The Big Read

THE BIG READ

Our local partnership, which has brought this valuable and fun community-wide literary reading initiative to the Coastal Georgia area since 2007, has been awarded another grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for The Big Read. The program for 2012 focuses on Dashiell Hammett’s entertaining and highly influential 1930 novel The Maltese Falcon.

The program is presented once again by Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Association in partnership with the Three Rivers Regional Library System and the College of Coastal Georgia. Additional support is provided by The Brunswick News and Qantum Communications. Additional partners include: Camden, Glynn and McIntosh School Systems, McIntosh Art Association, and Arts Camden.

The Coastal Georgia partnership is one of only 76 communities nationwide chosen this year by the NEA, thanks to the great success of previous installments of The Big Read locally, which have focused on such literary greats as Fahrenheit 451, To Kill a Mockingbird, the poems and stories of Edgar Allan Poe, and The Great Gatsby. The 2012 program includes discussions, performances, films, art exhibits, and school programs designed to get everyone in the community reading, discussing, and thinking about The Maltese Falcon, one of the 30+ books on the NEA’s approved list.

By changing the type of book we focus on each time, we can appeal to a broad range of tastes and also inspire people, through new and fun events, to spend some time reading these great works. Some people were surprised when The Maltese Falcon, a detective novel, appeared on The Big Read list. Yes, it is a detective novel—one of the best ever written. It’s also a brilliant literary work, as well as a thriller, a love story, and a dark, dry comedy. The only criticism one could offer Hammett’s private-eye classic is that it is so much fun to read, it might be hard the first time through to realize how deeply observed and morally serious it is.

In addition to the wealth of programs and events planned for The Big Read next February, GIAHA and partners will once again distribute hundreds of free copies of the book, as well as guides for readers and teachers.

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, launched nationally in 2006 to address the national decline in literary reading as documented in the NEA's 2004 landmark survey “Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America.” The survey showed that less than half the American adult population now reads literature. The Big Read, both locally and nationally, has done much to reverse this decline.

A great book combines enlightenment with enchantment. It awakens our imagination and enlarges our humanity. It can even offer harrowing insights that somehow console and comfort us. Whether you’re a regular reader already or making up for lost time, thank you for joining The Big Read. Please contact us via email or at 912-262-6934 to find out how you, your organization, or your business can be a part of this valuable and fun community-building initiative.

TEACHER RESOURCES
Film Noir Facts (PDF)
Teachers Guide to The Maltese Falcon (link)
Middle School Essay Contest (PDF)
High School Creative Writing Contest (PDF)
Elementary School Little Big Read Info (PDF)
Elementary Art Lesson Plan for Little Big Read book, Ace Lacewing, Bug Detective(PDF)