On Wednesday, April 9th, 2025, BMU hosted a community book discussion with Kenneth Cadow, a National Book Award (2023) finalist and the recipient of the Vermont Reads Award (2024) for his book Gather. Cadow is also a community member and Oxbow High School’s Co-Principal. Gather is set in rural Vermont and captures themes of addiction, neglect, companionship and the importance of community connection. The book follows the story of a boy named Ian Gray who relies on community to navigate his difficult home situation.
Many students can relate to the issues presented in this story, which is why it has become popular among students and educators in Vermont. The English department at BMU utilizes this book because it fits well with their curriculum. English teacher Leah Gawel pairs this book with other literature like Of Mice and Men, in her American Literature class, while focusing on justice/injustice featured in writing. Gawel enjoys teaching with this book because it emphasizes the importance of “resilience.” Sophomore Zhijie Zhong shares that, “The book is relevant to our community through the setting. It covers problems like drug abuse and poverty in a realistic way that anyone could be going through in our [area].”
The book discussion began promptly at 7:00 pm; approximately 16 community members were present for the event. Guests indulged in a variety of different foods and refreshments provided by BMU’s Hospitality Club. After, Cadow read aloud short excerpts from his book and encouraged audience members to ask questions about his writing process and offered a book signing. Blue Mountain’s Librarian, Jennie Lund, highlights that, “Kenneth Cadow […] is showing our youth that authorship is possible.”
When asked about his writing process, Mr. Cadow stated that he writes for a couple of hours without stopping, while never pressing the backspace. He uses this technique as a way to escape his mind and focus on the story, as well as maintaining a blueprint for his previous ideas and never altering his writing. He invites all aspiring writers to try this, as he states: “[…] Writers are in the process of being creative, if we’re second guessing ourselves the entire time, we never find that flow.” The English Department along with the Library is providing free copies of Gather to anyone who is interested.
