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Prendergast
Library Hosts Big Read Book Discussions
Prendergast Library has set six
book discussions on “My Antonia” by Willa Cather as part of The Big
Read this winter.
Staff members will lead the conversations, which are free and open
to the public.
“The library is pleased to host opportunities for people who would
like to talk with others about this classic American novel,” said
Director Catherine Way.
Book discussions will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18; Tuesday,
Feb. 23; and Thursday, March 18.
Evening discussions at 7 p.m. will take place on Thursday, March 4;
Tuesday, March 9; and Tuesday, March 23.
“My Antonia” tells the story of a Bohemian immigrant girl who moves
to Nebraska with her family and adjusts to a new way of life. The
novel is considered Cather’s masterpiece.
SUNY Fredonia is partnering with the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library
System this winter to encourage local residents to read the book.
Other discussions, movie showings, displays and programs are
scheduled at public libraries throughout Chautauqua and Cattaraugus
counties during February and March.
Jackson Center To Host Big Read Film Series
JAMESTOWN – The Robert H. Jackson Center will host a series of three
films related to “My Antonia” as part of The Big Read this winter.
The films, which are free and open to the public, will be shown at 7
p.m. Wednesdays. The schedule includes:
* “I Remember Mama” on Feb. 17
* “O Pioneers” on March 3
* “Sweet Land” on March 24
“My Antonia” tells the story of a Bohemian immigrant girl who moves
to Nebraska with her family and adjusts to a new way of life. All of
the titles chosen for the film series have to do with immigrants
moving west and adapting to frontier life.
The first film portrays the struggles of a Norwegian immigrant
family at the turn of the century in San Francisco. It was based on
John Van Druten’s play by the same title, which had been adapted
from “Mama’s Bank Account,” memoirs by Kathryn Forbes.
“I Remember Mama” was released in 1948, with a cast including Irene
Dunne, Barbara Bel Geddes, Oscar Homolka and Philip Dorn. It was
followed by a television series called “Mama.”
At 134 minutes, critic Leonard Maltin describes it as “a bit long,
but richly rewarding, with top performances in each and every role.”
Based on a Willa Cather novel by the same name, “O Pioneers” was
produced in 1992. Set in America’s heartland at the turn of the
century, it brings to life the story of men and women who struggled
to turn the wilderness into a home.
Rated PG, the film stars Jessica Lange, David Strathairn, Tom
Aldredge, Reed Diamond, Anne Heche, Heather Graham, Josh Hamilton
and Leigh Lawson. It runs 99 minutes.
“Sweet Land,” which was originally released as a motion picture in
2005, tells the story of a mail-order German bride who comes to
Minnesota to marry a young Norwegian immigrant farmer. They fall in
love, but a local minister forbids the marriage because of
anti-German sentiment following World War I.
Based on a short story called “A Gravestone Made of Wheat” by Will
Weaver, the film runs 111 minutes and carries a PG rating.
Cast members are Elizabeth Reaser, Tim Guinee, Alan Cumming, John
Heard, Alex Kingston, Ned Beatty, Lois Smith and Patrick Heusinger.
Smith appears 50 years after her debut in “East of Eden.”
According to Maltin, “Reaser is exceptional, but the whole cast
shines.”
/The Boston Globe/ described the film as “a lovely, old-fashioned
farm romance quietly doubling as a commentary on immigration and
American identity.”
The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts
in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and
Arts Midwest.
SUNY Fredonia is partnering with the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library
System this winter to encourage local residents to read the book,
which tells the story of a Bohemian immigrant girl who moves to
Nebraska with her family and adjusts to a new way of life.
Activities relating to “My Antonia” are scheduled throughout
February and March. Materials are available at public libraries in
Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties.
The National Endowment for the Arts presents The Big Read in
partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in
cooperation with Arts Midwest.
The Jackson Center is located at 305 E. Fourth St., Jamestown. For
more information, call 483-6646 or Prendergast Library at 484-7135,
Ext. 225.
Big Read To
Feature Two Lectures
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JAMESTOWN – Two upcoming lectures are slated for Jamestown area
residents as part of The Big Read, featuring “My Antonia” by Willa
Cather.
Cather scholar Susan McGee will speak about the author from 7 to 8
p.m. Monday, Feb. 8, at Jamestown Business College, 7 Fairmount Ave.
Ms. McGee’s research and writing on Willa Cather focus on the
author’s contributions to the frontier literary tradition. She
examines how Cather’s novels engage the issues of her time,
including the roles of immigration and women in national identity
formation.
The speaker is a member of the English Department at SUNY Fredonia,
where she teaches writing and literature. Her primary field of study
is 19th and 20th century American literature. As a PhD candidate at
Binghamton University, she is finishing her dissertation titled
“Ranging Bodies and Borders: Frontier Embodiments in American
Literature.”
City Historian B. Dolores Thompson will speak from 7 to 8 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 11, at Prendergast Library on “The Immigrant Story:
Jamestown’s Heritage Comes Alive.”
“My Antonia is a wonderful choice for The Big Read this year, since
almost 100 percent of the current U.S. population has its heritage
elsewhere in the world,” Ms. Thompson said.
After her prepared remarks, she will open up the program to
questions and comments from the audience.
“I
am sure there will be persons willing to share stories of their
families,” she said.
“My Antonia” is the story of a Bohemian immigrant girl who moves to
Nebraska with her family and adjusts to a new way of life.
SUNY Fredonia
is partnering with the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System this
winter to encourage local residents to read the book.
“These
lectures enrich the project by providing a great opportunity for
people to get a little background information,” said Randy Gadikian,
director of the Daniel A. Reed Library at SUNY Fredonia and chairman
of the local Big Read.
Activities
relating to “My Antonia” will take place in February and March with
materials available at public libraries in Chautauqua and
Cattaraugus counties. Events are free and open to the public.
The National
Endowment for the Arts presents The Big Read in partnership with the
Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with
Arts Midwest.
For more
information, call 484-7135, Ext. 225. The Prendergast Library is
located at 509 Cherry St., Jamestown.
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