One Book One Community culminates with final event at KSU
By Kyle Valentini
September 21, 2012
439
Summary:
For the fifth year the grassroots reading project One Book One Community successfully engaged readers of all ages with the compelling tale Fahrenheit 451. Written by Ray Bradbury 60 years ago the book is eerily similar to our own culture today.
The grassroots reading movement One Book One Community (OBOC) brings people together through a shared experience. Reading a book and talking about it opens up a dialogue that might not occur otherwise.
Ray Bradburys classic dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 was the 2012 choice for the reading project and according to Mike Gunther, language arts teacher at Dover High School and OBOC committee member the book has been the most popular in the series that is in its fifth year. This book has generated more interest than any other books we have chosen for the reading project, said Gunther. It is amazing how much it reflects contemporary culture and how much discussion has come from it.
To engage the community a series of discussions took place at various libraries in the region. We are so excited about how the community has responded to this year's project, said Tuscarawas County Public Library director Michelle McMorrow Ramsell. We have heard from many adults who are enjoying revisiting a book they may have read in high school or college and others who are taking the opportunity to read it for the first time.
James Burris of Dover hadnt read the book since he was a high school student in the early 1960s and reread the book so he could participate in one of the discussion groups. I was impressed at the range of ages that attended the discussion, said Burris. For once I wasnt the oldest person there.
The Tuscarawas County Writers Guild sponsored a speculative fiction writing contest titled Celsius 233 that challenged writers to create a story of 2000 or fewer words that detailed a world with no books. The winner of the contest will be announced Oct. 1 and all submitted stories will be published in the Bargain Hunter.
The Tuscarawas Center for the Arts sponsored a Banned Books Cover Design Contest. Local teen artists in grades 7-12 were encouraged to submit their original designs with all submissions being displayed and available for purchase through silent auction at the OBOC culminating event on Oct. 1.
The1966 Hollywood film version of Fahrenheit 451 was shown at The Quaker Cinema Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. The show was free and any donations were put toward the OBOC fund for the 2013 project.
The final event of the reading project will take place Monday, Oct. 1 at Kent State Tuscarawas, Founders Hall with special guests Sam Weller Ray Bradburys autobiographer, Chris Cutcher, author and anti-censorship activist as well as a Kent State graduate student where attendees can participate in a panel discussion. The One Book One Community culminating event coincides with Banned Books Week, which is a week dedicated to Celebrating the Freedom to Read, said McMorrow Ramsell.
I look forward to hearing Sam Weller, the authorized biographer and personal friend to Ray Bradbury, share information about this creative man who has influenced generations with his books, said McMorrow Ramsell. I have read the biography and grown to truly love and respect Mr. Bradbury. He lived a nice long life, but we lost a literary giant when he passed away in June. Fortunately, we will have his words, thoughts, and stories with us forever.
