Fahrenheit 451 - Poughkeepsie Public Library District

The Big Read Poughkeepsie
Fahrenheit 451
by Ray Bradbury
October 5 - November 2
The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for
the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. It is designed to
revitalize the role of literature in American culture and to
encourage citizens to read for pleasure and enlightenment.
Big Read Explores
the Power of Books
Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit
451 in 1953 in the basement of
the UCLA library on a public
typewriter. He paid a dime for
each half hour of typewriter access
and took writing breaks to run
upstairs into the stacks in search
of appropriate quotes from classic literature to include
in the work. Building on several short stories he had
previously written, he completed the book in nine days.
One question that emerges from Bradbury’s dystopian
look at a future America is “Why should we read
books?” and it is this question that ignites our Big Read.
This is the eighth year that the Library District has
received a grant from the National Endowment for
the Arts in support of a Big Read program. As in past
years, local businesses and organizations match the grant
funding. Countless educators, libraries, arts and civic
organizations have been planning for the past 11 months
to create meaningful opportunities for readers of all ages
to explore the power of books together. The Little Read
companion book is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. In
addition to the many middle and high school students
who will read this work, we encourage adults to read
this book as well.
Many booksellers and scholars credit Bradbury’s
Fahrenheit 451 for bringing the genre of science fiction
literature into the mainstream of American readership.
Fahrenheit 451 challenges us with visions of fast cars,
two-way radios, wall-size television screens, ear-buds,
computerized robots, government surveillance, and a
population lulled into mindlessness…is this the stuff
of science fiction, or is this a glimpse of America’s
tomorrow? Throughout our Big Read, readers of all
ages will explore the fantastic and often chilling alternate
realities presented in science fiction works.
Big Read Selfie
Late in Fahrenheit 451, the
protagonist discovers a colony
of people who have memorized
entire works of literature in order
to save them from extinction.
In keeping with that theme, we
invite you to consider what book
Maria Pranzo, Mill
you would save. Ray Bradbury
Street Loft staff
responded to this question by
claiming he would save A Christmas Carol by Charles
Dickens because it is about life, death, and the hope
that is offered to those who recognize what is truly
important in life. What book would you pick? When
you’ve made your choice, send us an email naming the
book and explaining why you feel so strongly about it. If
you can, also send us a photo of yourself with the book,
or a piece of paper with the title and author on it. Send
it to BigReadSelfie@poklib.org Many of our Big Read
Partners will be collecting similar recommendations
from readers and we plan to compile them for screening
at our Closing Event.
Tomorrow’s
News Landscape
Stay in Touch
This year you can follow The Big Read on Twitter:
PPLD@poklib #TheBigReadPok, receive Big Read
photos on your devices and make comments about the
state of culture, technology, books, etc., on Facebook.
‘Like’ us on Facebook at Poughkeepsie Public Library
District (PPLD). For background information on Ray
Bradbury or Fahrenheit 451, dig into www.raybradbury.com
or www.neabigread.org.
Big Read Guest Speakers
Bradbury Biographer
at Opening
Sam Weller, who spent hundreds
of hours with Ray Bradbury
while writing the biography
The Bradbury Chronicles, says the
author wished he hadn’t landed
a bull’s-eye with some of his predictions. In Fahrenheit
451, Bradbury predicted a future with remarkable
technological advances, including wall-size flat-panel
televisions and iPod-style earbuds. His dystopian tale
about censorship also foretold of a people addicted
to, and isolated by, mass-media sensory overload. “We
talked many times about technology,” says Weller, who
is coming to Poughkeepsie on Sunday, October 5.
“At the end of the day, he felt that the disconnect
between people because of technology was alarming.
He would say, ‘Quit staring at your phones and start
talking with the people in front of you.’”
Weller’s book The Bradbury Chronicles:The Life of Ray
Bradbury was a Los Angeles Times best seller, winner
of the 2005 Society of Midland Authors Award for
Best Biography, and a Bram Stoker Award finalist.
The companion book, Listen to the Echoes: The Ray
Bradbury Interviews, was published by Melville House/
Stop Smiling Books in 2010. With Mort Castle, Weller
co-edited the anthology Shadow Show: All-New Stories in
Celebration of Ray Bradbury (William Morrow Paperbacks,
July 2012), winner of the 2013 Bram Stoker Award for
“Superior Achievement in an Anthology.” Weller is the
Associate Chair of the Department of Creative Writing
at Columbia College Chicago.
From Paper to Celluloid
On Wednesday, October 8, as
a lead-in to the screening of
Fahrenheit 451 at the Bardavon,
John Desmond, Associate Professor
of English at SUNY Dutchess,
will examine the details of the
1966 Francois Truffaut film adaptation. John is the
author, with Peter Hawkes, of Adaptation: Studying Film
and Literature, a book frequently used as a text for college
courses on film adaptation. He teaches a course in the
English Department at Dutchess Community College in
Film and Literature.
On Tuesday, October 14,
Stuart Shinske, Executive
Editor of the Poughkeepsie
Journal, speaks about the
enormous changes taking
place in journalism today. His talk looks at the future
of print news and how technology helps, and hurts, the
collection and dissemination of serious news. Are we a
better informed citizenry, or simply awash in a sea of
Tweets and tiny sound-bytes?
Role of the Bible
in Fahrenheit 451
On Sunday, October
19, our guest speaker is
Dr. Christopher Link,
Associate Professor of
English at SUNY New Paltz. Dr. Link received his PhD
in Religion and Literature from Boston University and
BFA in Film from NYU. His topic will be the role of
the Bible in Fahrenheit 451. Dr. Link regularly teaches
courses on the Bible, American Literature, Great Books,
and film, and also teaches the Novel, Asian Classics, and
myth. He teaches Fahrenheit 451, both the book and
film, as part of his Fiction into Film course at New Paltz.
Science Fiction
and Technology
Dr. Angela Laflen, Associate
Professor of English at Marist
College, is our guest speaker
on Sunday, October 26.
Dr. Laflen received degrees
from Northern Kentucky and Purdue Universities. She
teaches in the areas of Literature and Gender, Digital
Writing, and Technical Communication, and she will be
teaching Fahrenheit 451 this fall in a course for senior
English majors. She is author of Confronting Visuality in
Multi-Ethnic Women’s Literature and co-editor of Gender
Scripts in Medicine and Narrative. Dr. Laflen will focus
her presentation on Bradbury’s use of technology in
Fahrenheit 451 and the impact of this singular work on
the broader science fiction genre.
Joe Donahue on Books
Many Hudson Valley residents
are well-acquainted with the
engaging personality of Joe
Donahue from WAMC Public
Radio. Joe is the host of WAMC’s
weekday Roundtable program, and
also interviews authors for The
Book Show. The son of a librarian, Joe is a voracious
reader, an advocate of books, and a tireless promoter
of all things cultural and educational. He is an awardwinning interviewer with an uncanny knack for eliciting
extraordinary insights from authors about their books,
the writing process, and the power of the written
word. Joe will speak with our Big Read audience on
Wednesday, October 29, about the joy of books and
will share highlights from his many author interviews.
The Big Read: October 5 - November 2
For program details, see poklib.org or brochure
* Program requires registration
Indicates Little Read Program
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Morning, Various Schools
Sam Weller speaks about Bradbury
in local High Schools
4 pm, Adriance*
Fahrenheit 451:
Collage Workshop
for Tweens with Mill Street Loft
Artist Christine Livesey
3 pm, Adriance*
Teens Create Flaming
Book Cinemagraph
7 pm, Adriance
Artist Rebecca
Strauss
on her Gallery
Exhibit
4 pm, Adriance*
Time in a Bottle
2:30 pm, The Auditorium
The Big Read Opening
Bradbury’s biographer, Sam Weller, shares
insight and stories about Bradbury.
6:30 pm, LaGrange Association Library*
Cyber-Bullying Prevention
6:30 pm, Morton Library/Rhinecliff
Movie Night at Morton Hall - 1984
7 pm, Adriance
Adaptation of Book to Film
with Professor John Desmond
1:30 pm, Adriance
Big Read Matinee: Storm Center (1954)
3 pm, Adriance*
Teens Build a Fahrenheit 451 Mural
2 pm, Hyde Park Free Library*
Saving Texts: Repairing & Preserving Books
5:30 pm, LaGrange Association Library*
Burnt Pages Nail Art
2 pm, Collegeview Tower
Discussion of Fahrenheit 451
6:30 pm, Staatsburg Library*
Lego Night – Fire Trucks/Stations
Night on the Town
6:30 pm, Highland Public Library*
Lego Mania – Fire Trucks!
5 – 6:30 pm
Restaurant Specials
7 pm, Bardavon
Pre-Show Organ Concert
7:30 pm, Bardavon
Fahrenheit 451 Screening
7 pm, Adriance
Tomorrow’s News Landscape
Stuart Shinske, Exec Ed, Poughkeepsie Journal
7:30 pm, Hyde Park Free Library
Movie: It Came from Outer Space (1953)
12
13
14
15
Columbus Day Holiday
3:15 pm, Coyote Grill
Spack Readers Discuss Fahrenheit 451
Great Day to read or
re-read the book! 4 pm, Adriance*
Little R.E.A.D. Book Discussion
5 pm, Pleasant Valley Free Library *
Lego Night – Fire Safety Vehicles
6:30 pm, Howland Public Library*
Ignite Your Dreams
6:30 pm, Hyde Park Free Library
Teens/Tweens Discuss The Book Thief
Take a Big Read Selfie
Email your book selfie with a short
explanation to BigReadSelfie@poklib.org
6 pm, Adriance*
Teen & Tween R.E.A.D. Book Discussion
7 pm, FDR Presidential Library & Museum
Panel Discussion-Dangerous Expressions:
Fahrenheit 451 and the Fear of Ideas
7 pm, Pleasant Valley Free Library*
Open Discussion of Fahrenheit 451
19
20
2:30 pm, The Auditorium
Fahrenheit 451
and the Bible in Literature
SUNY New Paltz Professor Christopher
Link examines Bradbury’s use of biblical
references 21
4 pm, Adriance*
Workshop Little Readers
Write
.
4 pm, Adriance
Storytelling
Workshop with
Jonathan Kruk
6 pm, Adriance
La Censura de 451 de Bradbury,
a la censura de los immigrantes
en Estados Unidos
3 pm, The Beacon Theatre
Staged Reading of Fahrenheit 451
26
22
6 pm, Pleasant Valley Free Library*
Screening of Fahrenheit 451
6:30 pm, Hyde Park Free Library*
Steampunk Altered Books for Teens/Tweens
6:30 pm, Hyde Park Free Library*
Big Read Book Discussion
7 pm, Staatsburg Library*
Big Read Book Discussion
27 2
2:30 pm, The Auditorium
Big Read Closing A Celebration of Books
6 pm, LaGrange Association Library*
Big Read Book Discussion
6 pm, Highland Public Library*
Friends Book Club Discussion
7 pm, Grinnell Public Library
Reader’s Rendezvous Book Club
7 pm, Adriance
Friends Big Read Book Discussion
led by C. Ryan Kinlaw
28
29
2 pm, Vassar Warner Residence*
Discussion of Favorite Books
2:30 pm, The Auditorium
Fahrenheit 451 Launches a Genre
Marist College Professor Angela Laflen
examines Bradbury’s use of technology in
Fahrenheit 451 and the impact of the novel
on the science fiction genre.
12 pm, Howland Public Library
Concert - Censored Music of the Past
Beacon High School Jazz Band
All day, Various Schools
Graphic Novel Creator Tim Hamilton
Adapting Fahrenheit 451 to graphic novel form
2:30 pm, Howland Public Library*
Scholar-led Big Read Book Discussion
with Dr. James Cotter
7 pm, Adriance
A Spark of Happiness
845-485-3445, poklib.org
Adriance Memorial Library
93 Market Street, Poughkeepsie
The Auditorium
105 Market Street, Poughkeepsie
1:30 pm, Adriance
Big Read Matinee: 1984 (1984)
18
6:30 pm, LaGrange Association Library*
Teen Quiz Night - The Hunger Games
3:30 pm, Vassar College
FLLAC*
The Art of Printing in
Renaissance Germany
7:15 pm, Hyde Park
Free Library
Bradbury Movie
Series: The Beast
from 20,000
Fathoms (1953)
7 pm, St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church
Dramatic Reading of Fahrenheit 451
8 pm, The Beacon Theatre
Staged Reading of Fahrenheit 451
7 pm, Marlboro Free Library
Fahrenheit 451 Screening & Discussion
23
8 pm, The Beacon Theatre
Staged Reading of Fahrenheit 45
24
1 pm, College View Tower*
Big Read Book Discussion
25
12 pm, Hyde Park Free Library*
Big Read Book Discussion
2 pm, Vassar Warner
Residence*
Screening of
The Book Thief
3 pm, Adriance*
Altered Books
Workshop for
Tweens & Teens
1 pm, LaGrange Association Library*
Screening of Fahrenheit 451
1:30 pm, Adriance
Big Read Matinee: Network (1976)
6:30 pm, Beekman Library*
Big Read Book Discussion
7 pm, Beekman Library
Movie Night – Fahrenheit 451
6:30 pm, Howland Public Library*
Creating Hand-Stitched Journals
7 pm, Staatsburg Library*
Creating Blackout Poetry with Bill Joel
7 pm, Highland Public Library*
Save A Book Discussion
7:15 pm, Hyde Park Free Library
Bradbury Movie Series: Moby Dick (1956)
30
7 pm, Beekman Library*
“Reading Fear” Literary Salon
31
1:30 pm, Adriance
Big Read
Matinee: Finding
Forrester (2000)
1
7:15 pm, Hyde Park Free Library
Bradbury Movie Series:
The Illustrated Man (1968)
7 pm, Highland Public Library
Teen Big Read Book Cover Redesign
6 pm, Green Haven Correctional Facility
Big Read Book Discussion
Poughkeepsie Public Library District
& Friends of PPLD
17
3:30 pm, Marist College Fontaine Hall
Debate – Is Censorship Ever
Appropriate?
4 pm, Adriance*
Hurray for Heroes!
Location and Registration
Information
16
3 pm, FDR Presidential Library & Museum
For the Love of Books
with WAMC’s Joe Donahue
11 am, Grinnell Public Library*
American Girl Doll Club
Read about Caroline Abbott
Bardavon 1869 Opera House
Beekman Library
35 Market Street, Poughkeepsie
845-473-2072, bardavon.org
11 Town Center Blvd, Hopewell Junction
845-724-3414, beekmanlibrary.org
Barnes & Noble
Collegeview Tower
2518 South Road, Poughkeepsie
845-485-2224
141 Fulton Avenue, Poughkeepsie
Marcia @ 845-471-1241
Beacon Theatre/4th Wall Productions
Coyote Grill
445 Main Street, Beacon
845-226-8099, thebeacontheatre.org
2629 South Road, Poughkeepsie
Bonnie @ 845-876-5696
FDR Presidential Library & Museum
Henry A. Wallace Center
4079 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park
845-486-7770
Grinnell Public Library
2642 East Main Street, Wappingers Falls
845-297-3428, grinnell-library.org
Highland Public Library
30 Church Street, Highland
845-691-2275, highlandlibrary.org
Howland Public Library
313 Main Street, Beacon
845-831-1134, beaconlibrary.org
Hyde Park Library Annex
Marist College
Henry Hudson Room, Fontaine Hall
3399 North Road, Poughkeepsie
Marlboro Free Library
2 Main Street, Hyde Park
845-229-7791, hydeparkfreelibrary.org
1251 Route 9W, Marlboro
845- 236-7272, marlborolibrary.org
LaGrange Association Library
Mill Street Loft
488 Freedom Plains Road, Suite 109,
Poughkeepsie, 845-452-3141, laglib.org
45 Pershing Avenue, Poughkeepsie
845-471-7477, millstreetloft.org
Morton Memorial Library
St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church
82 Kelly Street, Rhinecliff
845-876-2903, morton.rhinecliff.lib.ny.us/
Old Post Road/E. Elm Avenue
Staatsburgh, 845-889-4181
Pleasant Valley Free Library
1584 Main Street, Pleasant Valley
845-635-8460, pleasantvalleylibrary.org
Staatsburg Library
70 Old Post Road, Staatsburg
845-889-4683, staatsburglibrary.org
Vassar College
Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center
124 Raymond Avenue, Poughkeepsie
845-437-7745, fllac.vassar.edu
Register at poklib.org
Vassar Warner Senior Residence
52 S. Hamilton Street, Poughkeepsie
Donna Slavin @ 845-454-3754 x 26
It seems that this year’s Big Read has
inspired and engaged educators at
many institutions, from elementary
school through to adult education!
Several local high schools will host Ray Bradbury’s
biographer, Sam Weller, on Monday, October 6, and
illustrator Tim Hamilton on Monday, October 27.
Hamilton created the authorized graphic novel version
of Fahrenheit 451, available in libraries and bookstores.
His illustrations have been published in the New York
Times, Nickelodeon Magazine, DC Comics and in many
other print and electronic outlets. He will speak to
students about books, illustrating, and the process of
adapting Fahrenheit 451 to graphic novel format.
All of the Poughkeepsie City School
District’s fourth graders will join
The Little Read as they study a
booklet from their Reading A to
Z curriculum. The Friends of the
Poughkeepsie Public Library District
are supporting the printing of the
booklet. The BOCES Salt Point
Education Center middle school
students will study The Little Read companion book,
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak.
2nd – Isabel Long, Spackenkill
Many of our local high schools have received copies
of Fahrenheit 451 and plan to teach it this fall; Hyde
Park, Arlington, Lourdes, Spackenkill, Poughkeepsie,
and Wappingers schools are a part of The Big Read.
Professors at SUNY/Dutchess and Marist College will
also be teaching the book. Marist College personnel are
spearheading two events on censorship, and the Beacon
High School Jazz Band is learning previously censored
jazz music. The Ridley-Lowell Business and Technical
Institute also received copies of Fahrenheit 451 to use in
their school-wide book discussion.
The BOCES Adult Learning Institute
will use Fahrenheit 451 in all of
their adult literacy classes and in
their classes at Daytop Village and
the County’s Intensive Treatment
Alternative Program (ITAP). The
Marist Center for Lifetime Study
institute has scheduled a four week course on Fahrenheit
451, expanding The Big Read’s educational reach this
year. And to help prepare teachers and library staff who
will lead these various classes and book discussions, the
Bard College Institute for Writing and Thinking offers
a pre-Big Read workshop on Thursday, October 2,
entitled Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451: An Imagined World or
Today’s Reality?
Around the Region
Poughkeepsie High, Oakwood
Friends School, John Jay High,
Warwick Valley High, Keystone
High, and one home-schooled
student. The works were
judged by Linda Marsten-Reid,
Executive Director of Arts
Mid-Hudson, and Julie Hering,
Graphic Designer with the
Library District.
Banned Books
The American Library Association has designated
September 21 – 27 as Banned Books Week, and we
are excited about the intersection of issues highlighted
during this week and the issues raised in Fahrenheit 451.
Look for knowledgeable students and inspired artists
sharing information about Banned Books throughout
Poughkeepsie during the September 20 Queen City
Saturday.
The Big Read brings great literature to numerous book
clubs throughout the Mid-Hudson Region, and we
look forward to hearing what books they would save if
threatened with extinction! The Girls Lit Club at Mill
Street Loft will read Zusak’s The Book Thief, and the
Dutchess ARC Day Program participants will create a
work of art inspired by Fahrenheit 451. The Children’s
Media Project staff is planning programs and professional
development opportunities for local schools and libraries,
in support of The Big Read. Green Haven Correctional
Facility also received books for a discussion group and
Writers’ Group. Some of their short stories will be read
aloud at Beekman’s Literary Salon on October 25. We
anticipate some great Big Read Selfies from our civic
leaders and fire station crews voting for their ‘book to
save’ in defiance of Montag’s Captain Beatty!
Dinner and a Movie
Friday, October 10 is a great time
to celebrate a Big Read Night on
the Town. From 5 to 6:30 pm,
many restaurants in downtown
Poughkeepsie offer Big Read
specials. The list of participating
eateries is available online and in
The Big Read brochure. Each
restaurant offers something different, so check before
you go. Then the Bardavon hosts a 7 pm organ concert
on the mighty Wurlitzer organ presented by the New
York Theatre Organ Society. At 7:30 pm, the Bardavon
screens the 1966 Francois Truffaut classic adaptation of
Fahrenheit 451. Although it is an imperfect rendering of
the book, the movie stands the test of time, offering a
delightful evening’s entertainment. Tickets to the movie
will be available free of charge to Library District patrons
beginning late September and $6.00 at the door.
Inspiring Visual Art
It has become a local tradition for the Library District
to challenge high school students to create art based
on themes from The Big Read literature. This year
36 students submitted work to the Big Read Teen
Art Contest. The works varied in style and media
and were created by students from Spackenkill High,
1st - Max Samson, Spackenkill
The top prize winners in the 2014 Big Read Teen
Art Contest are: 1st – Max Samson (Spackenkill 11th
grade), 2nd – Isabel Long (Spackenkill 9th grade) and
3rd – Deeanna Ouimet (Spackenkill Senior). The three
artists receiving Honorable Mentions are: Catherine
Pomeroy, (Oakwood School 9th grade), Nathan Liang,
(Spackenkill 9th grade) and Leona Lau, (Spackenkill
10th grade). Congratulations to all our student artists!
You can see their art in this insert and in other Big Read
promotional materials.
Getting Involved
3rd – Deeanna Ouimet, Spackenkill
The Big Read
Sparks Interest
at Local Schools
The artwork will also be exhibited at
Mill Street Loft, 45 Pershing Avenue
in Poughkeepsie, from September 20
through October 14. Mill Street Loft
will host an Opening Reception on
Saturday, September 20 at 5:30 pm.
Many partnering libraries plan to
have online discussion forums and also galleries of patron
photos. Check your local library’s website frequently for
Big Read art. Other exhibits to look for include:
An artistic representation of books mentioned in
Fahrenheit 451 – SUNY/Dutchess Community College
Library and other locations
Censorship Display – Pleasant Valley Free Library
Banned Books Mug Shots – LaGrange Association
Library
Town Portraits: The Book I’d Save – Marlboro Free
Library and various Marlboro businesses
Art Between the Pages: Rebecca C. Strauss & John
Breiner – Adriance’s Mary Wojtecki Rotunda Gallery
Celebrate with
Edible Books
Celebrate the close of The
Big Read with an edible
salute to the books we love!
Yes, bakers and culinary artists of all sorts are invited
to submit ‘edible books’ for judging and devouring on
Sunday, November 2! Every fork has a vote. For details
on the edible book contest, contact Jewel Ratzlaff at
jratzlaff@poklib.org.
For more Big Read information, see NEAbigread.org
and poklib.org, or call 845-485-3445 x 3372.
“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” – Ray Bradbury
The Big Read Poughkeepsie is a program of:
The National Endowment for the Arts
in partnership with Arts Midwest
And the following local generous sponsors:
Riverside Bank
TD Charitable Foundation
Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union
Norman & Jeannie Greene
The Friends of PPLD
With the cooperation of the following partners:
Arlington Central School District
Arts Mid-Hudson
Bardavon 1869 Opera House
Bard College Institute for Writing and Thinking
Barnes & Noble
Beacon Theatre/Fourth Wall Productions
Beekman Library
Center for Lifetime Study
Children’s Media Project
Dutchess ARC
Dutchess BOCES Adult Learning Institute
Dutchess BOCES Salt Point Center
Dutchess Community College
Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce
FDR Presidential Library and Museum
Friends of PPLD
Friends of Hyde Park Free Library
Friends of Staatsburg Library
Fulton Avenue Book Club
Green Haven Correctional Facility
Grinnell Public Library
Highland Public Library
Howland Public Library
Hyde Park Free Library
Hyde Park Central School District
LaGrange Association Library
Literacy Connections
Marist College
Marlboro Free Library
Mill Street Loft
Our Lady of Lourdes High School
Pleasant Valley Public Library
Poughkeepsie City School District
Poughkeepsie Public Library District
Ridley-Lowell Business and Technical Institute
Spackenkill Union Free School District
Spackenkill Readers’ Book Club
Staatsburg Library
Wappingers Central School District
Vassar College/Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center
Vassar Temple Sisterhood Book Club
Vassar Warner Senior Residence