THE BIG READ, POUGHKEEPSIE, New York Restoring Reading to the Center of American Culture In September and October 2008, Poughkeepsie s libraries, schools, colleges, museums, book stores and book clubs will join together in an annual celebration of great books. Over the course of five weeks, with the support of local banks, businesses and foundations, the Library District and its many partners will launch a series of readings, discussions, performances and screenings related to F. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby. This community-wide program will be part of The Big Read, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The Big Read is designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. It provides citizens with the opportunity to read and discuss a single book within their communities. SCHEDULE OF PROGRAMS Consult the Poughkeepsie Public Library District calendar to confirm accuracy of information. Sunday, September 14 Art Deco Tour Tony Robins, an experienced NY guide and art deco expert will conduct an Art Deco architectural tour of Manhattan, including lunch at the Waldorf Astoria (optional). 9:15 am, meet at Poughkeepsie Train Station. Train leaves at 9:30 am. Tuesday, September 16 Books for Commuters Free copies of The Great Gatsby (and The Big Read brochures) will be presented to commuters at the Poughkeepsie train station. Wednesday, September 17 Book and Brochure Distribution Our outreach to the community continues at the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce monthly breakfast. 7:00 am, Grand Hotel Friday, September 19 Poughkeepsie in the 1920s Local historian Jake Ciancio presents a lecture and slideshow. 9:00 am, Spackenkill High School Auditorium Sunday, September 21 Opening Reception Join us for the official launching of The Big Read. 5:00 pm, Locust Grove
Monday, September 22 Gatsby and the American Dream: A Book Discussion Suzanne Christensen of The Friends of Poughkeepsie Public Library District will lead a discussion of the green light that Gatsby tried, and failed, to reach. 11:00 am, Arlington Branch Library Wednesday, September 24 Fitzgerald in Hollywood: From Book to Screen. Dutchess Community College faculty member John Desmond will lead a discussion of the art of film adaptation. Participants will receive four passages to read and then the adaptations of those four passages will be studied in the three Gatsby films. 7:00 pm, Hudson 404, Dutchess Community College Thursday, September 25 Fitzgerald in Hollywood: From Book to Screen - for schools. The program content will be the same as on September 24. 11 am, James and Betty Hall Theater, Dutchess Hall, Dutchess Community College Thursday, September 25 Art Deco Jewelry Design for Teens 7:00 pm, Adriance Memorial Library Friday, September 26 and Saturday, September 27 Poughkeepsie in the 1920s: A Walking Tour Local historian Fred Schaeffer will conduct walking tours of downtown Poughkeepsie recalling episodes from the 1920s. The Library District has a map dated 1931 that indicates the location of the speakeasies 9:30 am, meet at The Muddy Cup Coffee House Friday, September 26 The Prohibition Era in Poughkeepsie and Dutchess County Friday s walking tour of Poughkeepsie will conclude at the Muddy Cup where local historian Eleanor Charwat will discuss the local highlights and lowlights of the Prohibition era. 11 am, Muddy Cup Coffee House Friday, September 26 to Sunday, September 28 The Big Read Book Fair Barnes & Noble is an active participant in The Big Read. During the days of the Book Fair, up to 20% of proceeds from participating customers at the store on Route 9 will go to the Big Read. The store will also have a prominent Big Read display throughout the month of September and October. Proceeds from the book fair will be used to purchase copies of next year s Big Read book. Sunday, September 28 Scott, Zelda and the Culture of Celebrity
Dr. Ruth Prigozy of Hofstra University is the Executive Director of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Society, and the author of several books on The Great Gatsby and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Dr. Prigozy will discuss the lives of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald and the culture of celebrity that in many ways proved devastating to them both. 2:00 pm, Mid Hudson Library System Auditorium Wednesday, October 1 Writing the 20s: Fitzgerald and his Contemporaries Marist College faculty members Dr. Angela Laflen, Dr. Donald Anderson and Dr. Rose De Angelis will establish a literary context for The Great Gatsby by leading a roundtable discussion of the book as well as other literature written in the 1920s. 7:00 pm, Performing Arts Room, Marist College Thursday, October 2 Through the Eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg: Sex, Music and Religion in the Age of Gatsby Marist College faculty members Dr. Sally Dwyer-McNulty, Dr. Robyn Rosen and Dr. Steven Garabedian will place The Great Gatsby in its social and historical context. 11:00 am, Performing Arts Room, Marist College Sunday, October 5 The Role of the Narrator in American Literature Dr. Peter Antelyes of Vassar College will lead a discussion of the narrator, with particular reference to Scout Finch and Nick Carraway. 2:00 pm, Mid Hudson Library System Auditorium Monday, October 6 Gatsby: The Man and the Myth This book discussion will be held at Barnes and Noble on Route 9. Alice Hunt, a Poughkeepsie-based freelance writer, has led the Get Lit book club since 2006, and blogs about books at www.getlit.blogspot.com. 7:30 pm, Barnes and Noble Monday, October 6 Roaring 20s Fashion for Teens Make Your Own Flapper Dress. All materials will be provided free of charge. 6:30 pm, Adriance Memorial Library Tuesday, October 7 New York and Prohibition Dr. Michael Lerner is the author of Dry Manhattan: Prohibition in New York City. Publishers Weekly described Dr Lerner s book as a riveting account of the attempt to rid
the Big Apple of alcohol and a fascinating study that will appeal to anyone who cares about the history of New York. 11:00 am, Mid Hudson Library System Auditorium Thursday, October 9 The Great Gatsby and the Obscene Word Professor Barbara Will of Dartmouth College looks at F. Scott Fitzgerald's complex sense of what it means to "belong" in America. 7:00 pm, The James and Betty Hall Theater, Dutchess Hall, Dutchess Community College Thursday, October 9 Looking at Gatsby Advanced Placement students at Roy C Ketcham High School will lead several different discussions on ways of interpreting The Great Gatsby. Refreshments and entertainment will be provided. 7:00 pm, Roy C Ketcham High School, Wappingers Falls Friday, October 10 Art and Politics in The Great Gatsby Dr. Patricia Wallace, Professor of English, and Dr. Miriam Cohen, Evalyn Clark Professor of History, both of Vassar College, will discuss Gatsby in the context of the 1920s and the development of modernism in American culture. 12 noon, Multipurpose Room, College Center (Main Building), Vassar College Friday, October 10 A Dramatic Reading Maple Grove becomes an East Egg mansion as local residents take on the roles of the key characters in this dramatic reading of portions of The Great Gatsby. 6:00 pm, Maple Grove Saturday, October 11 Jazz Standards for Everyone Starting in the 1920 s, Too Human, an acoustic music act, will trace the history of jazz standards through the twentieth century. This will be fun for all ages. 2:00 pm, Mid Hudson Children s Museum Sunday, October 12 Glitter and Be Gay: Fashion from the Great War to the Great Depression Richard Kramer, Senior Professional Lecturer Fashion/Art, Marist College The decade following the World War I revealed a new cultural aesthetic that would permeate and dominate the new century. This spirited, visually beautiful presentation offers insight and understanding to the aesthetic that we call modern. 2:00 pm, Marist College
Tuesday, October 14 The Great Gatsby Trivia Contest for all ages By this stage in The Big Read, you must be pretty familiar with this book. Have some fun, enjoy some snacks and maybe win a prize or two as we take a break from the serious discussions. 7:00 pm, Mid Hudson Library System Auditorium Thursday, October 16 The Boom before the Bust: Gatsby and 1920 s Economics The FDR Library will host a panel of local economics professors who will discuss the 1920s and 30s and their relevance to today s economy. Participants can then view the new exhibit Action and Action Now: FDR and the First Hundred Days which relates directly to the economic excesses of the 1920 s. 7:00 pm, Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library in Hyde Park Friday, October 17 The Great Gatsby: The Movie Both screenings will feature the 1974 version starring Robert Redford, Mia Farrow and Sam Waterston. 9:45 am: A screening for local high schools. 7:00 pm: A screening for the general public. Bardavon 1869 Opera House Friday, October 17 Faith Issues in The Great Gatsby: A Book Discussion Discussion leader Mark Markowitz is an English teacher at Roy C. Ketcham High School. 7:00 pm, First Presbyterian Church, Wappingers Falls Sunday, October 19 The Big Read Closing Reception The Big Read 2008 comes to an end at Locust Grove. Join us for reflection, celebration AND the announcement of the Big Read book for 2009! 5:00 pm, Locust Grove