‘Farenheit 451’ keys a month of literacy and media awareness events.
“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture,” author Ray Bradbury famously wrote. “Just get people to stop reading them.”
Recent proof that Bradbury’s fears may be coming true is the impetus for a new community reading initiative sponsored and organized by the Bainbridge Island Branch of Kitsap Regional Library.
With the help of a grant from the Big Read, a project of the National Endowment for the Arts, the library and other island organizations will devote the month of February to rediscovering the value of reading through Bradbury’s classic novel, “Fahrenheit 451.”
“The main goal of this campaign is to restore reading to a central, pivotal role in our culture,” said Cindy Harrison, the library’s branch manager.
The Big Read was formed in response to a 2002 Census survey that found that fewer than half of all adult Americans read literature of any type – novels, short stories, poetry or drama.
This year, 127 communities across the nation received grants to participate. The Bainbridge Library received $4,000 to support programming, funds that it must match with its own finances and in-kind services like staff hours. In addition to funding, the NEA provides resources such as reading and discussion guides.
Multiple copies of Bradbury’s book are available through the library, local schools, and Eagle Harbor Book Co., a co-sponsor of the event, along with the Bainbridge Island Arts and Humanities Council, the Field’s End writers’ community and Island Theatre.
Organizers are promoting the book as a holiday read – “read it now, said Harrison, “because you won’t want to miss what’s happening in February.”
Of the 16 novels suggested by the NEA, the library chose Bradbury’s work to “reach the populations whose readership we’re losing,” said Harrison – namely, the 13- to 32-year-old age bracket.
“Speculative fiction is something that really appeals to young people,” she said.
The plot and theme of “Fahrenheit 451” are uniquely suited to the broader message of the campaign.
Protagonist Guy Montag lives in a world in which books are burned and conversations are trivial, and most people interact primarily with the television dramas that play out on parlor walls.
For Harrison, current conflicts between a culture of reading and one of mass entertainment media are “vividly reflected in the life of Montag.”
The goal of the Big Read is not just to spur reading for its own sake, but to open dialogue between community members, said Sharon Lee, assistant branch manager.
“We want to get people engaging in discussion and participation,” she said. “Reading is about civic engagement, being an active member of society and not a passive one.”
Part of that motivation comes from the energy created this past September around the book “Three Cups of Tea,” which started out on the reading lists of book clubs and discussion circles and ended up drawing more than 2,500 people to a presentation by author Greg Mortenson.
“As librarians, that’s the kind of thing you hope for,” Lee said. “It was wonderful. But this book is closer to home. It’s our culture. It’s us.”
The library is planning a series of events revolving around “Fahrenheit 451” in February. Plans include educational presentations, discussions and debate, as well as a film screening, play reading, and a kick-off event at City Hall. (See box.)
All ages will be involved, from the Bainbridge High School Debate Team to Bainbridge Island Senior Community Center members.
With an event at BISCC, the library wants to recognize the way older generations often memorized treasured poems and stories – just as Bradbury’s Montag must, in an age when book ownership is criminalized.
The library will also sponsor a competition for student essays on the question: “If you could choose only one book to save, what would it be?”
“If you really think about how dire that would be, what an impossible question,” Harrison said.
So…what would a librarian save? It’s a question that has been bandied about the library for weeks, considered from all angles.
“It’s such a hard question,” Lee said. “Would you pick something personal or something inspiring for the culture of the world?” Her choice would be the Gospel of John.
And though Harrison hasn’t settled on a final pick, she thought immediately of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” a personal symbol of the importance of access to literature. As a teen, she’d been told she was too young to check it out from the library.
“That book is very important to me,” she said, with a sentiment Montag would understand, “because I was almost deprived of the opportunity to read it.”
**************************************************************
The Big Read
Wednesday, Feb. 6
“Capturing the Imagination with Science Fiction and Fantasy.” In a presentation designed for parents and educators, Martha Bayley will discuss the history, trends, and educational opportunities of science fiction. 4 p.m. Bainbridge Library.
Mayor Kordonowy and City Council members launch the Big Read. 6 p.m. City Hall
Saturday, Feb. 9
“Talking to Our Enemies: Civic Engagement on a Global Scale.” A discussion sponsored by the Foreign Policy Association and the BI Arts and Humanities Council will explore the theme of civic engagement at an international level. 9:30 a.m. Bainbridge Library.
Tuesday, Feb. 12
The BHS Debate team will lead a public forum on the impact of TV and other media on American culture and reading habits. 7 pm. Bainbridge Commons.
Thursday, Feb. 14
The 2nd Thursday Book Group’s discussion will focus on “Fahrenheit 451.” 1 p.m. Bainbridge Library.
Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 16-17
Island Theater presents a staged reading of the play The Fourth Wall. 7:30 p.m. Bainbridge Library.
Tuesday, Feb. 19
Field’s End Writers Roundtable, Paul Hanson will facilitate discussion: “How necessary are truth and reality in speculative fiction?” 7 p.m. Bainbridge Library.
Wednesday, Feb. 20
“Preserving Books Through treasured Memories” A celebration of the tradition of memorization and dramatic reading of favorite literature. 1 pm. Senior Center.
Tuesday, Feb. 26
7 pm. Historic Lynwood Theatre. A discussion with the Bainbridge Science Fiction Book Club will kick off a screening of the 1966 film version of “Fahrenheit 451.”
