Hiram College Presents The Big Read in January—February

Do you know where in Portage County the falcon has been photographed? Check www.hiram.edu/bigread/photocontest.html from now through Feb. 18 and note the location of the falcon.

Hiram College’s Lindsay-Crane Center for Writing and Literature, the Portage County District Library and Reed Memorial Library are presenting The Big Read. Beginning on Monday, January 5, 46 community-based reading programs and activities will be held in January and February, 2009.

The Big Read gives communities the opportunity to come together to read, discuss, and celebrate one of 23 selections from American and world literature. The Big Read in Portage County will focus on Dashiell Hammett’s classic detective novel “The Maltese Falcon.”

“The goal of the Big Read is to get people excited about reading,” said Kirsten Parkinson, Hiram College associate professor of English and Big Read director. “Reading sparks the imagination and allows you to have adventures from the comfort of your own home or the local library.”

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. Funding is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest.

The Private Detective (Jim Fippin), right, tosses questions at the mystery author Dashiell Hammett (Mark Dawidziak) in this scene from the Largely Literary Theater Company's Big Read production of The Mystery of Dashiell Hammett.

A few Portage County Big Read highlights include an original radio play about Dashiell Hammett performed by the Largely Literary Theater Company, visits from contemporary mystery authors, a presentation of falcons and other live birds, local police discussing crime detection, and discussions of the book throughout the region. Three Portage County high schools will also be teaching the novel in conjunction with the Big Read events. A complete list of sponsored events is available online at http://www.hiram.edu/bigread/events.html.

The Big Read was featured on WCPN ideastream and has received generous support from WKSU.