Wayne County Reads events to begin
By Matt Shaw
Published in News on January 30, 2005 2:11 AM
Wayne County Reads begins this week, and organizers have planned several events to lure readers in.
This year's selection for the countywide reading project is "Big Fish," and the schedule includes events tied to the book, to its movie adaptation and to story-telling, a major theme in the book.
"Reading should be a lifelong passion, so we're trying to reach out to all ages," said Library Director Jane Rustin. "Everyone loves a good story."
All Wayne County Reads events are free and open to the public.
The unofficial kickoff will be this Thursday. Dr. Karen Baldwin of East Carolina University will talk about urban legends. "There are Snakes in the Collards at the Supermarket" will begin at 7 p.m. at the Wayne County Public Library's Weil Auditorium.
The official "splashdown" will be Monday, Feb. 7, at the Arts Council of Wayne County. "Fish house liar" Rodney Kemp of Beaufort will spin stories about coastal life. News-Argus Editor Emeritus Gene Price has agreed to emcee. The reception begins at 7 p.m.
"Big Fish" author Daniel Wallace of Chapel Hill will come to Goldsboro Monday, Feb. 21. He will speak in Wayne Community College's auditorium about the book, answer questions from readers and sign copies of his novels. The talk will begin at 7 p.m.
On Monday, Feb. 28, "Legends of the Courthouse: Lawyer Tales" will be held at 7 p.m. in Courtroom 1, the large historical courtroom in the Wayne County Courthouse. Geoff Hulse will emcee a program of outrageous, albeit true, stories of the law, including the facts about the bullethole behind the courtroom's bench.
On Monday, March 7, Dr. Geoff Weiss of Mount Olive College will lead a discussion of the 2003 film, "Big Fish." The talk will begin at 7 p.m. at the Wayne County Public Library's Weil Auditorium.
Wayne County Reads concludes Saturday, March 12, with a storytelling festival at Wayne Community College. The festival will begin at 10 a.m. with performances from a diverse group of regional storytellers. The keynote performer will be David Holt, a four-time Grammy Award winner who specializes in Appalachian stories and songs.
After lunch, storytelling workshops will be held in the afternoon, followed by amateur performances at 3 p.m.
The organizing committee for Wayne County Reads includes representatives of the Wayne County Public Library System, Wayne County Public Schools, Mount Olive College, Wayne Community College, the Foundation of Wayne Community College, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Stagestruck Theater for Young People, and the Arts Council of Wayne County.
Wayne County Reads is similar to efforts organized by other communities, sometimes called "One Book" projects. The first one is believed to have been "If All of Seattle Read the Same Book," which was initiated by the Washington Center for the Book in 1998. The goal of "One Book" projects is to strengthen community ties by giving people something in common to discuss.
More than 1,000 people checked out copies of "To Kill A Mockingbird" from Wayne County libraries during the 2004 campaign.