A popular local band is helping West Virginia University students and professors involved in the Appalachian Prison Book Project give books to people in prison.

The Love Me Knots, a Morgantown area alternative/folk rock group, is headlining the book projects third annual fundraiser at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 5.

The band features Brian Porterfield on vocals and guitar, Bill Courtney on bass and Raj Chandran on drums and vocals. The trios influences include The Replacements, Ryan Adams, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and Wilco.

The fundraising event will also include a dramatic reading of excerpts from letters received by the Appalachian Prison Book Project. Accompanying music will be provided by singer/songwriter Beth Staley, who has been compared to Tori Amos with a guitar.

All activities will take place at Genes, 461 Wilson Ave., in the South Park neighborhood of Morgantown. Admission is free and open to the public. Families are encouraged to attend.

During the fundraiser, a hat will be passed around for donations to help support the continued distribution of books to women and men in prison, free of charge.

The Appalachian Prison Book Project focuses on the Appalachian region with an emphasis on West Virginia. The group is an official student organization of WVU and includes students, professors and members of the Morgantown community.

Our primary goal is simpleto get books into the hands of people who want and need them,said project founder Katy Ryan, a professor of English in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at WVU .But to do that, a lot of things have to be in place: a large supply of books, money to pay for mailing and supplies, volunteers to open and respond to each letter.

One of every 100 adults in the United States is in prison,added Mark Brazaitis, who is also a member of the project and WVU s English faculty.

Were talking about a large population, a population that, in most cases, will re-enter society,he said.By sending prisoners books, we hope to give them a lifeline to their imaginations and intellects. The power of a book to transform a life should not be underestimated.

For more information about the project, write to APBP , P.O. Box 601, Morgantown, WV 26507 or appalachianpbp@gmail.com .