Culture
WOUB Brings Great American Read Kickoff to ACPL May 19
By: Emily Votaw
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There’s a reason why the world crafted by Ray Bradbury in his 1953 classic Fahrenheit 451 was so deeply nightmarish: it featured a society that not only did not promote literacy, but very literally railed against it. The protagonist of that particular volume, Guy Montag, found himself in a dystopian future wherein his occupation was to destroy books, and his interactions with a free spirited teenager cause him to challenge his notions on his own reality. The story is an essential American dream told in the hypothetical, crying out the importance of literacy and it’s ability to connect us as human beings.
This summer WOUB is taking part in a nationwide program crafted by PBS which intends to get Americans excited about reading entitled The Great American Read. The project entails help and partnership with many area public libraries, Little Professor Book Center, and sponsorship by the Hocking Valley Bank, all encouraging those in the region to take part in the multi-platform project that emphasizes literacy. As a part of the project, PBS has chosen a diverse list of 100 books, one of which will be determined to be America’s favorite by the end of the campaign.
For WOUB, it all starts with a kickoff event at the Athens County Public Library (30 Home Street, Athens, OH 45701) on Saturday, May 19 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The event will feature door prizes and an opportunity to be interviewed by WOUB’s production crew about your favorite book. Throughout the summer WOUB will spotlight interviews with regional authors, all leading up to the continuation of the television series The Great American Read this fall.
The TV series will get it’s jumpstart on Tuesday, May 22 with the broadcast of The Great American Read Series Premiere at 8 p.m. on WOUB-HD. The two-hour premiere is intended to be the beginning of a summer of reading and voting on America’s favorite book, and will be hosted by Meredith Vieira.