Dolly Parton, Champion of Books, Dies at 80
We’re crying into our sweet tea today as we mourn the passing of Dolly Parton, who died this morning at the age of 80.
The iconic musician—as bookish as she was busty—was a tireless advocate for and patron of the literary arts.
- Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, launched in 1995, has provided more than three million children with more than 332 million free books.
- Roughly one in six U.S. children under five are part of the program, which is also available in Canada, the UK, the Republic of Ireland, and Australia.
- A 2020 documentary of the organization, “The Library That Dolly Built,” is free to watch on YouTube.
Parton influenced generations of readers with her inclusive generosity, and while you’d think we could all agree that giving free books to kids is a good (and research-backed), the Imagination Library has been targeted in budget cuts intended to support right-wing censorship efforts.
- You can donate to help keep Dolly’s dream alive.
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🍋 us to make lemonade even in this moment. Tease your hair, turn up your favorite song, and remember: “The magic is inside you, there ain’t no crystal ball.”
