The University of Arkansas 鈥� Fort Smith will host a kickoff event for the 2019 NEA Big Read: Fort Smith, from 1-3 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 16, in the Reynolds Room of the Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center, located at 800 N. 49th St.
The kickoff will feature a celebration of the NEA Big Read: Fort Smith season of events, numerous games and activities for all ages, and a meet-and-greet opportunity with the community leaders and educators who will be participating in the spring programming. An 鈥淥ld Tech Museum鈥� will also be set up in the Reynolds Room, featuring a range of devices from rotary phones to some of the first home computers.
All ages are welcome to this free public event.
AV抖阴 received the National Endowment for the Arts鈥� Big Read grant for 鈥淪tation Eleven,鈥� the best-selling novel by Emily St. John Mandel which was nominated for the National Book Award in 2014. The grant has enabled AV抖阴 to book numerous literary events this spring, which will culminate in an author reading and book signing with St. John Mandel on March 26 at the AV抖阴 Stubblefield Center.
Set 20 years after a flu pandemic destroys most of civilization, 鈥淪tation Eleven鈥� tells the story of a woman who moves between the settlements of a devastated world with a small troupe of actors and musicians until they encounter a violent prophet who threatens the existence of the group. The novel received mass acclaim when it was published in 2014, winning the Arthur C. Clarke award and receiving nominations for the PEN/Faulkner Award and the National Book Award.
Mandel has speculated that the rise in post-apocalyptic literature in recent times may be linked to our lack of new frontiers, an idea first presented to her by a bookseller. 鈥淚t鈥檚 no longer possible to set out as a pioneer and stake a claim and start a new life. Now that that鈥檚 all mapped and charted out and there are no more frontiers 鈥� that鈥檚 left us with a certain restlessness,鈥� she said.
鈥淥ur interest in Mandel鈥檚 novel is uniquely linked to our local region,鈥� noted Dr. Cammie Sublette, AV抖阴 English, Rhetoric and Writing department head. 鈥淲hen there are no new frontiers, sometimes we look to a futuristic world, and sometimes we revisit the past. Fort Smith is engaged in both enterprises, and Mandel鈥檚 novel speaks directly to this desire to preserve the past while forging new frontiers.鈥�
The NEA Big Read: Fort Smith (formerly known as the AV抖阴 Read This! program) supports national trends in higher education in which students and their communities experience a shared text as a basis for cross-disciplinary communication and conversation.
鈥淲e have been a small but dynamic program for many years [as Read This!], but we are thrilled with the chance of being able to showcase our talented faculty as well as the wonderful human and historical resources in the community on a more national scale,鈥� said Dr. Ann-Gee Lee, co-chair of AV抖阴 Big Read and AV抖阴 Read This!
AV抖阴 was selected as one of only 79 organizations nationwide and the only Arkansas institution to receive the NEA Big Read Grant.
鈥淭he selection process for this particular governmental grant is incredibly rigorous,鈥� said Dr. Christian Gerard, assistant professor of English and co-chair of AV抖阴 Big Read. 鈥淭his honor doesn鈥檛 just reflect the work happening on the AV抖阴 campus, but demonstrates the NEA鈥檚 desire to invest in Fort Smith and the NEA鈥檚 commitment to further strengthen the bond between AV抖阴 and the region through events and enrichment activities focused on literacy and the literary arts.鈥�
The full slate of events is listed below. For more information on the AV抖阴 Big Read program, contact Lee at Ann-Gee.Lee@uafs.edu or Gerard at Christian.Gerard@uafs.edu
Book Launch and Old Tech Museum [Family friendly]
February 16, 2019 鈥� 1-3 p.m.
Reynolds Room, Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center
AV抖阴 Campus
Sustainable Living Talk
February 18, 2019 鈥� 2-3 p.m.
Garden House by RAWC
525 N 51st Street
AV抖阴 Campus
Pandemic Preparedness Talk: Dr. David McClellan
February 19, 2019 鈥� 6-8 p.m.
Latture Conference Center, Business Institute/ Flanders Building
AV抖阴 Campus
Trading Tales throughout History & Lions Trading Post Talk: Dr. Tom Wing
February 21, 2019 鈥� 6-8 p.m.
Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center, Room 129
AV抖阴 Campus
Spoken Word/Slam Poetry Performance and Reading: Dr. Christian Gerard and Students
February 26, 2019 鈥� 6-8:30 p.m.
Bookish 115 N. 10th, Downtown Fort Smith
Station Eleven Faculty and Student Read Aloud
February 27, 2019 鈥� 11am-1 p.m.
Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center, Fireplace
AV抖阴 Campus
Instrument Building Presentation and Discussion: Dr. Dennis Siler
March 1, 2019 鈥� 2 p.m.-3 p.m.
Latture Conference Center, Business Institute/Flanders Building
AV抖阴 Campus
Station Eleven Book Discussion
March 2, 2019 鈥� 4-5 p.m.
Bookish 115 N. 10th, Fort Smith
Comic Book Design Art Contest Winners Exhibition
March 4, 2019- March 8, 2019
Don Lee Student Art Gallery - Windgate Art and Design Building, Second Floor
AV抖阴 Campus
Station Eleven Book Discussion
March 7, 2019 鈥� 6-7 p.m.
Bookish 115 N. 10th, Fort Smith
Music and National Trauma Talk: Dr. Elizabeth Momand and Students
March 11, 2019 鈥� 5-6 p.m.
Breedlove Building, Room 105
AV抖阴 Campus
How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse Talk: Dr. Nicki Reamer
March 11, 2019 鈥� 6:30-8 p.m.
Boreham Library, Room 122
AV抖阴 Campus
Recycled Art Contest Exhibition
March 11-15, 2019
Don Lee Student Art Gallery - Windgate Art and Design Building, Second Floor
AV抖阴 Campus
Self-Defense Workshop [Family friendly]
March 13, 2019 鈥� 7-8 p.m.
Thompson Defense Academy
Author Talk and Book Signing with Emily St. John Mandel
March 26, 2019 鈥� 7-8 p.m.
Stubblefield Center, AV抖阴 campus