Author to speak at two free public events on March 6, 2026
All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me, by Patrick Bringley is the 2026 One Book, One Community selection, the Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources Department has announced.
“Patrick Bringley found himself needing to escape the mundane clamor of daily life, so he quit The New Yorker and sought solace in the most beautiful place he knew,” a news release explains about the book. “He became a security guard — a ghost, silent and almost invisible.” But he “soon found his voice and his tribe: the artwork, and their creators and the lively subculture of the other guards. He came to understand how fortunate he was to be walled off in this little world, and how much it resembled the best aspects of the larger world to which he gradually and gratefully returned,” the release adds of the book.
“We know that Sarasota County is a community that appreciates art,” said Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources Director Renee Di Pilato in the release. “Patrick Bringley’s book, All the Beauty in the World, illustrates how art can connect with each person, individually, while bringing people together when they least expect it,” she added.
“Throughout the years, the One Book committee has selected the title and hosted public events with the author and readers,” the release points out. “The selections have recognized local authors, as well as national and world-renowned writers.”
This year, the release continues, the committee started with more than 30 titles, eventually selecting five top recommendations. The other four were Bite by Biteby Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala, Under Alien Skies by Philip Plait and Unraveling by Peggy Orenstein.
“The annual events surrounding One Book include programs at county libraries and other venues,” the release notes. All county residents may participate in the program by attending a library event or hosting their own book discussions, the release says.
For the 2026 One Book season, All the Beauty in the World author Patrick Bringley will be speaking on Friday, March 6, 2026, at two separate events:
- 10:30 a.m., in the Suncoast Technical College Conference Center, located at 4445 Career Lane in North Port, which is adjacent to the Shannon Staub Library.
- 7 p.m., at Selby Library, which stands at 1331 First St. in downtown Sarasota.
“Both events are free and open to the public,” the release points out. No registration is required, either. Admission will be on a first-come, first-seated basis, the release adds.
Anyone with questions may visit scgovlibrary.libanswers.com or call 941-861-1110.