The Big Read

Rafael Sanchez

2007-10-22T15:30:00.000-04:00

Rafael Sanchez gave a fun and informative talk entitled Sancocho - A Stew of Information for Consumers. Click here to listen!

2007-09-27T17:29:00.000-04:00

We've had a lot of fun at our Big Read events! (& we have the photos to prove it) Click to view a Slideshow of Event Photos.

Huck Finn's Changing Morality

2007-09-22T11:57:00.000-04:00

Dr. Bob Lamb from Purdue entertained the audience and inspired us all to re-read the classic book, Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.

Click here to listen.

(we're still using this 20 year old picture of him! )

WWII

2007-09-22T09:27:00.001-04:00

Clinton County residents shared their memories of World War II on September 14, 2007 at Wesley Manor. It was a night of stories chronicling change, loss, fears, and personal experiences. A very special thank you to all our panel members who shared their recollections: Millard See, Ernest Avery, Herbet Baldwin, Phyllis Dicken, and Lowell Brown.

Click here to listen to the audio recording.

2007-09-21T15:57:00.000-04:00

Dr. Felicity Kelcourse spoke about the role of dreams in healing and the dreams in Bless Me Ultima on September 15, 2007.

Click here to listen to the audio recording.

2007-09-14T16:03:00.000-04:00

Ms. Duran-Almarza from the University of Chicago delivered an interesting presentation Saturday evening, September 8, 2007; Reconciling Cultural Differences: Folklore and Religion in Bless Me Ultima.

Click here to listen to the audio recording.

The Big Read of Clinton County--Week 2

2007-09-12T15:29:00.000-04:00

The Big Read brings community conversations to Clinton County. The conversation about Bless Me, Ultima will take many different forms and happen in many different places.

Dr. Felicity Kelcourse, psychotherapist and Professor at Christian Theological Seminary will discuss how dreams speak to Antonio at Harry’s Coffee Bar at the Frankfort Library at 10am on September 15. She said, “Dreams connect us to the past and offer guidance for life’s journey. They come to us in the service of health and wholeness.”

Do we always speak with the same moral voice? Purdue’s Dr. Bob Lamb will probe this question using Huckleberry Finn as a departure point. His talk will be a brownbag lunch at Harry’s in the Frankfort Library at 11:30 on Wednesday, Sept. 19. His talk is sponsored by the Clinton County Chamber of Commerce.

Big Read creates community partnership to talk about civic values. Dr. Suellen Reed, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction will bring her voice to the conversation about literacy and community partnerships on Thursday, September 20 at the Frankfort Library in Room 219.

Read the book---join the conversation!

BIG First Week

2007-09-06T10:04:00.000-04:00

One of the goals of Clinton County’s Big Read is to reach out into the community and involve people in different ways in various locations. We reach out to the entire community this Saturday with a fiesta at TPA Park Shelter #4 from 1-3pm.

Tina Stock, wife of Mayor Don Stock, Zenaida Loveless, Director of Hispanic Community Services, and Dr. Kay Antonelli, principal of Frankfort High School will speak. The Clinton County band, JVM featuring Rafael Figueroa will play.

Later the same afternoon Liamar Almarza-Duran will take audience members inside Antonio’s struggle to understand a world both harsh and magical. Her PowerPoint, "Reconciling Conflicting Cultural Traditions" will be in Harry’s at the Frankfort Library at 4:30pm. Ms. Duran will also lead a discussion of growing up as a Latina following the movie, Real Women Have Curves at the Wesleyan Conference Center at 7pm

Some of the strange happenings in the book will be discussed when Big Read reaches out to teenagers with “Magic and Mentoring” at the Boys and Girls Club on Tuesday Sept. 11 at 4pm.

Sometimes it’s more fun to listen than to read, so Big Read came up with some ways to enjoy the book that way. The Tippecanoe Storytellers Guild will reach into their memories and dish up folk tales and legends of the Southwest to Frankfort Middle School 8th graders on Sept. 12 from 2-3:30. The oral tradition will also be expressed in a Reader’s Theatre on Sept 13 at 7pm in the Skanta Theatre.

Since the book takes place during and shortly after WWII, we wanted the people of Clinton County to share their own experiences of what this time was like. At Wesley Manor on Friday Sept. 14 at 6:30pm, people will recall memories of life on the homefront during WWII. All that in the first week of Clinton County’s Big Read.

Stacks and stacks of books!

2007-08-08T19:41:00.000-04:00

1, 070 copies of Bless Me, Ultima have arrived at the library. We have copies available in both Spanish and English on every floor of the library. Pick up your copy and begin reading today!

Reader's Guides will be available next week. Stay tuned!

Big Read Events

2007-07-18T19:11:00.000-04:00

At the top of this page we now have an updated list of Big Read events. Click on any event and you will be taken to a new page with more details about each event. You will also be able to view the events on our 30 boxes calendar.

Scheduling Events

2007-07-07T13:59:00.000-04:00

We have a variety of events planned for our Big Read. Be sure to check here for updates. We've posted several events at the top of this blog. To find out more information about each, just click on the event. A new window will open with our Big Read calendar. You may then drag over the event or click on it for the most information.

We got it!

2007-06-21T19:27:00.000-04:00

The Clinton County communities and FCPL were awarded a grant on June 25 of $10,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts in conjunction with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest = The BIG READ grant!

Stay tuned as we begin to post events we have planned for this exciting community endeavor.

In the mail!

2007-04-20T11:54:00.000-04:00

The grant proposal has been signed, sealed, and delivered via U.S. Postal Service to the NEA grant committee. Many thanks to all the proof readers who helped make sure the grant application was accurate and well put together and to Tom Smith, Head Reference Librarian, for his many hours of writing the grant.
We now are in waiting mode. Grants should be awarded by the end of May.

The clock is ticking...

2007-03-23T10:13:00.000-04:00

Only 2 weeks left to finalize the grant application. We have 15 programs and 16 book discussions planned. Many thanks to community members and businesses who are generously donating time, services, and money to the program.

On the way....

2007-03-16T11:56:00.000-04:00

The book has been chosen, many meetings have been held, letters have been sent out, phone calls made....and yet we're still not finished! What a huge undertaking, but what a great community wide program this will be.

An excerpt from the letter sent out to community partners, businesses, etc:
"Who reads anymore? Who cares whether people read or not? We do! And we think you care too. We are the Frankfort Community Public Library and the Clinton County Contractual Library. We want people to read more...The Frankfort Library is planning a Big Read where everyone in the county reads the same book at the same time. Big Read is a program sponsored by the National Endowment for the ARts, and they are offering grants of $10,000-$20,000 to libraries and other organizations interested in literacy to host such an event."

Have you committed to helping out with this event? WE NEED YOU!