- On this episode of "American Stories: "A Reading Road Trip", we're heading to the Keystone State.

- Pennsylvania, it's been home to trailblazing writers for centuries.

It's where the Declaration of Independence was signed.

It's where Nellie Bly broke gender barriers in investigative journalism and where Mr.

Rogers taught a nation how to be good neighbors.

- [Fred] And Pennsylvania's literary legacy continues.

Today, we'll hear from writers who call this state home, like author of the book turned blockbuster "In Her Shoes", YA author of "With or Without You", and the current Philadelphia Poet Laureate.

- Join "PBS Books", the Library of Congress, and the Pennsylvania Center for the Book on a literary adventure through Pennsylvania.

This is "American Stories: A Reading Road Trip".

(upbeat music) - Well, hello and welcome.

I'm Fred Nahhat here with Lauren Smith from "PBS Book".

- Come along as we explore our nation's storied past and highlight the voices that continue to shape it today.

- Every stop reveals something new.

You can explore the full series on the "PBS Book's" YouTube channel where even more stories are waiting to be discovered.

Make sure to subscribe right now to journey with us for every stop ahead.

- For book lovers, Pennsylvania is well worth the visit.

From the picturesque Poconos to the vibrant urban streets of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, there is a story to be found around every turn.

This is a diverse state, not just in landscape but also in experiences.

(computer whooshing) - Pennsylvania is a great mix.

It really blends American history, industrial legacy, and unexpected and really stunning natural features all in tandem with one another.

And as you travel across our state, you really feel that.

- We have mountains.

We have rivers.

We have valleys.

We have this incredible expanse of bounty of trees and natural flora.

And we have the big cities too, like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

- I mean, I think people would be surprised how wildly big Pennsylvania is.

But people take planes from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh.

You shouldn't, because the Amtrak ride is beautiful.

But landscape aside, there's just a ton of history here that people in Pennsylvania are very proud of: playing a massive part in the country's founding, you know, through its continued legacy.

- You walk downtown in Philadelphia and it's like, "Oh yeah, "that's where the Declaration of Independence was signed.

"This is where Betsy Ross actually made the flag."

So you have this juxtaposition of modern buildings, you know, skyscrapers, that are on streets with the same cobblestones that were laid in the 1700s.

- As we say in the introduction to our anthology, "Keystone Poetry", "There isn't really one Pennsylvania.

"There are a lot of Pennsylvanias."

And they're all influenced by our words and by our stories.

It's really a place that welcomes writers.

- Do not sleep on the literary community here in Pennsylvania, especially Pittsburgh.

I do not know a neighborhood that does not have a long tradition of having a poetry reading or some literary trivia in a bar.

- There's the rowdiness and there's the grittiness and there's the cheesesteak of it all.

But there's also like art and fine dining.

And you could like go from like high to low and back again in a weekend and still have a million things left to do.

(computer whooshing) (peaceful music) - From the very beginning, the power of words has shaped our nation sparking independence, challenging injustice, and opening the door to a better future.

These are the Pennsylvania writers whose legacies continue to resonate today.

(computer whooshing) - Benjamin Franklin, such a central figure in the development of our nation and in the development of Pennsylvania.

A writer, a printer, an inventor, a diplomat, truly one of our defining early American intellectuals and also a polymath.

- How much Benjamin Franklin's anecdotes have become part of our everyday life.

"There never was a good war or a bad peace."

"Don't throw stones at your neighbors "if your window's of glass."

You know, we all know a version of that.

"Well done is better than well said."

- I have a lot of respect for his brain, his intelligence, but also how open he was to other cultures as well.

- A founding influence on our country, was a printer, and recognized the power of language, the power of books, and created space for that free exchange of ideas.

That's significant.

- [Ellysa] Ben Franklin founded the Library Company of Philadelphia, which was an early library model.

It expanded access to books that were scarce in the colonies.

And it helped establish that idea that we still treasure today about community access to knowledge.

- [Participant] He obviously wasn't a perfect person, made lots of mistakes.

I think it's important to know that he also kind of turned things around a little bit at some point.

He later became an active abolitionist after having owned slaves.

So those kinds of things are important to remember and discuss as well.

- There's a museum in town that's like set up as Ben Franklin's print shop, and you can learn all about him.

He feels like a very real and ongoing part of Philadelphia.

(computer whooshing) - Pennsylvania's also been home to a number of trailblazing women, authors and journalists, including Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Nelly Bly, Zitkala Sa, and Jackie Ormes.

These are women whose work really pushed boundaries and helped shape conversations around justice and representation and identity.

- Nelly Bly was one of the foremothers of journalism and especially the idea of on-the-ground like underground reporting.

- For pointing out the deplorable conditions in mental institutions, the bad working conditions for young girls in Pittsburgh.

- And pursuing stories in a way that was never really chased down before is just amazing.

- [Ellysa] No one can forget about her very highly documented trip "Around the World in 72 Days".

- When you think about all of the first-person female essayists of the aughts and the 2010s and the "It Happened to Me" people, we all of us owe Nelly Bly a real debt.

'Cause she was the trailblazer.

She was the one who got there first.

(computer whooshing) - Bayard Rustin, born in Westchester, Pennsylvania, and absolutely a key strategist behind the Civil Rights Movement.

And Bayard Rustin combined his activism with writing and with public advocacy.

And he was a very powerful advocate for LGBTQ+ rights in the 1970s and 1980s as well.

- Bayard Rustin was very much the mastermind behind the Civil Rights Movement.

And the reason that we did not know much about him before was because he was a gay man, and folks then believed that it was a liability for the movement.

- Rustin was a Quaker.

He drew on a core idea of his faith.

And that faith did not take away or say one person or one community is less than.

No, we all have this, and we all deserve to live brightly.

- I think for the Civil Rights Movement, he is one of the unsung heroes.

I like to say that that kind of grit and that kind of determination, you know, is Pennsylvania born and Pennsylvania made.

But I'm just an admirer of his and thankful for his contributions.

(computer whooshing) - August Wilson, one of our most important American playwrights and a multiple Pulitzer Prize winner.

His "Pittsburgh Cycle", which is comprised of 10 plays, chronicles African American life across every decade of the 20th century.

- I think my personal favorite of his work is "Jitney".

It's by far the easiest and the most fun to read.

But I think the play that to me has the most depth and the most meaning is "Fences".

- August Wilson is the example of what an author should be in a way of elevating a whole city, a whole group of people through one's writing.

- What I admire most about him is that he wrote about everyday people going about their everyday life.

But in that way, it was extraordinary.

His use of dialogue, his understanding of decisions and triumphs and struggles that Black families made at that time and what they were forced to live with, they're not all downers.

It's just what it was.

- Recognizing the challenges that come and the closeness of it with a poetic sensibility.

I have great appreciation for the language that leads us into the heart of the matter and the heart of the people, right?

And we recognize ourselves within that.

So August Wilson was a master, a master in the theatrical world, and beyond that, a master in helping us to see ourselves.

(computer whooshing) - Fred Rogers, Pittsburgher and creator of "Mr.

Rogers' Neighborhood".

Fred Rogers revolutionized children's programming through a focus on emotional intelligence and literacy and social development for kids.

- The idea of somebody sort of saying like, you know, "I like you just the way you are."

Like, he was so gentle and so calming.

- His modeling of how to invite children into learning lessons together but also respecting them.

And so talking to them as forming human beings who were in the process of learning and wrangling with different ideas but not trying to just mold them into a particular view of who he or anybody else would want them to be.

- Mr.

Rogers wasn't just a television star.

He was a wildly accomplished author of children's books.

A lot of his books weren't just firmly set in like "Mr.

Rogers' Neighborhood" but like also zeroed in on the challenges kids were facing and were having a hard time finding the words for.

He even wrote a bunch of adult books to help parents like navigate their kids' lives, which I really love.

- There's even a poem about him in our anthology "Keystone Poetry" by the late poet Shirley Stevens.

And it's really a poem about the Tree of Life Synagogue massacre.

But she comes back to the refrain of in that same city was Fred Rogers saying, "You know, can't we just be neighbors?

"Can't we just get rid of this hatred and just get along?

"Why can't we lean on that and embrace it as adults?"

(computer whooshing) (playful music) - It's not just people from the past who have contributed to the literary heritage of Pennsylvania and beyond.

Many contemporary authors continue to reside in the state and draw upon it for inspiration, including Marjorie Maddox.

(computer whooshing) - Marjorie Maddox is well known throughout the entire state of Pennsylvania as a very highly published and connected poet.

She knows all the poets throughout our state.

And she is also co-editor of a recent volume of Pennsylvania poetry, "Keystone Poetry", which was published by the Penn State Press.

- Well, this last year, this is crazy, but I had five books come out.

So the anthology and then the Branch Rickey book, which is anywhere from ages eight to adult.

"Hover Here" is really about nature but has kind of a call to urgency, so on social justice and on environmental issues.

The book "Small Earthly Space", I did with the photographer Karen Elias, and also a lot of poems on environmental justice.

But she has wonderful photographs.

So with ekphrastic works, you're always responding to other pieces.

And I have an entire book that's mostly responses to my daughter's artwork called "In the Museum of My Daughter's Mind".

So that's really fun.

This other book that came out this year is called "Seeing Things", which is probably the most difficult book that I've written.

It has three generations of women, the early stages of my mother's dementia, a family member struggling with depression, and then this very blurry line between truth and lie in society.

To keep my sanity, I created a whole series of odes throughout to be more uplifting and to add the hope that I also see in the world.

But I think with all my books, I would encourage that close observation, examination of the world.

I think good literature helps us empathize with others, helps us understand their world.

So whether their position or their world or their viewpoint is similar to ours or very, very different, literature can take us there.

And hopefully, that will bring us closer together.

(computer whooshing) - Writing for the next generation is bestselling YA author Eric Smith.

(computer whooshing) - Eric is a young adult and contemporary novelist who is based out of Philadelphia.

And one of his most recent young adult books, "With or Without You", was highlighted as a 2025 Pennsylvania Great Read for Young Readers.

And Eric also works in publishing.

And he does a lot of work online to support and connect emerging writers in Philadelphia and beyond.

- I heard a writer who's far smarter than me, E.C.

Myers, who is also a Pennsylvania writer, everyone should look him up, talk about the young adult coming-of-age arc and how it's all about figuring out who you are, figuring out what the world is like, and then figuring out your place in the world now that you know who you are.

I don't know, I love chasing that resolution even when sometimes I feel like I haven't quite found it myself yet.

Because I think it's important for kids to, you know, try to chase that down but also recognize that, you know, you're gonna be growing your entire life.

Also with young adult books, the stakes, which, yeah, it sounds like a pun because I'm talking about my cheesesteak book.

But, you know, it is what it is.

(chuckles) The stakes are always, particularly in contemporary, very close and very personal.

Sometimes, they aren't world ending, right?

But when you're a teenager, they feel world ending, right?

They do, they feel so huge.

And I think it's important to have books that recognize that, that say like, "These are some huge feelings "you're having right now.

"Here is 400 pages that say that those feelings are valid."

Like one of the bigger themes is like, I want them to walk away with the knowledge that you should stand up for yourself and the things that you believe in.

That happens in pretty much every book that I write.

And also just to like, love your friends.

I feel very lucky.

I have the same best friends from back when I was 10.

And a lot of my characters in my books, you know, their friendships are very close.

You know, they tell each other they love one another.

They're very open about it.

And we should do that more.

You know, we should encourage that more.

'Cause life is short.

Tell your friends you love 'em.

(chuckles) (computer whooshing) - Jennifer Weiner is another great author who calls Philly home using it as a setting in many of her books.

(computer whooshing) - Jennifer Weiner, a Philadelphian and, personally, one of my favorite authors.

She is the bestselling author of contemporary fiction, including her first novel, "Good in Bed", and her most recent novel, "The Breakaway".

She's also a "New York Times" opinion writer, and she is a major advocate for women's representation in publishing in general.

- I write novels.

But you can't ever just write novels.

It has to be some subspecies of novels.

And mine: for a while, they were called chic-lit, which at the time like made me like stabby with rage.

Now that I'm like in my 50s, I think I'd be really happy if somebody wanted to call me a chick again.

But at the time, it felt very dismissive and I think it kind of was very dismissive.

But "Good in Bed" was the story of a woman who had gotten dumped and had gotten her heart broken, and decides that like how she's gonna solve all of her problems.

The thing that's going to fix everything is if she can lose some weight.

It turns into a story about bodies and self-esteem and how women move through the world and what really matters and who you really are and what a happy ending looks like.

And I think that those are the questions that my books have considered over the years.

I care a lot about bodily autonomy and the idea that we should be listening to women.

And when a woman tells the truth about her life, we should all pay attention.

I think like that's a thread that's sort of wound its way through my books.

You know, and bodily autonomy I think can mean anything from being like, "I'm plus size and I'm not going to apologize for that," you know, and bodily autonomy in terms of reproductive justice and reproductive choices.

If anybody comes away reading my books feeling a little braver and a little more courageous and a little more willing to like live authentically, I think that is what I want.

That's what I hope for.

(computer whooshing) - Another remarkable writer in Philadelphia is its current poet laureate, Dr.

Raina Leon.

Her work across poetry, nonfiction, visual art and archival practice is grounded in both storytelling and community engagement.

(computer whooshing) - Raina is an alumni of Penn State University.

And she is also currently the poet laureate of Philadelphia 2026 to 2028.

And she is leading a public poetry initiative.

Throughout her work, Raina builds community through storytelling and mentorship and collaboration.

And she is an interdisciplinary poet.

She works across writing and education and archival practice to produce works that really have impact and draw together a range of diverse audiences.

- As a poet, you write who you are.

You write who you are, what you're passionate about, what continues to needle at you or to energize you in some way.

So my second book is very much engaged in education.

I identify as a writer as well as an educator.

Those are my twin vocations.

That book in particular focuses on education and engages with the question of like, what happens to the boogeyman when dawn comes?

Does the boogeyman retreat into the shadows or into the shadows within us?

And I think, into the shadows within us.

And we have to deal with that, right?

And then "Sombra", which is my third book, is very much interested in identity, especially Blackness, in different places and trying to find a home place.

I travel a lot.

And that's definitely the one that travels with me.

And my last book is also very trippy but very engaged in family history and mothering.

What does it mean to mother as a Black woman and as an Afro-Latina woman?

So I hope that when folks learn from my poems about my fear as a Black mother of dying through childbirth, as Black women are four times more likely to do, that they are advocates for their people.

When they witness medical racism that they interrupt that, that they consider their own practices.

I hope that my work troubles the waters enough where folks are like, "Ooh, I have been moved in some way personally.

"And let me think about what impact this has on my life "and lots of others."

(computer whooshing) (upbeat playful music) - In a state like Pennsylvania, there are many remarkable libraries and collections that make it easy to get lost among the shelves and the history.

(computer whooshing) - Pennsylvania libraries combine historic legacy with modern innovation.

Our public libraries across Pennsylvania are really community hubs.

In all of our libraries, we have a very strong emphasis on access and preservation and public engagement.

Pennsylvania is home to the first Carnegie Library in the U.S.

1889, the Braddock Carnegie Library still serves as a community and cultural center in its area.

- The Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh is one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen.

- The library is spacious, beautiful.

And also, it connects with the museum.

And while you are in the library between the shelves, you can peek at the dinosaurs room.

- They have gardens.

They have its statues.

It's really a stunning, stunning piece of architecture.

And you feel important when you walk into their building.

- So the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

If you are interested in old musical scores, family genealogical records, maps of transportation systems, anything that you can possibly think, phone books from 1974, anything that is connected with the state and history, they probably have a copy.

- The James V. Brown Library in Williamsport is really wonderful as well.

It won the 2021 Pennsylvania Library Association Library of the Year Award and has lots of great programming for both children and adults.

I've given several readings there.

Spent a lot of time there.

- Yeah, I mean, the Free Library of Philadelphia is certainly the one I know the best.

It's like super easy to get swept up in the architecture of the main branch and all of that.

But the smaller ones that are peppered through the city are the ones that really grab me.

You know, they offer up programming that's fantastic with librarians who just seem to care so deeply about their local community.

- [Marjorie] You know, it's one of the largest public library systems in the country, in the world I think.

And it really shows by just how much they promote their offerings and how much they interact with the community.

- The Athenaeum on Walnut Street, on Sixth and Walnut Street, it's like a private library kind of museumy space.

Like you can become a member, which does not cost much.

It has that feeling of just old books and old architecture, big plush armchairs that you can just curl up and read in.

And they do author events.

So if you are in Philadelphia and you wanna see something really beautiful, Sixth and Walnut, the Athenaeum.

I think you can like pay a couple bucks and go in and take a look around.

And it's spectacular.

(computer whooshing) (low peaceful music) - Pennsylvania hosts an astounding independent bookstore scene, including some that hold the honor of being the oldest inclusive bookstores on the East Coast.

(computer whooshing) - Highlighting some of our very local to the Pennsylvania Center for the Book bookstores, here in Centre County, we have the Print Factory which is a community-centered independent bookstore in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.

Highlighting very curated titles, and it hosts readings, book clubs, and local author events.

We also have right in Downtown State College right next to Penn State University The Squirrel and Acorn Bookshop, known for its welcoming environment and its very strong ties to local readers and to the university community.

- Harriet's is a favorite, absolutely.

Because Harriet's is a bookstore and an experience.

(Raina laughing) And it's just so alive.

Jeannine is an incredible visionary when it comes to designing interiors and experiences and really being very intentional around curating.

- Her bookstore really celebrates women authors, women artists, and women activists.

Not that they don't have books by men, but it is female forward.

- The owner, Jeannine A. Cook, has recently published two books that are both related to her experiences owning and running Harriet's Bookshop.

- So Giovanni's Room, 12th and Pine, is one of the oldest LGBTQ+ bookstores in the country.

Again, a very curated selection, very thoughtfully put together, and booksellers who really know their business.

- I just love (indistinct).

They have just this amazing selection of books.

They do great programming.

It's an awesome space to rummage for records, surprisingly, and thrift store finds, which I always love.

And it's an historic landmark.

- [Ellysa] Hakim's Bookstore is one of the oldest African American-owned bookstores on the East Coast.

- And the first time I was there, I was like, "Why don't I live here?"

Because this is incredible.

(laughing) The selection of books just like peerless, amazing selection and so welcoming.

Like everyone who goes in there, just go with a tote bag that's empty and maybe a tote bag in the tote bag.

(laughing) - [Marjorie] City of Asylum Bookstore in Pittsburgh, their mission is wonderful.

They really provide the sanctuary to endangered literary writers.

- [Sony] They have the bookstore restaurant, and it's peaceful, needed.

They have amazing books.

But for me, what they do best is work on translation.

The translation inventory that they have is so intensive.

So City of Asylum is one of my favorite bookstores in town.

- Midtown Scholar Bookstore in Harrisburg, which was voted Simply the Best Independent Bookstore.

That's what they have as their slogan in the region since 2004.

And they also do a lot of readings.

But they also have this wonderful rare books room that's nice to explore.

So new books, used books, a little bit of everything there.

- Absolutely incredible events.

Their book festival is one of the best book festivals I've just ever gone to.

So yeah, there's a great independent bookstore scene in Pennsylvania.

That is for sure.

You know, a lot of places to go.

(computer whooshing) (low peaceful music) - If you're a history buff or just like a good museum, then you'll have no problem finding exciting places to explore in Pennsylvania.

Here's a few we recommend.

(computer whooshing) - In addition to our rich literary history, we also have landmarks throughout the state that reflect the diversity of our literary heritage.

- The first one is the August Wilson House.

It's now a community building, but they kept the building, the house, that August Wilson grew up in.

- [Dawn] A group of people got together, raised a lot of money, and turned his house into both a museum and a community center with a stage at the back of the house where they perform at least two plays a year in the summer.

And at the August Wilson Center, which is a performing arts venue in Pittsburgh, they have a permanent walkthrough collection.

And I highly, highly recommend going there.

It's a free exhibit.

You just need a reservation and someone walks you through all of his plays.

- So there are a number of house museums here in Pennsylvania, but also especially within Philadelphia.

I think about the Paul Robeson House.

I think about the Marian Anderson House.

I think about the Colored Girls Museum.

The house itself is a being, and every wall is filled with art.

Give yourself a good amount of time because every single room of the house is filled to bursting with art.

It's amazing.

- The Mutter Museum, if you've been there, you'll never forget it.

It is deeply unique and known for its distinctive collections including preserved anatomical specimens, medical instruments, and lots of pathological examples that really document the history of medicine and human health.

- It's a fascinating place, a little macabre.

Like if there is a goth kid in your life, like take them to the Mutter Museum and you will really just like blow their mind.

- Like I have to recommend the Rosenbach.

It's a gorgeous museum.

The archives are incredible.

And if you're in town for it, you know, Bloomsday is this wild event here in Philly.

I mean, it's nationwide.

People do it all over the place.

But here in Philly, people line up to read the entirety of James Joyce's "Ulysses" on a cobblestone street in the Rittenhouse neighborhood right where the museum sits.

It's like a pretty breathtaking literary experience that you should come check out.

- [Ellysa] The Black Writers Museum located in Germantown, an area of Philadelphia, highlights Black authors, books about the Black experience, and really highlights that experience in Philadelphia and beyond.

- So you'll see exhibits or information about James Baldwin.

Or you'll see it about Richard Wright.

Or you'll see it about, you know, even earlier: Langston Hughes or James Weldon Johnson.

They have readings.

They have writing workshops.

They have exhibits.

And it's pretty cool that it's been able to survive.

- [Ellysa] Independence Hall in Philadelphia, this is the place where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were both debated and signed.

And it's very central to the history of American political writing and intellectual freedom.

And in general, Independence Hall is the defining site of American political thought, liberty, and self-governance.

(computer whooshing) (mellow music) - Today's look at Pennsylvania's bookish culture is part of a nationwide celebration.

2026 marks the United States 250th birthday.

So we've partnered with the Library of Congress to celebrate the stories, authors, and books that define each corner of our nation.

- You might know that the Library of Congress is the largest library in the world.

But what you might not know is that they've established Affiliated Centers for the Book across the U.S.

with the mission to make the Library of Congress and its resources even more accessible to all Americans.

(computer whooshing) - I'm Lee Ann Potter, the Director of Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives at the Library of Congress.

The Library of Congress is the congressional library, and the national library of the United States, and the largest library in the world with more than 181 million items from photographs to maps, from motion pictures to sound recordings, from newspapers to manuscripts and more.

Oh and yes, there are books, millions of them.

In this series, "American Stories: A Reading Road Trip", you will hear about many books and authors and poems and short stories and more, and how together they make up our nation's literary heritage.

As you do, I hope you will keep in mind that while they are all unique and come from different parts of our vast country, they all have something very important in common.

They all live in the collections of the Library of Congress.

You will also hear about the library's Affiliated Centers for the Book.

There is one in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S.

Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

These centers promote reading, libraries, and literacy.

And they celebrate and share their state or territory's literary heritage through a variety of programs that you will hear about in this very special series.

(computer whooshing) - Today, we're joined by the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, which is on the University Park Campus of Penn State University.

(computer whooshing) - The mission of the Pennsylvania Center for the Book is to study, celebrate, and promote books, reading, libraries, and literacy to the citizens and residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The focus of our center combines awards, educational programs, and lots of public outreach.

In the Pennsylvania Center For the Book, we host three national level book awards and a state level award as well.

The Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize, this is a national juried award.

We have experts in graphic novels who serve on the jury to identify the best graphic novel published in the U.S.

in the previous calendar year.

And this award really highlights outstanding storytelling through visual art and text for adult readers.

Another award provided by the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, The Baker's Dozen, 13 best books for family literacy.

This is an annual list of the 13 most outstanding picture books for kids ages three to six.

And on our website, we have every book list for each year.

And we also include free literacy activities for families, teachers, and librarians to enjoy with kids.

The Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award.

This is another award presented yearly by the Pennsylvania Center for the Book.

It honors excellence in children's poetry and encourages early engagement with poetic language.

This award honors and continues the legacy and work of prolific poet and poetry anthologist and Pennsylvania native, Lee Bennett Hopkins.

So if you google Pennsylvania Center for the Book and go to our website, you will find a wealth of educational resources including lots of free curriculum tools for learners of all ages, and also our expansive digital Literary and Cultural Heritage Maps of Pennsylvania.

These are online maps that you can explore and learn more about Pennsylvania authors, Pennsylvania books, and also just very interesting facts, innovations, and inventions related to Pennsylvania as well.

(computer whooshing) - If you'd like to learn more about their book awards or peruse the list of past winners, visit them online at pabook.libraries.psu.edu.

(computer whooshing) - Well, today's stop in Pennsylvania has been enlightening.

Thank you again to the Library of Congress and the Pennsylvania Center for the Book for partnering with "PBS Books" as we journey across the country exploring the books, authors, and destinations that define America's story.

- What about you?

Have you had a chance to visit any of these places?

Tell us about your favorite Pennsylvania spots that out-of-town book lovers should visit in the chat or comments.

- And if our reading road trip has sparked your curiosity about the landmarks, authors, and literary treasures in your own state, the Library of Congress is a great place to start.

Visit in person in Washington DC, search its vast digital collections online, or connect with your local Center for the Book.

- [Lauren] For more information on the authors, institutions, and places featured in this episode, visit us at pbsbooks.org/readingroadtrip.

(computer whooshing) - This is just one stop along the way.

On the "PBS Books" YouTube channel, you'll find the full journey, stories from across the country all in one place ready whenever you are.

And be sure to share this video with all of your friends to start planning your next reading road trip.

- Until next time, - happy reading.

(upbeat music) (piano theme music)