From the Friends of the Dallas Public Library:
The Friends of the Dallas Public Library (FoDPL) and D Magazine’s new leadership group, D Academy, received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to host The Big Read during the month of April 2013. The Big Read is an initiative of the NEA to restore reading to the center of American culture. The Big Read is in partnership with the NEA and Arts Midwest.
“I’m so pleased that out of 1,500 cities that applied Dallas is one of the 78 recipients of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Big Read grant,” says Pam Meyercord, FoDPL board chairman. “It is an enormous honor and will be a wonderful opportunity for the community to unite by reading a great book in April 2013. We are proud to bring The Big Read back to Dallas.”
Fahrenheit 451, written by the late Ray Bradbury, was selected because its themes of courage, censorship, free access to information, and the value of literature are still relevant in modern society. The book was published in October 1953, making 2013 the 60th anniversary of its publishing.
“At the NEA, we know that the arts can help to create strong, vibrant communities by bringing people together,” says NEA chairman Rocco Landesman. “Through The Big Read, these 78 organizations are giving their communities the opportunity to share both great works of literature and memorable experiences.”
The Big Read provides communities nationwide with the opportunity to read, discuss, and celebrate one of 31 selections from U.S. and world literature. The 78 selected organizations will receive The Big Read grants to promote and carry out community-based reading programs featuring activities such as street festivals, book discussions, lectures, movie screenings, and performing arts events. Participating communities also receive high-quality, free-of-charge educational materials to supplement each title, including readers’, teachers’, and audio guides, which also are available for download on neabigread.org.