A! Magazine for the Arts

"Love Medicine" by Louise Erdrich has been added to the list of books for "The Big Read."

"Love Medicine" by Louise Erdrich has been added to the list of books for "The Big Read."

NEA Accepting Applications for 'The Big Read'

October 30, 2008

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- "The Big Read" is accepting applications from nonprofit organizations to conduct month-long, community-wide reads between September 2009 and June 2010.

Communities looking to rekindle their love of reading by joining The Big Read will now have even more great books to choose from. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has added the following books to The Big Read library:

  • Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich
  • The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
  • The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilderand a special collection of poetry and short fiction by Edgar Allan Poe

Organizations selected to participate in "The Big Read" will receive a grant ranging from $2,500 to $20,000, financial support to attend the orientation meeting, educational and promotional materials for broad distribution, Organizer's Guide for developing and managing Big Read activities, inclusion of your organization and activities on The Big Read Web site, and the prestige of participating in a highly visible national initiative.

Approximately 400 organizations in communities of varying sizes across the country will be selected to participate from September 2009 through June 2010.

"The Big Read" is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. The Big Read brings together partners across the country to encourage reading for pleasure and enlightenment.

For more information or to download an application, visit www.neabigread.org.

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