TN and the NEA Big Read

From Lee Baird, Director of Literary Arts —

Recently, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced the latest round of NEA Big Read grants. Seventy-seven nonprofit organizations will receive grants totaling more than $1 million to host an NEA Big Read project between September 2016 and June 2017. According to the NEA, “The Big Read broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book.” The NEA Big Read supports organizations across the country in developing community-wide reading programs which encourage reading and participation by diverse audiences.

Among those seventy-seven organizations are two right here in Tennessee, Chattanooga State Community College and the City of Germantown.

Germantown has chosen the Mark Twain Classic, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, While Chattanooga will read the contemporary novel, Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones.

I spoke with Dr. Joel Henderson, Professor of English and Humanities Department Chair, about Chattanooga State’s Big Read plans:

How did you come to select Silver Sparrow?

We are doing the Big Read in conjunction with our Writers @ Work series of lectures, readings and workshops which will also feature Tayari Jones. We are always trying to diversify authors and genres and we knew Ms. Jones would be a perfect fit when we met her at Southern Lit Alliance’s Celebration of Southern Literature here in Chattanooga.

What sort of events do you have planned?

There are many and we are still in the planning stage, but we know readers will enjoy the writer talk and dessert reception, and the writer interviews we conduct in an informal setting are always popular.

What outcome are you expecting from this project?

For one, we want  to build the community of readers. To that end, we hope to bring the Big Read into our reading programs at the Bradly County Jail and into Hamilton County High Schools, as well as Chattanooga State and the Chattanooga community at large.

Secondly, with the Big Read and Writers @ Work we aim to give community members a better understanding of what it means to be Southern.

I also had the chance to speak with Alexa Robinson, Grants Manager for the City of Germantown:

I understand this your second year hosting the Big Read.

That’s right, last year we had great success with Ursula K. LeGuin’s A Wizard of Earthsea.

Do partnerships play a significant role in the Big Read?

We wouldn’t be able to do this without our partners — the Germantown Community Library, the Germantown Performing Arts Center, Germantown Community Theatre and the local PTA. Our partners help choose the book from The Big Read library. The goal is to get the entire community to read and discuss the book. We do this through book discussions and special event programs throughout the month of October 2016. There will even be a picket fence at the library to paint Tom Sawyer style!

What outcomes are you hoping for?

We want to engage community members of all ages in reading, discussion and participating in the numerous Big Read. Germantown Mayor Mike Palazzolo said, “Germantown is honored to be a Big Read community. Education and lifelong learning are important priorities of the Germantown Forward 2030 plan, and this is the perfect way for us to come together to celebrate that commitment.”

The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. Click here for more information.