New York State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, New York State Assembly Member Ronald Kim, NYC Council Member Peter Koo other community and government leaders, “living books” portrayed by students from CUNY-Queensborough Community College and Thomas W. Galante, President and CEO, Queens Library launched The Big Read at Queens Library at Flushing. It is a borough-wide opportunity to discuss a shared experience by having many people read the same book (Fahrenheit 451). Costumed “living books” recited portions of “their books” from memory, as was done in Ray Bradbury’s classic novel about a future gone wrong. A limited quantity of books were given away.
The purpose of the Big Read is to create a conversation among many people, of all ages and experiences. “Fahrenheit 451” was chosen because it deals with themes that are relevant to so many: censorship and loss of personal freedoms, the good and evil of lives controlled by mass media and of course, the importance of books and reading. Queens Library will be hosting film screenings, discussion groups, programs for children, teens and adults throughout the spring. On April 27, Sam Weller, who wrote the definitive biography of Ray Bradbury, will hold an Author Talk at Queens Library at Flushing.
In the fantasy future portrayed in Fahrenheit 451, books have been banned altogether. Some of the characters go underground and memorize books to keep them alive. Drama students from CUNY- Queensborough Community College gave brief portrayals as living books. They were Catherine Meredith as Sleeping Beauty by the Brothers Grimm; Samantha Puig as The Blue Fairy from The Adventures of Pinocchio, by Carlo Collodi and Linda Demirdjian as Daisy from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
The Big Read is a project of the National Endowment of the Arts, in partnership with Arts Midwest. The full schedule of programs is attached. For more information, go to www.queenslibrary.org. Admission is free.
Queens Library is an independent, not-for-profit corporation and is not affiliated with any other library. Queens Library serves a population of 2.3 million in one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the U.S. and has among the highest circulations of any public library system in the world. For more information about programs, services, locations, events and news, visit the Queens Library web site at www.queenslibrary.org or phone 718-990-0700. Queens Library. Enrich your life®