Tyler Public Library was awarded a $20,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for participation in the 2010 Big Read, which encourages community members to read or re-read “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck. Upcoming events related to the big read include:
• The Big Read Essay Contest will continue through March 23. Winners will be announced at the Azalea Tales event on Saturday, March 27; from 2-5 p.m. Azalea Tales will showcase stories and music of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl years. Local author Grace Lundmark will talk about her book, Chloe May: Daughter of the Dust Bowl, based on her mother, who survived a harsh time in our country’s history with love, humor and determination. Members of East Texas Storytellers will bring the 1930s to life through their tales and musician Jimmy LaFave (www.jimmylafave.com) will bring his distinctive style of the Okie sound to the Library.
• The conclusion of two film festivals in the Library’s Taylor Auditorium:
o The Great Depression on the Silver Screen – Tuesdays at 6 p.m.
§ March 16 – Cinderella man (2005) starring Russell Crowe and Renée Zellweger; directed by Ron Howard. The story of James Braddock, a washed up boxer who came back to become a champion and an inspiration in the 1930s
§ March 23 – Bound for Glory (1976) starring David Carradine and Randy Quaid; directed by Hal Ashby. True story of folk singer Woody Guthrie, who rose to the top while fighting for the rights of migrant farm workers during the Depression.
o Steinbeck on Film – Thursdays at 6 p.m.
§ March 18 – Cannery Row (1982) starring Nick Nolte and Debra Winger directed by David S. Ward. A marine biologist falls for a prostitute in an offbeat waterfront town.
§ March 25 – Tortilla Flat (1946) starring Spencer Tracy and Hedy Lamar directed by Victor Fleming. Inhabitants of a Southern California fishing village strive for the simple pleasures of life.
• Exhibits in the Library Lobby and Atrium continuing through March:
o A collection of Depression-era quilts from the East Texas Quilters’ Guild
o A traveling exhibit from Humanities Texas (www.humanitiestexas.org) of iconic Dust Bowl and Depression-era photographs telling an eloquent story of human fortitude. The exhibit includes pictures from the 1930s when photographers working for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) captured unforgettable images of courage and despair in the face of calamity.
· American Girl ® Reading Club (www.americangirl.com) meeting, Saturday, March 20 from 10 a.m. to noon in Taylor Auditorium. Girls ages 5-12 are welcome to come learn about the world in which American Girl Kit Kittredge grew up during the 1930s.
· Insight & Inspiration: A taste of The Grapes of Wrath on Sunday, April 25, beginning at 2 p.m. in Taylor Auditorium. The Red Dirt Rangers (www.reddirtrangers.com ) perform their unique brand of red dirt music and local UT-Tyler scholars, Drs. Ann Beebe, James Newsom and Karen Sloan, discuss the Grapes of Wrath.
• The Texas Film Round-Up (www.texasfilmroundup.org), Saturday, April 17, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, April 18, Noon-4 p.m. in Taylor Auditorium. Throughout the weekend, the Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI) will show archival footage of Depression Texas from its collection, with a featured screening Saturday at 3 p.m. During normal Library hours, area residents can also drop off their Texas–related films or videos for free digitization by TAMI.
• Book discussions and book talks will continue through May. If a book club or organization would like to read and discuss the novel or invite a Library “Book Talker” to visit, free study guides are available through the Library. Book groups of all ages are encouraged to participate. Contact the Library for more information.
Tyler is one of 269 communities nationwide participating in The Big Read during this grant cycle. To date, the NEA has funded more than 800 Big Read programs in the nation’s towns and cities.
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.
The Big Read Tyler program partners include: Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Discovery Science Place, East Texas Storytellers, East Texas Symphony Orchestra, Smith County Historical Society, Tyler Museum of Art, Tyler Civic Theatre, UT-Tyler, the Tyler Morning Telegraph and KLTV-Channel 7. Local businesses and organizations are encouraged to join this venture. For more information, please call (903) 593-7323 or email programs@tylertexas.com.