The Big Read is Returning to Pomona October 8 - November 13, 2010

Whether you're an avid reader or a non-reader making up for lost time, join the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) Big Read this fall in Pomona. Last year thousands of people in Pomona joined together to read Jack London's Call of the Wild.

This year, exciting events will be held throughout the City relating to the themes of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451.  Ray Bradbury, a pioneer of the science fiction genre tells a gripping story that is both disturbing and poetic. In Fahrenheit 451 he takes the materials of pulp fiction and transforms them into a visionary parable of a society gone awry, in which firemen burn books, and the state suppresses learning. Meanwhile, the citizenry sits by in a drug-induced and media-saturated indifference. A literary classic and perennial bestseller, Fahrenheit 451 was chosen for its relevance to the times in which we live and the thought provoking issues it addresses, such as censorship and life without access to books and libraries. More than 50 years after its original publication, Fahrenheit 451 continues to have enduring appeal.

The goal of the Big Read is to restore reading to the center of American culture and highlight the importance of literature in daily life. The Big Read aims to directly address the decline of reading for pleasure by providing citizens with the opportunity to read and discuss a single book within their community. The City, in partnership with the Cal Poly Pomona, the Pomona Unified School District, Western University of Health Sciences and other partners, is proud to be a part of this reading revitalization project in Pomona and joins many communities across the nation in a celebration of literature.

Book talks, book giveaways, film showings, art exhibits, crafts events, author talks, a chalk art festival, and storytellers are among the events scheduled throughout the City. Event details and updates will be available on the Pomona Public Library web page (www.pomonalibrary.org) beginning September, 2010.

For additional information about the NEA Big Read in Pomona, please contact Pat Lambert, Pomona Public Library Adult Reference Services Supervisor at (909) 620-2043 x2706.

	Ray Bradbury Fahrenheit 451

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts
in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest.

Click here to access their web site (www.neabigread.org)