THE BIG READ
The Center takes on The Big Read again this year with events celebrating The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with Arts Midwest, designed to revitalize the role of literature in American culture.
The Things They Carried follows a platoon of infantrymen through the jungles of Vietnam. We see them trudge through the muck of a constant downpour, get hit by sniper fire, pull body parts out of a tree, laugh while they tell their stories to each other, and fall silent when faced with making sense of it all—both in the moment and twenty years later. Join us at a Big Read event and get a free copy of The Things They Carried.
The Center has adopted the national organization Wounded Warrior Project during the month of The Big Read. We will collect monetary donations at various events. One hundred percent of any money collected will be given to that project at the end of the month. For more information on the Wounded Warrior Project, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org.
Event Highlights
Tuesday, March 19, 6:30 p.m.Miami Beach Public Library Auditorium, 227 22nd Street, Miami Beach
Big Read Kick-off! An Evening with Benjamin Busch on Dust to Dust: A Memoir
Dust to Dust is an extraordinary memoir about ordinary things: life and death, peace and war, the adventures of childhood and the revelations of adulthood. Benjamin Busch — a decorated U.S. Marine Corps infantry officer who served two combat tours in Iraq, an actor on The Wire and the son of celebrated novelist Frederick Busch - has crafted a lasting book to stand with the finest work of Tim O'Brien or Annie Dillard.
Tuesday, April 9, 7:30 p.m.
Coral Gables Congregational Church, 3010 DeSoto Boulevard, Coral Gables
The Big Read Keynote: An Evening with Tim O'Brien
Author Tim O'Brien gives The Big Read keynote address and speaks about his contemporary classic, The Things They Carried. Co-presented with Books & Books.
The Big Read Miami FREE Film Series
March 26 – "Casualties of War"
6:00 p.m., Coral Gables Library, 3443 Segovia St., Coral Gables
April 1 – "Hamburger Hill"
6:30 p.m., Miami Beach Library, 227 22nd St., Miami Beach
Veterans Oral History and Art Project
Artworks inspired by recordings of veterans' stories, created by Miami artists, will be on exhibit at GAB Studio (and in perpetuity at TheCenteratMDC.org). In partnership with Key Art and Health Alliance.
GAB Studio April 13- May 8; Art Walk Reception: April 13, 4-7 p.m.
105 Northwest 23 St., Miami
Ongoing Big Read Events
March 19 - April 19 Various dates, times and locationsThe Big Read: Book Discussions
Discussions on The Things They Carried will take place at various branches of the Miami-Dade Public Library System. Visit www.mdpls.org for exact information.
The Big Read: Operation Paperback with South Miami High Cobra Readers
At every Big Read 2013 event, we will collect gently used paperback books to send to veterans and deployed troops overseas through Operation Paperback, an organization that provides books to military and veterans hospitals as well as USO centers. In partnership with South Miami High Cobra Readers and the Girl Scout Council of Tropical Florida.
The Big Read: South Florida Veterans' Oral History and Visual Art Project
The Center will work with MDC students and other trained volunteers to record the life stories of South Florida veterans, sharing them on our website and through social media. In partnership with Key Art & Health Alliance, a South Florida organization, The Center will match veterans with visual artists who will interpret their story as artworks in various media. An exhibit of the works to take place in April will include oral history listening stations. Click here to learn more about this project and listen to veterans' stories.
The Big Read: Young Authors' Essay Challenge
Miami teens will write essays answering a question inspired by The Big Read official selection, The Things They Carried: "If you were leaving for war tomorrow and could only bring one personal item to carry with you, what would be the thing that you carry and why?" Selected essays will be published on The Center website. In partnership with Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, a South Florida nonprofit working to encourage reading, writing and the arts among young people.
The Big Read: Film Series
Film screenings throughout the city will examine war in varied regions of the world and from various perspectives.
The Big Read Big Book Giveaway
Want to join The Big Read and read The Things They Carried? The Center will give away a limited quantity of free books. Come to Big Read events, keep a look out on public transportation, "like" our Facebook page, The Center for Literature and Theater at Miami Dade College, and register to receive email updates for more information on how to get a free copy of The Things They Carried.