The Southern Read to look at africa
Mon., Sep 22
Southern Connecticut State University announces "The Southern Read" for fall 2008. The program is modeled after the Greater New Haven Big Read, an initiative of the National Endowment of the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The Southern Read will involve panel discussions, a film presentation, and small group conversations focusing on the selected book and additional selected readings. The title chosen for The Southern Read this fall is Isak Dineson's Out of Africa. Additional suggested readings are Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and Weep Not Child by Ngugi wa Thiong'o. All of the titles are available at a 20% discount from the Southern Bookstore. Free copies of the books are available from the library while they last.
Panel discussions will be held Monday, Oct. 27, from 12:30-1:50 p.m. in Engleman Hall A120 and Monday, Nov. 3, from 1-2 p.m., on the ground floor of the newly completed Buley Library addition (the Periodical Reading Room). The film Out of Africa (1994), directed by Sydney Pollack, will be presented Wednesday evening, Oct. 29, from 7:35-11 p.m. in Engleman Hall A120, as part of Cinéma du Monde, a university-wide film series.
The three distinguished books provide unique perspectives on the colonial experience in Africa. Isak Dineson, the nom de plume of Karen Blixen, was on the short list for the Nobel Prize for literature in 1954 and 1957, years in which the prize was awarded respectively to Ernest Hemingway and Albert Camus. In a Nov. 7, 1954, interview with Harvey Brett in the New York Times, Hemingway stated, "I would have been happy -- happier -- today if the prize had gone to that beautiful writer Isak Dinesen..."
While 2008 marks the 71st anniversary of the publication of Out of Africa, it is also the 50th anniversary of the publication of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. Achebe is Charles P. Stevenson, Jr. Professor of Languages & Literature at Bard College. Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong'o's novel Weep Not Child was published in 1964, the first English language novel by an East African author. Ngugi Wa Thiong'o is Distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature, and Director of the Centre for Writing and Translation, University of California, Irvine.
The Oct. 27 panel will be moderated by Cindy Schofield-Bodt, Library Services, and will include faculty members Shirley Cavanagh (Library Services), Ken Gatzke (Philosophy), and Michael Rogers (Anthropology).
The Nov. 3 panel will be moderated by Jacqueline Toce, Library Services, with faculty members Jon Bloch (Sociology), Kathryn de Luna (History), Kalu Ogbaa (English), and Elsie Okobi (Library Science). This discussion will take place on the ground floor of the newly completed Buley Library addition (Periodical Reading Room). According to Library Director Dr. Christina Baum, "We are looking forward to hosting this event in the bright, expansive ground floor reading room. It will be a great opportunity to show off the building and a fitting setting in which to hear comments from our accomplished and distinguished panelists."
The film event on Oct. 29 will be hosted by philosophy professor Ken Gatzke.
In addition, to these events, Residence Life is developing small group book discussions, where it is hoped that students and library or classroom faculty members will meet to explore the question of how the African experience of the early 20th century is relevant to readers and scholars in 2008.
The Southern Read is sponsored by the SCSU Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Hilton C. Buley Library, The Office of Student and University Affairs, The First-Year Experience Program, The Honors College, International Programs, SCSU Residence Life and Cinéma du Monde.
It is the hope of the sponsoring groups that students and faculty will read the books and participate in the panels and presentations. All of the events are free and open to the public. For more information contact The Southern Read co-chairs Library Director Dr. Christina Baum baumc1@southernct.edu, (203) 392-5760 or Professor David Pettigrew, pettigrewd1@southernct.edu (203) 392-6778.
