September 30, 2011
Cowley College to take part in The Big Read—Wichita
Cowley College is pleased to join both regional and national partners in The Big Read—Wichita. The National Endowment for the Arts sponsors this program in partnership with Arts Midwest with the goal of engaging the country in reading--one community at a time. Wichita has chosen Tim O’Brien’s gripping novel The Things They Carried as this year’s focus.
According to Wichita’s Big Read website, “The Things They Carried is a fascinating novel [featuring] interconnected short stories. Though fictional, they are as believable as memoir and drawn from the author’s own experiences fighting in Vietnam. The title story begins with a literal list of the physical items carried by soldiers in combat – guns, ammunition, photographs -- but then deftly turns to examining their memories and thoughts. Published in 1990, it was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award.”
A limited number of free novels will be made available to Cowley students and employees. The first ten individuals who commit to reading the novel as part of The Big Read will be eligible for a free copy of The Things They Carried. Students and employees may contact library director Rhoda Maclaughlin at maclaughlinr@cowley.edu to be placed on a list for these books. In addition, Cowley adjunct instructor Kay Ryan will be leading two book discussions in conjunction with our local participation in The Big Read—Wichita. The first discussion will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 12:30 in BC202 and will give background information about the author and the book. The classroom will feature an ITV link to our Mulvane site so that students on both campuses can participate. A follow-up discussion will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 12:30 in BC202. Participants will discuss the narrative techniques that O’Brien uses in his novel as well as the various themes that this novel presents.
O’Brien himself said that “In every book that I have written, I have had the twins of love and evil.” Discussion facilitator Ryan adds, “In this novel, these two paradoxes present themselves in the setting of Vietnam and in the memorable characters themselves. Like all great writers, his passion is conveyed to us and we are left to grapple with the truths he presents. This is a novel with the setting of war, but it is ultimately a novel about how stories save us.”
The events culminate with an appearance from author Tim O’Brien on Thursday, Nov. 3 from 7-8 p.m. in Wichita. Cowley will reserve a bus to transport students and employees to this event. To register for this trip, please contact Julie Kratt at kratt@cowley.edu or 441-5385 on the Ark City campus or Cynthia Jones at jonesc@cowley.edu or 316-777-3051 at the Mulvane Center. Deadline for transportation sign-up is Monday, Oct. 31.
Various events including exhibits and book discussions will be held in the Wichita area. Highlights of the events can be found below. A complete list of activities is available at www.bigreadwichita.org.
Wichita-area activities include, but are not limited to, the following:
The Big Read Kick-Off
Start The Big Read - Wichita with a big celebration! The McConnell Air Force Base Honor Guard will present the colors, The Jukes featuring Clif Major will play '60s tunes and Ballet Wichita will perform. See Robert Rauschenberg's Signs, the artwork featured on this year's poster, and other artwork in a special exhibit that relates to "The Things They Carried." Pick up a free copy of the book, reader's guide and poster (while supplies last) and enjoy refreshments.
2-4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 1, Wichita Art Museum, 1400 W. Museum Blvd., Wichita, KS 67203, (316) 268-4921
The Vietnam War Experience in Images
Pulitzer Prize candidate and Kansas native Bill Snead served as a photo journalist and photo manager of a national wire service in Vietnam from 1967-1969. Snead was raised in Lawrence and began his journalistic career in 1954 at the Lawrence Journal-World. During the month of October, he will display his photos from his years running the UPI's photo bureau in Saigon at the Andover Public Library. His images chronicle the war with an array of striking work that earned him a place in history. His talk on Saturday, Oct. 15, will focus on his experiences in Vietnam, the people he worked with and the stories and people he covered, including photos he took during his time in Vietnam.
On display Saturday, Oct. 1 – Monday, Oct. 31, Andover Public Library, 1511 E. Central Ave, Andover, KS 67002, (316) 558-3500
Talk: 1-2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 15, Andover Public Library, 1511 E. Central Ave, Andover, KS 67002, (316) 558-3500
The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. www.NEABigRead.org
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