewood to Seattle, Go on Girl! embraces authors of the African diaspora BY JOANNE FISHER