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Celebrate Edgar Allan Poe's 200th birthday when The Big Read comes to Oak Park, River Forest, and Forest Park in October 2009.
The Big Read activities will take place throughout October 2009 and will celebrate Edgar Allan Poe through discussions, films, dramatic interpretations, and art.
Watch here for more events as they are planned!
October 1"Feeding Poe's Muse - The Secret Obsessions of Edgar Allan Poe"
Author Michael Largo will kick off The Big Read with a presentation titled "Feeding Poe's Muse - The Secret Obsessions of Edgar Allan Poe," on October 1.
at Oak Park Public Library at 834 Lake Street
Big Read Grant from NEA
The Oak Park Public Library, along
with the River Forest Public Library
and Forest Park Public Library, today
announced that they have received a $3,000 grant from the National
Endowment for the Arts to host The Big Read in Oak Park, River Forest
and Forest Park in October 2009. The Big Read in Oak Park, River Forest
and Forest Park will celebrate the 200th birthday of Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)
with a Poe art exhibit, a variety of Poe films, dramatic interpretations
and discussions. Author Michael Largo will kick off The Big Read with
a presentation titled "Feeding Poe's Muse - The Secret Obsessions
of Edgar Allan Poe," on October 1 at the Oak
Park Public Library. The Big Read activities will take place throughout
the month of October.
"This Big Read represents a wonderful collaboration to inspire readers
of all ages to explore this man of mystery, Edgar Allan Poe," notes
Dee Brennan, director of the Oak Park Public
Library. "People all over the world have read or recited the
first line from Poe's most famous poem, "The Raven." Not everyone
realizes that Poe penned more than 60 short stories and created two literary
forms that are still enjoyed today - the detective story and the horror
thriller."
The Oak Park Public Library is one of 269 nonprofits nationwide -- including
arts, culture, and science organizations; libraries; and municipalities
-- to receive this grant to host a Big Read project between September
2009 and June 2010. The Big Read gives communities the opportunity to
come together to read, discuss, and celebrate one of 30 selections from
U.S. and world literature.
The
latest Big Read grantees represent 44 states, the District of Columbia,
and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Since the 2006, pilot program with ten participating
organizations, the NEA has given more
than 800 grants to support local Big Read projects. Debby Preiser, Community
Relations Coordinator for the Oak Park Public
Library, and Blaise Dierks, Adult Programs Librarian for the River
Forest Public Library, attended NEA
grant training orientation last week in Minneapolis. In 2007, the Oak
Park, River Forest and Forest Park public libraries joined with Dominican
and Concordia Universities as
well as the Oak Park
Area Arts Council and the Oak Park
Art League to host a Big Read of Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell
to Arms. These organizations are once again collaborating on The Big
Read of Poe poems and short stories.
"The Big Read highlights not only literature, but also what can
be accomplished in partnership," said NEA
Acting Chairman Patrice Walker Powell. "I'm grateful to IMLS,
Arts Midwest, and the many,
many nonprofits, local governments, and media outlets around the country
that have partnered with the NEA to
present hundreds of Big Read projects nationwide. We welcome our new community
partners to The Big Read family and look forward to continuing this transformative
dialogue between neighbors and across borders." Participating communities
also receive high-quality, free-of-charge educational materials to supplement
each title, including Reader's, Teacher's, and Audio Guides.
"The Institute is pleased to support The Big Read, which brings
communities together to enjoy literature in their public libraries,"
said Anne-Imelda M. Radice, Director of the Institute
of Museum and Library Services, the NEA's
lead federal partner for The Big Read. "Libraries are community anchors
that serve as centers of engagement, literacy, and lifelong learning.
There is nothing better than to read a great book and share your delight
and insights with others."
The Big Read is an initiative of the National
Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of
American culture. The NEA presents The
Big Read in partnership with the Institute
of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts
Midwest. Support for The Big Read is provided by the W.K. Kellogg
Foundation. Transportation for The Big Read is provided by Ford.
For more information about The Big Read please visit www.neabigread.org.
The National Endowment for the Arts
is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts-both
new and established-bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing
leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent
agency of the federal government, the Arts Endowment is the nation's largest
annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including
rural areas, inner cities, and military bases. For more information, please
visit www.arts.gov.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services
is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 122,000 libraries
and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries
and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute
works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations
to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation;
and support professional development. For more information, please visit
www.imls.gov.
Arts Midwest connects people throughout the Midwest and the world to meaningful arts opportunities, sharing creativity, knowledge, and understanding across boundaries. Arts Midwest connects the arts to audiences throughout the nine-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. One of six non-profit regional arts organizations in the United States, Arts Midwest's history spans more than 25 years. For more information, please visit www.artsmidwest.org.
Edgar Allan Poe turns 200 in 2009! He was born in 1809 and died in 1849.
Millions of people have read or recited the opening line from Poe's poem, The Raven. But Poe also wrote more than 60 short stories and was the creator of two literary forms that readers enjoy today – the detective story and the horror thriller.
Search the Oak Park Public Library for stories and poems by Poe
Friends of the Oak Park Public Library
National Endowment for the Arts
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Oak Park Public Library
Deborah Preiser, 708-697-6915, dpreiser@oppl.org
