September 3rd, 2010

NEA Big Read

The Renaissance Performing Arts Association received an NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) Big Read Grant to conduct a community read of Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon in partnership with the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, Mayor Culliver’s Office, Mansfield City School District, Culliver Reading Center, Main Street Books, The Ohio State University at Mansfield, the Ohio Education Association (OSEA) and the Mansfield City Schools Laundry Basket Library Program.  This grant is a $15,000 matching grant that empowers the Renaissance and these partnering organizations the opportunity to offer a myriad of focused activities for the community.  

Mansfield/Richland County is one of 268 communities nationwide participating in The Big Read from September 2009-June 2010.  To date, the NEA has funded more than 800 Big Read programs in the nation’s towns and cities.  From February 21 to March 31, 2010, our community will celebrate The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett with a full calendar of events.

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) 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.

NEA Big Read Kick-Off Party:
Join us at the Renaissance Theatre on Tuesday, February 9 from 5:30 – 8:00 PM for food, drink and entertainment as the City of Mansfield kicks off the NEA Big Read of Dasheill Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon.  Print out this pdf for more info.

Calendar of Events:

Join the City of Mansfield in this celebration of events centered around Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon.  Print out this pdf for a detailed calendar of events.

Ways to get involved:

  • Local businesses are needed as pick up points for NEA Big Read materials for The Maltese Falcon.  If you would like to be a pick up location contact Jean Ruark from the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library at jruark@mrcpl.org.

 

  • If you are a social service or community organization and would like your group to participate, call 419-522-2726.

 

  • If you have a book group who would like to purchase books or organize a discussion group, contact Katy Davis from Main Street Books at mainstreetbooksinc@embarqmail.com.

 

  • If you are a teacher or student and would like your class or school to participate call 419-522-2726.



The local Big Read Committee chose Dashiell Hammett’s work not just because it’s brilliant literature but also because the book will be appealing to a variety of audiences as a thriller, a love story, and a dark dry comedy. The excellent film, and its connections to Richland County through lead actor Humphrey Bogart’s wedding at Malabar Farm, provides a unique opportunity to engage readers of all ages.

The book discussions, lectures and exhibitions will take place at various locations throughout the city during the month of March 2010, culminating with the showing of The Maltese Falcon on the big screen at the Renaissance Theatre on March 25th – 28th.  A detailed list of all activities will be announced in January and will include NEA Big Read materials and study guides.  

For listing of events and more info on NEA Big Read go to:

http://www.neabigread.org/events/
http://www.neabigread.org/


Pick up your copy of The Maltese Falcon at your local library or bookstore and start reading so you can participate in this winter’s events.  Watch for further announcements and join the community in this literary adventure. 


The Maltese Falcon
by Dashiell Hammett

Preface (from the NEA Big Read website)

Some people were surprised when The Maltese Falcon, a detective novel, appeared on The Big Read list.  Yes, it is a detective novel—one of the best ever written. It’s also a brilliant literary work, as well as a thriller, a love story, and a dark, dry comedy.  The only criticism one could offer Hammett’s private-eye classic is that it is so much fun to read, it might be hard the first time through to realize how deeply observed and morally serious it is.

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to revitalize the role of literary reading in American popular culture.  Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America, a 2004 NEA report, identified a critical decline in reading for pleasure among American adults.  The Big Read addresses this issue by bringing communities together to read, discuss, and celebrate books and writers from American and world literature.

A great book combines enlightenment with enchantment.  It awakens our imagination and enlarges our humanity. It can even offer harrowing insights that somehow console and comfort us.  Whether you’re a regular reader or making up for lost time, thank you for joining The Big Read.